Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-08-29
DOROTHY AMES' COUSIN
Merab Mitchell IN Harper's Bazaar.
ssnID YOU ENJOY THE LECTURER

IL mo- it made me shiver, and shall
dream and think Of those starving children
and overworked women for weeks. How cold
it is! wonder If we will ever get home"
The speakers were two fashionable Boston
girls, and while their carriage is being rapidly
driven to the beautiful mansion on Common
wealth avenue which they call homo let me
introduce them to my readers.
Dorothy was year or two older than her
cousin Annie and although she was handsomer.
she was not nearly so much loved. Dorothy
was said TO be very clever and an acknowledged
authority on rare and old books, pictures and
china. She was tall and dark, with proud up
lifting of her head that left its effect upon
those who did not know her intimately. Her
cousin was small, fair, and sweet-tempered.
She had, as an Annex girl, distinguished herself,
but had given up without regret the recita-
ton for the ball room and Greek and Latin
text books for morning calls. afternoon teas
and all the stately frivolties OF Beacon street
and the avenue.
Both girls in fact had passed the ''bud''
age, having graduated two seasons before
from rehearsal rush seats and fresh cara
mels to hours at the picture and art exhibits.
Saturday night symphony concerts, and enter
tainments becoming young women OF three
and-twenty.
1t was Annie who intended to SILVER and
dream for weeks to come over the pitiful tales
of suffering so graphically described by the
Rev. Donald Stanhope, young man who was
for the time Boston s society fad, and whose
initiation into the charmed set had been an
odd one.
He had brought letter Of introduction to
Madam Kentworths from her youngest son,
who was travelling in Europe, and was enjoying
in his way the hospitality of her lovely home
near Nahant when the opportunity came She
hal ra1 ,ar1c fnrp nm MT m-ie
and among the entertainments provided was TO
be a choice selection OF music by several mem
bers of the symphony Orchestra, but when the
time came they did not appear "have missed
the train, so the telegram read what should
she do? And while trying to decide Donald Stan
hone had como to her assistance by suggesting
or offering to tell "a string OF stories OF ODD
things that he had seen and heard while on an
extended trip in the far south.
1.-The very thing
And while he went for his note books madam
saw that the necessary preparations were made
and CHOSEN few advised OF what was to be ex-
pected.
Up to this time no one had paid much atten-
ton to him-al;hough, Of course. he was not
entirely ueglected-so that when he came to
madams assistance she wondered that she had
not noticed before how handsome and well
dressed he WIS. Jack always had good taste
in his friends" she thought to herself.
There never was a luckier hit. The stories
that Donald Stanhope told were of southern
negro life aud ways. and so well did ne inter-
pref them that from that moment he became
the fashion, and not to know or have dined
Young Stanhope' was to acknowledge ones
self far behind the times. He was seen every
where where wealth and culture were to be
found When he entered the music hall peo-
pie turned in their seats to watch or greet him;
during the waits he would 60 from group to
group and was always joyousiy received. He
had knack of saying and doing just the cor
rect thing, of leaving at the right moment. Of
dressing in perfect taste and OF giving pleasure
wherever he went. Who he people never
stopped to ask; he had come and seen and con-
quered them. And even if there had been a
doubt as to his right within the charmed circle
of Beacon street, no one had dared to give vent
to 1t. he was simply delightful.
Among his most ardent admirers were
Dorothy and Annie, and although neither
would have acknowledged it to the other, they
both cared more for the stranger than they
knew. Perhaps gentle Annie, rs her friends
called her. WINS more interested in his welfare
than her cousin; and because OF this she 1t was
who first began to have doubtsabOut him. She
had even gone SO far as to say. Il believe Don
aid Stanhope il playing part" and had then
subsidized into silence when she saw what a
wbirlwind of surprise and indignation she had
raised in Dorothy, who, after being properly
severe and assuring her cousin that he would
never have been received In Beacon street if he
had not been all that was required, suddenly
turned and said:
''Well, now come to think about it, who is
he and where did he come from!" And then
resuming the piece of embroidery she Was
are we saying and thinking9 Of course he is a
gentleman"
He came from Nahant, SO have heard it
said" quietly asserted Annie, half fearing and
yet half delighted at the doubt she had raised
in her cousins mind. Dorothy would never
love or marry man of low degree" AZ for
herself-weli, it was true she was in love,
hopelessly in love, with this handsome.
gifted stranger.
But true love seldom has a smooth road at
first and she was sure that be did not care for
her land, she hoped, for no one else), for the
night on which our story opens he had made
every one feel so kecnly the suffering on all
sides Of them. and had spoken SO elOqucntly
and urgently on each ones duty to those
less fortunate than themselves. His ''parlor
stories" as his lectures were called, were never
given for money, and therefore he dared many
opinions that money could not have bought.
They were not sermons-far from it; they
we're simple stories, with tremendous lot Of
information that was new III its way to the peo-
pie who gathered about him; and IN telling his
hearers their duty he did it in such way that
not even the most naughty or fashionable dame
could have taken ottense.
This was perhaps more possible in Boston
than in most cities, for true Boston woman
Is never 30 uthSntfut ms WhtH UiscHSbiHS tht
best methods OF charity; they all belong to
help or improvement societies. And the
daintiest bellies will fiock to Trinity 10 cut
cut red hannels. or hold meetings and read
papers on the best methods OF lifting the
poor; and they dc a deal Of good. And so
one scarcely wondered at the fashionable and
cultured audience that had accepted Mrs. Tom
Greenleafs invitation to cream and cake OF 8,
knowing well that the Rev Donald Stanhope
was sure to be there and would talk to them.
had left Mrs. Greenlo afs parlors determined to
way what she would do and how she would set
about doing it.
II shall ask his advice first" said Dorothy to
herself while her cousin shrank from even letting
him know that he had given her desire to be
he had made an old colored woman in one Of
his stories call sewing society Of half u dozen
girls who had taken three months to make two
flannel wrappers.
The next morning found Dorothy dressed in
her prettiest walking costume, and on her way
to a fremont street chrysanthemum show,
where she felt pretty sure Of meeting many Of
her friends, and perhaps Donald Stanhope him
self.
Annie, uneasy and unhappy, had watched her
start, and thought how handsome and correct
she was, while she could think Of nothing but
her own inability and weakness, and when q
beautiful bunch of roses bearing the card OF q
Young man with whom she had coQuetted only
q few evenings before was brought to her, she
could have cried with shame for her falseness
as she called it, and with the sudden awaken
ing of how much, how very much more Donald