San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-01-14

examination or 10 remove her from the
middle of her class. Blanche was a
Ounce confessedly; she hated books and
the acquisition of knowledge by labor.
If people told her things and took the
trouble to explain them she remembered
them sometimes, sometimes not. TO ae-
complishments she. took as duck 10
water-danced beautifully, was a fair
musician, sang with taste and sweetness
and chartered French with absolute self
confidence and tolerable accent, al
though her rudimentary knowledge Of
the tongue was Of tine vaguest.
y At school she had been more popular
than her cleverer sister. The girls al
firmed that she was sweeter tempered and
more obliging. At home also she was
the favorite. Her father idolized her, her
brothers domineered over and petted her;
even the mother made an unconscious
difference between the girls; she admired
Norma more-was prouder of her, but
she depended upon Blanche. Norma saw
the difference and sometimes it vexed
her, but generally she was indifferent to
it. Her people did not understand her;
she was not like them; when barn door
fowls unwittingly Matched eaglets it was
natural that the phenomenon should bs
beyond their comprehension and that
their ignorance should prefer the tanner
members of their brood. Not that Norma
actually instituted such comparison and
deliberately set herself above her kin
dred; she simply acted upon the hypothe-
sisunconsciously, and when the warmest
family affection settled around, Blanche
felt sure that it was due to natural dit-
ference and could be no fault of hers.
Little Blanche, in her deep content
with her new surroundings. wondered
how she could ever have been so be-
sotted as to object to the move. The
place, the people, the mode of life were
all delicious to her, and for the family
at Lanarth her enthusiasm was touch
ing. Mrs. Mason was just her idea Of
"Mrs. Washington, or Cornelia, or Lady
de Bourgainville," she explained to Nor
ma. mixing history and fiction, as usual,
and was laughed at for her pains.
Pocahontas never laughed at her-at
least not Extensively, or in a way to
make her feel her ignorance. She
thought sometimes that her foolish So
ciety was preferred by her new friend to
that of her clever sister; certainly the
quaint old tales which Pocshontas
poured unreservedly into her delighted
ears were never told to Norma. What
impression lay in the girls mind Of
handsome Berkeley Mason had best re-
main uncanvassed. 1t is i'll work, VIC
lating feminine sanctuaries unless the
need be urg mt; an empty coat sleeve,
carelessly carried, is a powerful agent fox
converting man into hero.
Christmas, the grand high festival of
the year, was approaching. and all the
community was stirred with deep desire
for its worthy celebration. Sociability
ceased, or at best was sustained in limp,
half hearted fashion by the men. The
ladies had other things to think of; for
on them rested the sole responsibility of
the Christmas preparations-the provid-
ing of copious lodging for expected
guests, the bedecking of rooms with
evergreens and holly, the absorption Of
storero DOM and kitchen, the never ending
consultations with the cocktail the
wonderful Vaccinations, the deep mys-
teries and lamentations which would re-
suit in glittering hospitality later on.
Realizing this, they suffered lesser mat
ters to pass unheeded, caring naught for
social converse, intellectual pleasures or
intelligence of church or state. Women
might elope, men embezzle, dynasties
fall, ministries change or public faith be
broken, and they viewed the result, IL
indeed they noted it, with absolute com
posture. But let eggs be unattainable,
jellies become murky, the fruit in cake
or pudding sink hopelessly to the bot
tom. and Rachel weeping for her chill
dren could not have made more wild ac-
claim.
At Lanarth, the week Of preparation
good old Virginia housekeepers always
allowed week at least. and Mrs. Mason
adhered to the time honored custom)
passed busily. Everything turned out
unusually well, and the storeroom was
picture Jellies, in slender glasses, gilt
tered in exquisite amber perfection, or
glowed warmly crimson, with points OF
brighter hue where the sun fell on them.
Heaps of old fashioned "snowballs" hid
golden hearts under pure white frost
ing, and cakes. baked in fantastic shapes,
like Turks heads and futed melons,
were rich, warm, brown, or white and
cleaning as Christmas snow. The
pastry showed all shades from palest
buff to tender delicate brown, and for
depth of tone there We're their rich in
teriors of dark mincemeat and golden
custards. Of the pleasures of this beau
- Al L. 4. 4. -