New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-07-01

ceased ringing. Lord Carnoustie was always in
his seat a full ten minutes before the minister
assembled the pulpit. and he did not consider
that period Of time wasted.
At home, however. there was another master,
and my lord was only vassal in chief.
1t is not easy 10 describe such a parsonage as
Lady Carnoustie one can hardly say what she
was She was not kind OF woman, she was
not another-sOmetimes IL seemed as though
nothing were left for her TO be.
Perhaps the real key 70 hei character lay In
the fact that her health was uncertain, and she
had for long permitted herself 70 be what her
health dictated.
Thus she would be by swift transition, queru-
lous. arbitrary, unjust; or affectionate yielding,
and colloquIal: all in the turn of half an hour.
One minute would find her very positive and
highly indignant that ner word could be doubted:
the next she would ruefully confess that she nad
not meant to go so far.
When in good humor she had trick OF
smoothing and strokng the strings OF her cap
for being od-fashioned she still wore "a cap and
II had strings; when perturbed, the state or her
mind would be dscernble by the twitchins
hither and thither Of the ribbons beneath her
chin
But whether genial or fretful. cross or smiling.
Lady Carnoustie was dutifuly minstered TO by
her daughters, and smartly served by the house.
hold.
Long usage had enabled one and all to take
her men al temperature with halt an eye. ere any
request made. or any fact announced; and In
particular the two elder young Iaaes as
Louisa and Joanna were still invariably termed
In the house were perfectly satisfied that every
thing their mother said or did was for the best.
They hal grown up in an atmosphere impres-
mated with this idea.
Louisa was by nature docile creature
As we know she no longer in her first
nor even in her second youth. The insoucance
OF the teens had given place 10 the fuil-lorfneo
virtues Of maturity, and these again betrayed
the faint dawnings Of mellowness. YET SO peace
fully had each decade passed, that IL had scarce
left its trace on her outward appearance.
Her figure was still well proportioned IN us
outlines If it had lost something Of the plump.
ness Of youth; her skin was as fair ana soft ],
shade less delicatey tintcc, than IL once hao
| been; her hair dressed somewhat more care
| fully scarcely showed that 1t was trife less
| luxuriant. 4. a,.oo.
| Louisa had been a musician. songstress col
| lector Of manuscript ditties. and voiuminous
transcriber thereof; at hve-and-thiry she CO...
lected sang, and transcribed as .ardenty as
| ever Daily she practsed scales and exercises
| at the accustomed hour; and the arrival OF
fresh sonatna still the interest II hau ever
! been. ..,~A
! Louisa did not read the newspapers through.
She -ead the leading articles and the court Cir,
| cuar" but explained that her dear parents ala
not think fndiscrfmfnute newspdper r. az a.
! for girls There many things In the news
papers which one might come upon oefore one
| knew il one were in the habit OF readihg pronhs-
Indeed dear mamma thought most OF the lit
| erature of the day pernicious. and discouraged
| tts being brought TO Carnoustie. Joanna and she
| were however permitted 10 read Blackwoou'
| should that magazine come in their way
When Lady Carnoustie drove round to call at
| one or other Of the three houses Wmch com.
| prised the neighborhood, Louisa had the seat
! beside her mother 1t was considered that as
| the eldest daughter OF the family this was her
rightful place; but she never exceeded nes
| nrivileRes she neither took charge or the
| card case nor issued directions TO the footman:
| That Lady Carnouste would have sugmatlze,d
| as 'usurpng," and Lady Carnousue III OF Meli'
kept guard against 'usurping" In all Its branches
| Joanna the next sister. may be more oreny
| dealt with She was Louisa with variations In
! appearance they alike, and they dresseo
| alike In every particular. Each had pet plru'
| hut I.ouisia's was a canary. Joanna's a pull
| finch In lieu Of playing and singing, Joanna
drew and sketched II Louisa did not care 70
| make calls Joanna occupied the vacant seat
| Both worked for the poor, and taught IN the
| school, and trimmed the flower glasses, ana re-
| Trained from promiscuous reading OF me new =,
paper and adhered to dear marnmas Judgment In
| everything. go
| And they ought not to have been rdculed for
| IT, but they
| II was not their fault that they were made to
, limp through life in neutrality-suspicious.. tied ana
| bound at every turn. No one had ever undone
| the bandages: how were the poor babes 10 undo
| them for themselves? They were but great pa
| thetc Infants. knowing nothing and caring 10
know nothing Of life and its problems; the walls
| Of a nunnery could not have more soiemnly
| shut ont the realities OF existence than did the
| great gates Of Carroustie Castle.
| And what about Mina-dear little Nina
! Nina who gave less trouble than any one, who
hardly ever needed TO be spoken to or rebuked.
| and who was the meekest Of lambkins beneath
supervision and prohibitions? Nina never
| 'usurped" nor bounced upon" her mother $
| prerogatives: Nina the simplest, sweetest
| child-so easily guided, so willingly led.
Even Joanna had once been ruf1ed In spirit.
| and had gone about for whole day muttering
| 10 herself because her mother had declined 10
discuss with her theology. Joanna had borrowed
a book Of sermons. which had turned out, TO
| Lady Carnoustie's horror TO be "broad"-'shock-
| ingly broad" according TO her ladyship's views
and incensed at having been thus outwitted
| by a pious volume which she had thought might
Ha cd v-ffh no
had vented her irritation somewhat unreason-
| ably on the head of Joanna. Joanna. as we say.
had grumbled under her breath: ana terrible
explosives in the style Of 'Thirty-three years
odr' and mo longer schoolgirl had been
heard 10 escape her.
II had been a sad experience. Lady Carnoustie
said afterward; and she hoped that Nina might
never hear about IT,
There were many things that Nina never
supposed TO hear about. ii was quite Gus
tomary for Louisa and Joanna 10 pull their
chairs close to their mothers sofa, and breach
subjects which We're dropped when Nina came
into the room Lady Carnoustie liked them 70
do This She would have told you that she and
her two elder daughters had everything In COM
mon: that they agreed with her In all she dd
and that by and by little Nina would be ad-
mitted TO like intimacy.
But the dear girls themselves knew that any
moment mamma was liable TO turn upon them.
and had they not been the perfectly plastic
creatures they were they might not have been
so happy in the sofa corner AS 1t was they con-
sidered themselves privileged. Their mother
talked 10 them as she did not do TO Mina-that
was enough
And how about Mina's looks?
At Carnoustie she considered very beauti-
ful indeed and very fascinating. In other places
she was spoken Of as 1.-THE pretty Miss Carnois-
tie" and 1.-THE pretty Miss Carnoustie' she had
been for a good many years. while still re-
gartied as the baby Of the family by her own peo-
pie =,
Nina never seemed TO know anything or to %
anything amiss.
Her blue limpid eyes dreamy with poetic
musings: for she was known 10 be lover OF
poetry an absorber Of odes and invocatons
Her gentle movements never brought her 70
grief never ran her into mischief. She clasheo
with no ones prejudces. ran counter TO no ones
| opinions II she put out her hand to take any
thing for herself she did II so softly that the
| motion was almost unperceived
| In consequence, II was the household creed
] -. Nina was fonder howeret on whom no