The Wichita daily eagle., 1898-01-07
When Love Was Young,
(From the New York Evening Post. Il
Three Parts.)


nond came to town TO spend her New
Years Day in state. In New York the
first of January was then the high 1esti-
val of the year. On Christmas Day, IN
| deed good churchmen went to service,
and plum puddings were duly partaken
of: but the Christmas tree was still look
ed upon as a foreign growth, few places
of business were closed, and merry-mak-
ing was INDUCED in only by individual
preference. 1t was for New Years Day
| that all the grand preparations were mace
when no shop could be found open a1ter
| the unusual display of holiday week, when
| costly presents were given, and ladies sat
| in gorgeous attire in parlors behind closed
blinds. receiving relays of gentlemen in
| fuu evening dress from twelve noon un-
| ri the dance with which the festivities
generally eliminated.
When Molly rustied down stairs on this
particular New Years Day, she could
| hardly credit her good fortune In being
| there. her coming TO town had peeh
fraught with such difficulties. The AFTER
| noon before when she should have been
starting one of her younger sisters was
! threatened with Group, and Molly's moth
| er had feared that she could not be
spared" AS Molly sat in her window
! and watched the train, her train, speeding
! away through the snow-coVered Valley'
| the rebeIlious tears rose and something
| in her throat choked her. Never, never
OR so at least it seemed to her injured
spirit-did she plan to go anywhere out
| that there was always a question as to
/ whether she could be spared. And she
worked so faithfully at home and asked
for so little Had her mother ever been
voung herself? 1t is impossible to de-
! scribe with what vindictiVe feelings Moiiy
! bandaged the cold slab of salt pork-then
the rural remedy for croup-around Eli
za's neck, and put together the materiei
for the succulent onion syrup which was
! TO complete the cure.
.,There isn't the least thing the matter
! with the child" she said to herseif, Win
| those dreadful tears hurting again as she
| fed from the vulgar smell TO her own
| room and the sight of the pretty clothes
| that showed in her open Valise- 1here
| ore few mains in after years that exceed
the unreasoning woe of girl VINO Is SUD
denly denied a long-expected pleasure,
| tho disannointment of an hour seems to
| cloud the vista of all ones future hfe
! She could not go to sleep until she had
| extorted a half promise from her father
that if Eliza were recovered by morning
| she herself might go to town by the early
train.
And she had gone, She could hardly be-
! lieye that the deed was accomplished 1t
was almost an unholy thing for LADY
TO he out in the street on New Years Day,
| and only the blank figures of men were
! visible from the Fifth avenue OMNIBUS
in which she jolted slowly up town She
grasped her shining black valise ughtiy IN
both hands, and settled her hooped skirts
still farther back in the corner of the ON
al i nEarS
of the other sex. She would have felt
embarrassed if she had not been too over
whelmingly happy. How beautiful the
slippery pavements looked, There was
the Metropolitan Hotel-she had been once
to Niblos Garden in that visit to town
three months before; and he had been
| there; and beyond was the spire of Grace
| Church-he had gone there with her, too.
1t seemed that he must be everywhere
that she was. oh, she was afraid TO look
out of the window, for fear she would
meet his eyes nowi But it was another
gentleman who helped her courteously
out of the stage when it arrived at the
end of the route. for her destination lay
beyond in one of the Fortieth streets, sc
that she still had some distance to walk
before she reached the paved block with
its row of brown-stone houses, which was
/
: To be welcomed vociferously by three
; girls, to dress in a delightful hurry amid
a confusion of questions and answers anc
, | fnery with the fourth part of the cheVa
glass for her assistance in robing-all thi:
occupied the hour before Molly found
| herself at last on the stairs, descending
/, to the scene of happiness.
How was she dressed? She wore blue
and white checked silk, spread out Over
l a large hoop. and decorated with sor
of lattice-work, or stairs, of black velve
= ribbon fastened at the corners with lum
= pv buttons of jet. The bodice. ornament
ed in the same manner, was cut low; tha
is. it came just below Molly's collar-bone:
| in front and widened out over the shoul
ders in straight line. Her brown hal
was encased in a blue-silk beaded net, al
but one long curl, which slipped from
, beneath and fell to her waist. Many girl
: bought this finishing curl, and pinned /
on more or less openly, but Molly's wa
| hers by nature, and could stand sever
pulling On her feet she wore black slip
{ | ners- with black elaSticS crossed owe
white stockings, and in her hands, ol
| which were white gloves guiltless OF NOR
= than one button, she carried large Wat
D | teau fan with sandal-wood sticks. Sh
| felt very stylish and well-dressed, ant
| blushed with modest satisfaction at tn
: | praises bestowed upon her by the maste
| of the house. who was putting on his over
coat in the hall before sanying forth ol
his round of calls.
You look charming, Molly" he said
give an old fellow a kiss, my dear. Yo'
= remind me of your mother at your age
e Don't turn too many heads today, child
o with those blue eyes. Eh, what, what
I mustn't turn yours? Now, that's prett
good. pretty good" He pinched he
cheek as he spoke, and looked back whe
he was half out of the door. TO shak
J. a warning finger at her.
: The parlor which Molly entered repre-
sented TO her mind the height of elegance
II was adorned with a Brussels carpe
II vhereon atnlless whorls Of crimson woun
around large white and gray lilies; ma
:, room plush furniture, a pier-Slass with
white marble base and large miro
over the marble mantel on which stood
French gilt clock under a glass shad'
: hanked by yellow marble candeiabra-
e the center Of the long. narrow room stoo
l. 2 marbIe-topped center table. which hel
. card-basket made of Bristol board an
neatly painted in moss roses, and som
- handsomely bound books symmetrical
>, arranged. Above the table was anoths
basket Of pearl beads, suspended from IN
/ chandelier The high. narrow window
E. at the end of the parlor were draped Wit
lace curtains and huge. boX-like lambr'
d oJins OF maroon cloth. from which d'
r pended fringe Of large and bony tassel
a In one Of these windows was a smalls
l. marble-topped table with a Roger
group upon it