Year: 1865

jelly cake should hardly have called it
tea if We had been there by ourselves
and what must the Mowbrays have thought


" As to that they can't expect to find
Fifth Avenue up here in the country"


" 1t isn't Fifth, its Madison. | shah ex-
pect to show them at any rate that under
stand things little better when they come
to our house


Oh, if you mean that you can set out
handsomer table than Helen, no one will
think of denying that No that know
much about such kickshaw"


His wife was aware of that; it was one
of her trials With frmest faith in her SUI
periority he was yet incapable of delicate
distinctions, and consumed her choicest
dainties just as he did dough-nuts and ap-
pie sauce. 1t was to be hoped that the
Mowbrays would show more appreciation.


The time of their visit came at last The
first day went off well, except that Marga-
retta was too tired almost to speak, and
Mrs: Mowbray thought her by no means as
agreeable as her sister-in-law Converse
ton at least in her own house. was not
Mrs. Henry's forte she was always too
much burdened with culinary cases. And
she had now difficult problem to solve
how to make her single assistant so fill the
places of the whole Mowbray retinue that
no want should be discernible.


The second day was very warm one Of
those melting, scorching times that often
blaze down upon us towards the end Of
June Great preparations were afoot in
the kitchen, and though each door and
window was opened to its widest, the air
was still, Bridget averred, hot enough to
roast an egg. Mrs. Henry determined to
add ice-crcam to an already bountiful des-
sert, and as three minute freezers were not
yet invented she was obliged to bestow
considerable attention on it. She passed
several times from the burning kitchen to
the cold cellar, stood Oh the bricks and re-
arranged the salt and ice, without once
thinking of imprudence She was remind
ed of it by strange feeling in the chest
and a familiar one in the head a long, ag-
onzing thrill


The dinner went off beautifully Bridget
had been we'll drilled and performed ber
part to admiration. No professed waiter
could have moved about more noiselessly
or answered wants with more assiduou
quiet care. The ice-cream was delicious
Mr.. Mowbray pronounced it better than
Delmonico's and his wife expatiated OH the
excellence of everything in the country
Not all the pleasure which this praise
awakened could blind Margaretta to her i'll
creasing illness. The pain in her head was
frightful, and sharp stabs in side and chest
responded to it. At last even her heroism
could endure no longer she was obliged to
give up, excuse herself, and fairly take to
bed, leaving the Mowbrays to entertain
themselves. Helen, who came over on
learning the state of things, wished them
to return with her, but Margaretta would
not hear of it,


Stay to tea if you can, Helen," she
said" Oh, my side | shall be well in the
morning, and | can't bear to have them 90.
1t seems inhospitable."


But when morning came she was in no
state to care about the matter. The attack
proved to be u violent congestion, and she
suffered greatly. Mrs Mowbray coming
out of her room one day looked very grave |


=" | am afraid, my dear" she said to Hell |
EN-, q that your poor sister never will get
over this" ... .....


"Oh, do you think ?" Helen cried
alarmed. "But you are not used to seeing
her in illness she often has severe pain |
and her face shows it very soon | can |
not but hope you are mistaken"


Events justified Mrs Mowbrays opinion:
Margaretta rallied indeed from the first at
tack, and passed in comfort through the |
early autumn, but as winter came on her |
cough increased. She dropped and dwind-
led away, and before the lastsnow had melt
ed from the hills lay quiet in the little
churchyard.


And then-what happened then? Just,
dear Belinda, what will happen to Mr. -
should You be taken away :" just what in
such case would happen to my husband
if had one. Mr. Henry was first affict-
ed then unutterably lonely last of all
consoled. Two years from the date of MAJ
garettas death he brought home his sec
ond wife She was a girl of nineteen,
pretty and amiable she was fond of him,
and proved kind to the children, spite of
numerous progeny of her own. But she
was not careful housekecper Little
fingers marked the polish of the bureaus,
little heels dented paint and scraped off We
neering the best roseblankets trailed on
dusty floors, and the doorknobs were often
sticky. Poor Margaretta she lay still
through it all


And following close upon her track came
many matron she had known, eager, it |
would seem, to emulate her career Care
fully to hoard her choicest things for
successor to rise early, to lie down ltae ;
to offer strength and health, and fnallyllife |
itself in that cause of which she was one |
of the martyrs.