Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-01-29

! .SSHV
- 49,
| She opened the door OF her closet and
looked at her gOlUnS
Littlefield had its small inner circle of
select ladies-intellectual and aspiring.
who for two or three hours week, when
their club. the Symposium, met in a
private parlor, lived high up in thin,
rarified mental atmosphere; so far beyond
the gross comprehension of the business
men of the town that they did not often
venture to let their lords know what high
themes they had been discussing at the
| club for fear of cold douche of ridicule
and masculine scorn.
The weekly Symposium was therefore
all the more delightful to these ladies
who felt themselves mentally cramped
at home, and they cherished the air of
mystery which enveloped their little
society with closely compressed lips But
happily among the Symposium members
were several spinsters and widows, the
independent Of womankind, who feel no
tether, and can go to any length in
their soaring regardless of the sar-
casms of the unideaed sex. These
ladies had passed beyond Brown
ing and even Tolstoi, and were now in
the mcshes of the cold blooded Ibsen,
who had divided the camp and caused
many spirited discussions. But to what
ever lengths the ladies may have gone in
argument no sooner had the door of their
clubroom closed upon them and they
found themselves with feet placed firmly
on the earth, than the remarks overheard
as they strolled along i'll groups of two
or three under the shade trees of High
street, showed t!at the centripetal forces
were still at work, and there was no
danger of their flying off the surface of
the planet
Did you ever hear anything like that
girls willfulness," said Miss Dawson, and
it was not the peculiar heroine of the
DOLLS House" of whom she was speak
ing. Her mother has no influence over
her whatever, and her sisters have almost
gone on their knees to her"
And her aunt offered to take her to
Newport for the summer" put in Mrs
Purse at was thought she would
was over. She is very contriving
woman and has worked off her own girls
with great skill"
She won't hear to it" returned Miss
Dawson with a little sigh. "She is dead
set for this wild scheme of going to live
on the farm and peddling butter and
eggs and vegetables and spring chickens
around the town from the tail of cart"
II hope shall see it," returned Mrs.
Purse with a dry laugh, like a grig in
meadow grass. "The Ransolns never
condescended to look q: re; they never
knew | existed in this town when they
had their money and plenty of horses
and carriages and were given up to
worldly display. should just like to
see that proud Agnes riding around town
in cart peddling out eggs and butter.
1t will do me good. And even if she
sells her spring chickens little higher
than what | can buy them for in the
market, shan't mind paying the differ
ence."
"ls that just the right spirit" returned
Miss Dawson, stealing a look at Mrs.
Purses thin, sallow face as if she felt the
club had very imperfectly done its work
on the widow. Shouldn't we try to live
on more exacted plane and to be
governed by higher law than to rejoice
in the downfall of others?'
Miss Dawson was getting a little be-
yond her depth as was apt to happen in
the club discussions.
"Ohr said Mrs. Purse tartly, ~ guess
it won't be much of a come down for
Agnes Ransom. She'll most likely re-
gard the whole thing as lark, and
have a right to get my fun out of it too.
There isn't anything malicious in my
feeling, only should just like to see her
I'D hat nrk Dot %
she will marry before long. Any girl
of her face and fgger is elected and
foreordained to matrimony, as some peo-
pie are cut out for old maids from the
cradle"
Miss Dawson had slight contraction
of the mouth and pin prick in the side
She took occasion to say goodby to Mrs.
Purse at the junction of High street
with Elm, and ran a few steps to join
Miss Person, another club member, who
was tall, wore glasses and short hair,
and was thought to be more detached
from feminine vanities and more devoted
to pure metaphysics than any other Sym
posiumite.
81 am almost sorry" began Miss Daw-
son, "that we elected Mrs. Purse to our
circle fear she has no real elevation
of thought, no comprehension of prin-
ciples.
II can't agree with you," returned
Miss Person, who never did agree with
anybody. Our club is educative, and
if we were all perfect we should not
need its influence Mrs. Purse has real
flashes of insight. Did she not say the
other day that slavish obedience to a
system narrows our reenng Tor human
ityT m-.... ....
The ladies s. that moment were pass
ing the gates Of lakewood. large. hand
some estate lying in the northwestern
part Of the town Oakwood had for
many years been the show place Of Little