The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-19
KISSING KITTY.
Emmeline and Adelaide burst into tn
drawing room together.

Mother. it's TOO much"
you'll never believe"
"Only saw tt
"And 1 didn't happen to be looking at the
moment but 1 had noticed how very
close"
Something must be done"
you must speak to her, mother"
IF those are Ceylon manners"
How he must despise her. It's pity she
can't know that"
Mrs. Washington succeeded in making her.
self heard
Really, girls, 1 don't know about Ceylon,
but Lilac Lodge manners have certainly I'M
dergone deterioration One at time, if you
please Emmeline, you seem to have seen
something May ask what?"
''Mr. Fox" Maiden modesty dictated
pause and a struggle.
.'Well?"
kissing Kitty
Nonsense, nonsensen' said Mrs. Lushing-
ton sharply.
Mother saw
II can't think it-of Mr. Fox Wasn't
he walking around the garden with Gladys
and Imogen?"
Yes, but Kitty joined them, and she said
it hurt her hand where she scratched it
yesterday to hold up her parasol and Mr..
Fox took it and held it over her, so Gladys
and Imogen went into the orchard. They
told me and Adelaide, and 1 thought you
wouldn't like it. 1 said to Adelaide we'd
better keep together but as we got near
the summer house we saw them
Kitty was leaning back against the rus
tic table and Mr. Fox was standing with his
back to the garden"
Very near her, and then"
Are you sure?'
"Oh, yes. You know how tall he is. He
bent all the way down and--it's excessively
unpleasant having girl like that for ones
cousin
1T reflects on u.s.
Where are they now?' said Mrs. Lush
ington.
At this moment tall, good looking young
man, who was obviously an Anglican
curate, entered the drawing room through
the open French window. He was alone.
Smiling delightfully."-, he informed Mrs
Washington that the charms of her garden
had seduced him into prolonging his call
in most unconScionable way, and then
with tender handshakes all around he took
his leave. True to her womanly instincts,
Mrs. Washington had no wrath to spare for
the male offender. She preserved her usual
motherly friendliness of manner with Fox,
and as soon as he was gone told her daugh-
tiers to send Kitty to her at once,
Mrs. Lushington, a widow, on means
which were moderate, but sufficient, sup
ported in a suburban town the position of
mother to six spinster daughters between
the ages of twenty-three and thirty-two
with considerable dignity
She said she did not blame the women
who made task of getting their daughters
married. She pitied them. But she thanked
heaven that as her dear Ones would always
nave enough to keep up a modest joint es-
Enlistment and were fondly attached to
one another, she was spared the necessity
of turning man-hunter in their behalf She
and her daughters could enjoy pleasant So
ciety without Interior views Constantia.
Mabel Emmelne, Adelaide, GLADYS and
Imogen mad been brought up in such a man
ner that II matrimony were to be their lot
they would make treasures of wives; if, on
the contrary, they preferred to remain un-
married their intellectual resources and
charming dispositions would render them
bright examples of the possibility of finding
perfect contentment in single life
IheSe speeches. were very comfortable
and cheering to hear for the manageable
men whom Mrs. Washington spent a fifth
part or her income in entertaining at Lii
lac Lodge. And whether from a feeling
that models of delightedness in the virgin
state were so rare as to render the thought
or breaking into Mrs. LuShingtOns COM
plete half dozen of specimens almost a
criminal one, or whether from the fact that
the Misses Lushington, though presentable
agreeable girls enough had neither special
graces nor money down = whether from
eltner or these causes or mere chance. GER
tam II IS that imOgen, the youngest girl
had now been out five years and not one
among the sisters had ever really known
fn Ixyo
ineligible sutton
Mrs Washington put a brave face upon it.
she told her friends that sometimes she was
tempted to regret her daughters being so
fastidious.
The parish had for a long while been sub
Ject to the m1nistrations of a married vicar
ana curate who was engaged to his
cousin.
Almost simultaneously the vicar died and
the curate obtained a distant living. They
We're succeeded by the Rev. Joseph Fox, a
bachelor and horrid flrt curate, and the
Rev James Croby. a grave widower of
forty, with two little girls, vicar.
Mrs Washington, having always been de-
voted to the clergy from principle, felt joy
FULLY free to make much of both gentlemen
marks.
Young men who f1irt systematically are
objectionable, but there is the cOnsoling re-
Election that, with very very few excep-
lions, they end by some one marrying them:
and occasionally they end when they least
expect expect it. which, no doubt, serves them
So Mrs. Washington discovered much that
she could like in Mr.. Fox, in spite of his re-
gretable propensity. She would not by any
means advise all mothers to allow of
his constantly seeking the company of their
daughters, but her girls were not over
1mpressionable or the least Tightly etc. Ten
mis- parties, river picnics. little suppers, We're
laid on more frequently than usual that
summer, and Mr. Fox quite willing to
grace the Lilac Lodge. entertainments
whenever he had not better invitation
Mrs. Washington, of course never planned.
But some SuitabilitieS must strike even a
careless eye. Mr.. CrOby was a frankly mid
ule-aged man of sober, nay somewhat for
mai mannerS he did not go in for chaff and
smart girls; he had been a widower six
years; his daughters were eight and rine;
his duty to select for them with the utmost
care, second mother. With it ALL ne was
a remarkably handsome man.
ConStantla (l beg pardon for twice a,lud-
ing TO the facD was thirty-two. Not too old
for a wife and not too young for step
mother She had a dignified presence,
dressed well, kept house (as Mrs Lushing-
Lodge, and, to crown all, was superintend-
emit of the girls Sunday school.
Mrs. Lushington was probably the only
person in the parish who had not said
aloud, at one time or another, that as Mr..
Croby was very well off he really could not
do better than marry Constantia.
The man was provokingly rigid and re-
talked to ConStantia a good deal (for him)
on parish matters. Mrs. Washington was too
wise to think much of that. But three DAYS
ago he had brought to Lilac Lodge q deco
rator's book of wall papers, and deliberately
asked the opinion of Constantia and her