San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-03-16

head OUer her knitting.
Miss Cornelia put her threat of aban
doning Mary to her own evil devices
into execution the following day; but
before her departure she wrote notes of
farewell-an unprecedented thing-to
all her neighborhood friends for the ex-
press purpose of letting them know what
a viper they had warmed in their bo-
SONS. She made no overt mention OF
her niece's name, for she was lady in
most things, despite her dreadful tenn
per. But she inveighed at length and
with bitterness against the degeneracy
and dangerous democracy of the times,
which overthrow all class distinctions
and allowed the upper and the lower
crust to come together in the social pud-
ding without even thin layer Of proper
pride to keep them from welding into
one sodden mass.
Her outraged feelings and sense Of
the stupendous Importance of her theme
gave the foolish old lady certain elo-
quence that was touching and almost
pathetic in its futility. 1t was the voice
of the past crying out on the present,
the voice of conservatism protesting
against innovation.
The notes made considerable stir in
the county, provoking good deal OF
comment and-oh, shame!-much laugh
ter. The ladies, it is true, were trifie
nettled and somewhat resentful just at
first, but more because they had been
kept so long in ignorance of an Animal
ing bit of gossip than from any feeling
of pique at having extended hospitality
to social inferior. In their own minds
their position was too well assured for
any mere external to derogate from it,
and Anthony touched their lives in no
other way. When the gentlemen were
made aware that they had been frater-
nizing with the son of an overseer, they
appeared to regard the matter in the
light of an exquisite joke, and chuckled
over it immensely among themselves.
Like their wives and daughters, they
were too accustomed to their own posi-
ton to dwell upon it much, and they
had all along been perfectly aware that
Anthony was what is called self made
mana fact which he had never either
thrust upon them or concealed. The
discovery that he was the son Of old
Bill Anthony, who had lived all his life
among them and had been well thought
of in way. served to invest that proc
ess of self making, which had been so
successful in result, with a personal in
stead of an abstract interest for them.
They were proud of him as a county
man and fellow Virginian who had
gone out in the world and done the old
state credit. They beheld him through
the Elusive rose color of pronounced sue
cess, and bestowed upon him both adj
miration and approval.
"To think of old Bill Anthony's boy
turning out such a clever blade!
chuckled Judge Wilmer delightedly.
81 remember the old man perfectly-a
slouching sort of fellow, always whit
Ting sticks, with his mouth full of to-
bacco. Capital overseer he was too
kept the negroes up to the collar and
wasn't brutal to them. Any Of rs would
have snapped him up if we'd had the
chance: but Beverley hung on to him.
Beverley thought a great deal OF him,
remember. He came out well during
the war too-saved Hector's life at NAL
vern Hill. There's good stuff IN most
Virginians."
Mrs. Wilmer let this bit of vainglory
Sass. while she took up stitch In her
knitting. She was Virgipian also