New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-12-12

III
How he must despisc her! It's pity she
can't know that
Mrs Washington succeeded in making herself
heard.
Really. girls don't know about Ceylon, but
Lilac Lodge manners have certainly undergone
deterioration. One at a time, II you please
Emmenc. you seem to have seen something.
Nav ask what?'
"Mr Fox. Maiden modesty dictated
pause and q struggle.
"WelT'
kissing Kitty"
Nonsense, nonsense" said Mrs. Washington
sharply.
Mother. 1 saw.
Il can't think it-of Mr.. Fox. Wasn't he Walk
,nc around the garden with Gladys and 1mo-
gen."
"yes. but Kitty joined them, and she said 1t
hurt her hand where she scratched IL yesterday
TO hold up her parasol. and MI Fox took 1t and
held Il over her so Gladys and 1mogen went
into the orchard They told me and Adelaide
and I thought you wouldn't like II; said TO
Adelaide we'd better keep together but az we
got near the summer house we saw them -
"Kitty was leaning back against the rustic
table and Mr. Fox was standing with his BACK
TO the garden"
VERY near her and then I.
Are you sureT
.Ob yes, You know how tall he IL. He bent
all the way down and-it's excessively unpeas-
ant having q girl like that for ones cousin.
TT reflects on US.
"Wbere arc they now7' said Mrs. Washington.
AT this moment a tall, gOod-looklng young
man who was obviously an Anglican curate'
entered the drawing room through the open
Erencb window. He was alone. Smiling delight
obi nUf
charm. OF her garden had seduced him into pro-
longing his call in n most unconscionabIe way
and then with tender hand shakes all around he
took his leave. True TO her womanly instincts
Mrs. Washington had no wrath to spare for the
NAL. offender She preserved her usual moth
erlv friendliness Of manner with Fox, and as
.oon AZ he was gone told her daughters to send
Kitty to her at once.
Mrs Lushington a widow on means which
were moderate but sufficient supported In
suburban town the position OF mother TO Six
spinster daughters between the ages or twenty
three and thrty-two with considerable dignity.
She said she did not blame the women who
made a task OF getting their daughters married
She pitfed them. But she thanked heaven that
as her dear ones would always have enough to
keep I'D q modest joint establishment, and were
fondiy attached to one another she was spared
necessity
half She and her daughters could enjoy pleas
ant society without Interior views Copstanta,
Mabel, Emmeline, Adelaide, Gladys and 1mogen
had been brought up In such manner that II
matrimony were to be their lot they would make
treasures Of wives: IT, on the contrary, they
preferred to remain unmarried their intellectual
resources and charming dispositions would rem
der them bright examples Of the possibility Of
Snding perfect contentment In single life.
These speeches very comfortable and
cheering to hear for the marriageable men whom
Mrs Washington spent fifth part OF her income
In entertaining at Lilac Lodge. And whether
from feeling that models Of delightedness in
the virgin state were rare az to render the
thought of breaking into Mrs Lushngtons com
plete half dozen Of specimens almost crimi-
nal one or whether from the fact that the Misses
Washington, though presentable agreeable girls
enough had neither special graces money
down-whether from either OF these causes or
mere chance certain 1t Is that Imogen, the
Youngest girl, had now been out five years, and
not one among the sisters had ever really known
what II was to be proposed to- even by an in
eligible sutton.
Mrs Lushington put a brave face upon II.
She told her friends that sometimes she
tempted to regret her daughters being so fas-
tidious.
The parish had for a long while been subject
10 the ministrations OF married vicar and q
curate who was engaged TO his cousin.
Almost stimuli ncously the vic N died and the
curate obtained a distant living. They were
succeeded by the Rev. Joseph Fox. a bachelor
and a horrid nirt curate: and the Rev. James