Year: 1860

Eighteen Hundred and Fifty nine fingered on Sat-


urday night in the high belfrey of the church in
the world, he knew that the clock there, like
many other things that go tick - to be
behind time, and he would thus gain five minutes be-
fore he stepped into the past As he looked out
the snow beeagured town he spoke.


And this what he said:


''I'm not sorry to leave you; for I've had hard
time with you came among you, q fresh and mer-
~ child I found many of you asleep in warm beds,
many trying to sleep in beds not so warm, a few of
you with no beis at all By many my advent was
haied with boisterous glee; but this was probably
born Of the beverage in which you drank my health


You greeted me loudly, and then by daylight began
to growl about the weather | brought; some Of you
have growled about the weather each of my three
hundred and sixty-hve days There was such
thing rs suiting you aud, to tell the truth, never
cared much whether you were suited or not. When
first came had n good stock of faith in human
ture, disposed to deal very gently with your
faults and to make much of your excellencies. But
you abused from the beginning to the end, and
now don't wonder that you are glad to turn your
back you have much injured. What
quantity of hum6ug have seen, to be sure Why,
ca the first day Of my course 1t was rampant Every
body called out, to the other, Wish you hap
py New Year., and then went directly to work to rem
der happiness impossibty for all parties led
q into temptation, cheated c, slandered ID, and
the whole alphabet wrapped themselves IN a thick
mantle of selshness, became social hedgehogs, with
q head rarely visible and never attractive. vow, L
couldn't help laughing, child as l was, when on the
New Years Day I saw the small parties of nice
young men making calls-not because they liked to |
do that they enjoyed the business, nor because
they had anything to say, nor because they really
wanted to see anybody, but because the nice young
men Of New York, following the ancient custom, /
made calls that day, and IL was thought to be the
thing That which in the metropolis was natural
and graceful amusement-graceful early IN the
day. meau-and IL which n certain measure Of real l
hilarious enjoyment 20 be found, became here 10
you solemn performance, dull even If original. and
utterly rayless a. an imitation. Gracious How my
weather. used in the talk of that day and those
calls There was spice OF scandal, certainly, but
even thst had its usual zesr; for everybody was
acting part, and none were yet quite easy in the
words. There indeed seemed TO be some exceptions
90 the general duness; as, for instance, overheard
little Jane Threadneelle say to her sister Bell: How
funny Mr. Chandelles was He kept laughing all
the time, and made up the queeTeSt fdces- She re-
ferrei to young who had just left the drawing
room. gyratng somewhat, and little shaky with his
polysyLIbies. IL rather lite in the day, to be
sure. and Bella merely said, Hush, child l soon
found, however, that this humbug wasn't confined TO
the first day Of my reign; that II ran through all your
social life saw small country called society' sur
rounded by high wall, and entered by narrow
gate. On side Of the gate was a crowd OF people


striving With their might to keep 1t shut giving very


little heed the cultivation Of the pastures the wall
enclosed. On the other there was n second crowd
pushing as vigorously to force open the door; and
they, too. neglected their fields, turned coldly
away from their pleasant running brooks Now ana
then, one in gay apparel, bringing a heavy bag to





this one would wander about for time alone IN So
eety; then would become part Of it, and would join
more zealOusly than any IN the throng who pushed
from within 20 close the gate. L found Mrs Urundy
among you in great force She has had you all un-
der her foot, and of dare even to buy ne"
hat muf till she has been consulted. The young
men among you dare not marry, because they cannot
afford IL, they say. StuH Ii - because Mrs U
says they must live in certain quarter OF the town,
have n certain kind Of furniture, and buy meat every
day instead OF taking it cold half the time The
young are bad enough about this; but the young
women are worse Disinterestej affection oh, yes
Have not looked into the pretty head OF many gIri
when the suitor was stumbling along IN confession
ot his love- and when she supposed TO be listen
ing IN rapture to the sweet words; and have not
seen tha; panorama Of n household was passing be-
lore her mental eye, = panorama whose mnutest ue-
ta'is she crtcising coOlly as she would crti-
Else the personal appearance Of beauty NJ the ines
Ter Instead Of the conventional yes, 1t would De
much more appropriate if she had answered as
Sdrgrin. Tf By chance some Of these people have
blIndered into marriage they dare not live az they
would like to live How many Of them would dine ut
one o'clock If they thought 1t desirable to eat at that
hour: Or. dining then, how many would not try to
hide the fact, perhaps calling 1t luncheon Heaven
help them You put nice furniture into your houses;
Who uses IT Bl6sOn and Kalbbs, and Newdel, who
eme to visit you, who nothing for you for who
you less Yet they your furniturei aud then
you cover it up again when they are gone. anu exile
yourself mere ordinary domestic appliances fou
IKE the old better , Then why did you buy the
<w; Because Mrs. Grundy told you TO do 1t, and
y9u were afraid Of her Marriages, indeed 1
s9ne Of your marriages pleasant things, arn't
hey Bride-to-be anl brile-to-be's parents work