The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-07-28
VANITY FAIR
BY VIM. M. THACKERAY

After six years at Miss Pinkerton's
school, Amelia sedley went home,
guaranteed e polished and refined
young lady. Amelia was a dear little
creature, all rosy health and bright
good humor, though the silly little
thing would cry over a dead canary
bird or a mouse the cat had seized
upon. She was accompanied by her
dear friend, Becky Sharp, who was to
make short visit at the Sedley home
before beginning her career Of self
support as governess.
Becky was small, pale and sandy
haired, with eyes habitually cast
down; when they looked up they were
large, odd and attractive. AS Miss
Sharp's father had been an artist and
an opera girl, 1t Is not surprising that
Rebecca asserted she had never seen
girl-she had been a woman since
she was eight years old.
At the Sedley home, Becky met
Amelia's brother Joseph, a stout, puffy
man, who wore buckskins waistcoat
and an apple-green coat. He was lazy,
peevish, glutton and hard drinker,
but Rebecca decided instantly to set
her cap for him and began by whis-
pering to Amelia, rather loud, Hes
very handsome" Rebecca's plans,
however, were foiled by George o.
borne, an admirer of Amelia, and Miss
Sharp took her departure from the
Sedley house.
She went to be governesS in the
home of Sir Pitt Crawley, which place,
in her letters to Amelia, she dubbed
Humdrum Hall. There were many
Crawleys, the most important being
Sir Pitts spinster sister, and his Sec
ond son, Rawdon Crawley. The old
lady possessed seventy thousand
pounds, and had almost adopted Raw
don, who was her favorite nephew,
while several members of the family
fought to supplant him in her favor.
Captain Rawdon Crawley was a large
young dandy, who spoke with a great
voice and swore a good deal. He re-
marked of the demure Rebecca, "By
Jove, she's a neat little filly!" and
both he and his aunt took a decided
fancy to the clever and fascinating
little governess. Though, indeed, she
made conquest of pretty much whom
soever she choose.
Now we must fit back to London
to see what has become of Miss Anne
liza Far less interesting than Becky,
and with nothing but her wax doll
| face to recommend her, yet all the
young men clustered round her chair
and battled for a dance with her. She
was now engaged to George Osborne,
albeit his sisters wondered, What
could George find in that creature?"
So much did they wonder this, that
it affected George. and he concluded
he was throwing himself away on the
chit. But poor little Amelia adored
him, and Captain Dobbin, who favored
Amelia himself, kept Osborne up to
the mark in his Affections. The in.
fatuated girl cared nothing about the
Napoleonic war that was raging, the
fate of Europe was to her only Lieu
tenant George Osborne; while he, Of
ten way with his regiment, the Horse
Guards, read her letters hastily, muir
muring. Poor little Emmy-how fond
she is of me! and Cad, what a head
ache that mixed punch has given mel"
About this time Miss Crawley re-
turned from visiting her brother and
brought back with her to her house
in Park Lane no less a parsonage
than Miss Rebecca Sharp, who so we'll
had she played her cards, was now
Miss Crawley's much cherished com.
panion. Whereupon Captain Rawdon
Crawley became frequent visitor at
his aunt's home. Incidentally, Lady
Crawley died-so incidentally that
Miss Crawley merely said, pettishly,
There, will that satisfy your" and the
vulgar ill-bred old M. P. fell down on
his knees and leered at her like a
satyr.
Come as Lady Crawley. then!
II suppose I must put of my party
for the third" Immediately upon the
death of his wife, Sir Pitt came to his
sisters house and endeavored to re-
trieve his lost Becky as governess.
81 daren't-I don't think it would
be right to be done-with-you, SIR
she replied, seemingly in great agita
ton.
Rebecca, in real CONSERVATION al
her lost chance, wept genuine tears
as she exclaimed. "Oh, Sir Pitch
sir-I-I'm married already"
!. When it further transpired that the
bridegroom of Becky's secret marriage
was the brass-spurred and long mus
tachioed Captain Rawdon Crawley
there were two catacyysms, one ir
which Miss Crawley went from one
fit Of Mysteries into another, and one
where the frenzied old Sir Pitt went
wild with hatred and insane with
baffled desire. But the bridegroom
captain remarked to his wife, you're
sure to get US out of the scrape, Beck
I never saw your equal, and I've met
with some clippers in my time. tool