Mrs. Smith Of Longmains

SCÈNE I. T WAS a bitter January morning, a morning t h a t obviously was not going to mend into a tolerable day, but had every intention of increasing into an intolerable one. The state of the weather was perhap8 enough to account for that of m y appearance, as to the unfavorable dition of wliich the chorus of comments from three overtruthful daughters could not and did not leave me in doubt for a moment after my entering the breakfast room. "How wretched you look!" said Alice, the eldest. "You are in for one of your bad colds," said Ruth, the second. "You have been writing upstairs in a room without a fire, as we forbid you to do," said Susan, the youngest and ïost tyrannous. I made no sort of answer to these compliments, but walked up to the fire, and stood holding my hands to the blaze. t "Do not play us the same trick that you did last year," said Alice, setting a chair close to the fender for me, "and f all ül on the eve of the bachelors' ball!" "No," added Ruth, laughing, "webore it once in a way, but we draw the line at a second time!" "You would not palm us off again upon Lady Brown, would you?" asked Susan, coaxingly, kneeling down on the rug beside me, and beginning to rub one of my cold hands between her two warm ones. "You would not in trust your little ones to an oll monster who eats supper until she caiinot see, and then snatches them away just as the real f un is beginning." "It is very odd," said I, with a somewhat sarcastic crossness, "how solicitous you girls always grow about my health at this time of year. I might be moribund all through Lent without any of you perceiving it." "I think we are very kind to you all the year round," returned Sue, giving my hand, which she still chafed in her own, a rather rebuking pat. "It is very earping of you to notice it if we are a little more attentive one month than another." "Well, don"t be nervous," said I, trying to laugh. "When the day comes, you will not find me absent from my bench of torment." But at that they all burst upon me in full cry, "Your bench of torment! Well, I do cali that hypocrisy, mammy! We always say that nobody enjoys a ball so much as you; it is invariably we that have to drag you away, not you us." I had no spirits to disclaim. "If I were you," said Alice, authoritatively, "I should just go straight back to bed and have some sal volatile and water." "Or some white wine whejy' suggested Ruth. "Yes, do," said giusan, "and I will come and read you to sleep. You always say that my reading puts you to sleep faster than any one's." "That is a left handed compliment, Sue," said Alice, laughing. "1 know it is," replied Sue, composedly, "but she does say so, don't you, Tna.mmy?" "Will not you come now - at once?" asked Alice, taking myther hand. "It would be far the wisesfc plan if you could get into a good perspiration" But at that I found voice to interrupt her, rising suddenly from my chair, and flinging away the caresses oL my too oflScious children. "I do not know whatyou would be at," said I, indignantly. "Quelle mouche vous pique? What possesses you all with the idea that I am ill? Have I made any complaint? though, indeed, to have sli gimlet eyes fastened upon your face, and three croaking voices in your eara, is enough to mate you ill if any thing is. For heaven's sake, disabuse your mind of this extraordinary f ancy and let ua come to breakfast!" There was such unmistakable exasperation in my tone that my children saw I was not to be(trifled with; so, acquiescing in my proposition, they and I Bat down to breakfast. But I caught themseveral times casting surreptitious glances at me to see whether I ate as usual, and whether or not I shivered aguishly in the chili with which they were so determined to credit me. To balk them I dodged behind the tea kettle, and tried to eat more heartily than my wont, in which, however, I was not very successf ui. Conversation was slack, which, to do us justice, it was not apt to be at our breakfast table. lts present flagglng condition was attributable, I imagine, partly to my supposed ill healths (my appearance niust have been very much more deplorable than I had had any idea of), partly and chiefly to the absence of the master - always, when at home, tfhe originator or fosterer of every joke, and who last night set off for Ireland, in which country ha, for the punishment of his sins, possessed some landed estates. "Poor daddyl" said Alice, looking toward bis vacant place. "He must have had a cold crossing last night. I woke at four this murning, when he must have been just half way over, and thought 'Poor daddy! rather you than I!' " "I dreamcd of him," said Ruth - "such an absurd dream. I dreamed we were giving a large party on the sly in his absence, and that he carne back unexpectedly in the middle of it, liko Sir Thomas Bertram in 'Mansfleld Park,' and that we were all in such a fright. I woke just as I was trying to hide one of my partners between the lega of the billiard room I table - 8uch a likely place to escape detection." They all laughed. "And I," said Sue, "alept so soundly that I never once thought or dreamed of him at all- rather brutal of me." "It is fortúnate that one is not anewerable for one's dream-self ," said Ruth, recurring to the thoughtof herown dream; ' 'one is sometimes such a rogue and sometimes such a booby in one's dreanis. " "And you, mammy," said Sue, amiably trying to draw me into the conversation, f rom which since the beginning of break - fast I had almost entirely excluded myself, "what sort of a night had you? The drunkard.'s heavy slumbers (laughing), like mine; or pleasant and probable visions, like Ruth's; which?" But I was prevented from replying to this question by the entrance of the butler, who came in to ask whether there were any orders for the coachman. "Surely not," said Alice, answering for me. "We shall be skating all the day, and you- you will not be so insane a3 to stir from the fireside!" I have always disliked being answered for. I have always known perfectly what my opinión and wishes were, and been fully able to express them. My eldest daughter's growing tendency to reply for me had already on several previous occasions fidgeted me. After a moment's hesitation I turned to the butler saying, "There are no orders for him this morning; if there are any for the afternoon I will let the coachman know at luncheon time." Having thus established my authority I rose and lef t the room, rather disagreeably conscious that the girls were whispering behind me. However, I suppose they sftw that I was not in a humor to be trifled with, and wisely forbore from offering nae any more of their extremely UI received advice. By and by I saw them all three setting gleefully off with their skates over their arms to the f rozen mere, of which I could catch a glimpse - stiif among its stiffened sedges- between the brown limbs of the January trees. I watched them till their light figures, their tailor gownsand tight jackets were quite out of sight, and then returned to the oak drawing room, in which I always spent my mornings. Here I at once f ound traces of that solicitous care f or me on the part of my girls which my f erocity had hindere'd them from expressing in words. My favorite chair was drawn close up to the hearth; every chink of window carefully closed - usually we were a madly open air f amily. On a little table at my elbow stood a bottle of sal volatile, one of camphor, a small jug of hot water and several lumps of eugar. I rang at once and had them all taken away. Then I sat down by the flre and sat staring into it f or the best part of an hour in entire idleness. I was not apt to be such a drone. Occupation I had always in plenty. What mother of a family and mistress of a house has not? And, to do myself justice, I had ordiaarily,no inclination to slight my duties. But on this particular morning I neither turned nor attempted to turn my hand to any one thing. I sat over the fire not even shivering or sneezing (for my children were on a wrong scent when they made up their obstinate young minds that I was threatened with influenza), occasionally conscious that I was muttering to myself under my breath. At last, "This will really not do," said I aloud, pushing back my chair from the fire. "I do not know what has come to me. I hope that I am not going off my head." So saying I put my hand to my forehead. in which there was a disagreeable pulse beating, and walked to the window. An ugly, grinding, black frost, long, iron bound, bare borders, through which it seemed impossible that crocuses could ever push their gracious (rolden heads: a sad robín, a chaffinch and three sparrows, all hungry, and naturally silent, seeking on the gravel walk the poor remaina of the crumbs thrown out at breakfast. There was nothing assuredly in the face of the outer world to put me in better spirits. But none the less did I continue aimlessly to gape at it. "Shall I?" said I under my breath; "any one would say I was mad if I did; it would be the ne plus ultra of folly and irrationality; if the girls heard of it, and of my reason, they would think I was ripe for bedlani; but - but it woúld be a relief! Af ter all, I ani mistress in my own house; why should not I? I will." I almost ran to the bell, and rang it sharply. But in the interval betweenmy having pulled tand the appearance of the servant who answered it there was time for another chango to come over my spirit. "It is twelve miles if it is a step," said I, internally; "the days are dark at 4; if I give way to these imaginings I shall graduaüy become unfit for all the ordinary duties of life; it may be an inaidiousform of hysteria." The footman entered. "Somo coals, please," said I. I resumed my place by the fire, and took up some knitting. Turning the heel of a stocking requires eome attention. It might absorb time. In vain. My heel, or rather Ruth's - I had rashly embarked upon hers - entirely f ailed to follow, even approximately, tke outline of the human foot, and I dropped it back into the work kasket. I picked up a novel. Alice had described it as breathlessly interesting, and, indeed, had satuplate over night to finish it, unable to tear herself a way from ita pages. I could not chain my mirid even so f as to make acquaintauce with its characters. I laád it, too, down. "I believe tho girls are right," I said. "I must be ill; this restlessness must be tho forerunner of some seriou3 sickness." I walked uneasily out of tho room into the adjoining one, which, as we never sat in it except of an evening, looked unf riendly and formal by daylight, then out into the hall, down a passage into the billiard room. I had no motive for going there or anywhere else, only I could not keep still. As my eye feil on the billiard table, I remembered Ruth's silly dream of having hid her admirer behind itslegs. AVhat an absurd dream! All dreams are absurd! I atrayed back into the hall, and again looked through the window. The drive etretched away before me, dark colored between the I - - - - _ "■""■■M eimd winter grass. ';Itwould take an hour and three-quarters' driving at a good pace," said I; "if I set off at 2 I should be there by a quarter past 3. I need not stay more than half an hour, and should be back here by half-past 5; pooh! In the country that is a mere nothing. I will decide to go." A second time I pulled the beil; but a second time, bef ore it wasanswered, half a dozen adverse reasons rushed into my mind, and made me repent my resolution. The road, as f ar as I remembered it - for part of it-I had traveled only once or twice in my life - was not a good one. The atables might be cold, and give the horses influenza, a pleasant piece of news with which to greet the masterofthe house on his return f rom Ireland. That last thought was conclusive. I would abandon the idea definitely. And meanwhile the f ootman had come in, and was looking expectantly at me. What could I be supposed to have rung for? My fancy supplied no suggestion. "Never mind," said I, abruptly, "it was a mistake; it was nothing." At the same moment the back door opened, and in carne the three girls, bringing a whiff of frost and buxom health and jollity with them, and still - - as I was not long in discovering - pos6essed with that baleful idea of my ill health. "Mammy! what are you thinking of? Out, in the draught, away f rom the ñre. Back, back this instant!" "Did you take the sal volatile?"' asked the first, anxiously. "Didyoutry the camphor?" inquired the second. "Did you see ihat we had put the sugar handy for you?" asked the third. "I saw all your kind remedies," replied I dryly, "and I had them all at once removed. I see no reason why a perf ectly healthy woman's drawing room should be littered with physic bottles." While I was speaking the gong sounded; for some reason, I forget what - we were lunching earlier than usual that day - at 1. The girls scampered off to eet ready. During our repast I do not think that I was much more loquacious than I had been at breakfast, but my children made up for my silence by the volume of their chatter. Once or twice they asked me why I was looking out of the window, and what I expected to see there? In point of fact, I was repenting of my repentance, but I need not say that I did not teil them so. Toward the middle of the luncheon the butler again inquired "whether there were any orders for the coachman. " "Surely not," said Alice, answering for me, "the roads are like looking glasses, and it is beginning to snow. Even if you were well" "Teil the coachman," said I, interrupting her with some tartness, "that I will have the brougham at 2." There was a moment of silent consternation among my little flock. "Then, if it is only into Leighton that you want to go for any shopping," said Euth, in a conciliatory voice, "could not you let us do it for you?" "I am not going intD Leighton." replied I, shortly. Another momenfs Bilence. "Come, now, where are you going?" cried Sue, getting up, coming over to and kneeling down beside me in order to try, as I knew, what personal wheedling (usually a very effective weapon in her hands) could do with me. "Why are you so mysterious?" "I am not aware," replied I, pompously, "tliat I am answerable to my children for my goings out and comings in," then sinking into a less majestic tone, "I have no objection to telling you where I am going." (This was not quite trae.) "I am going to cali on Mrs. Smith." "lam going to cail on Mrs. Smith." "Mrs. Smithl" "Mrs. Smith! !" "What Mrs. Smith?" In three different keys of disapproving astonishment. "Mrs. Smith of Longmains." "Why, y du do not know her?' "Why, it is twelve miles off." "Why," daddy and Mr. Smith are "not on speaking terras." "I beg your pardon," replied I, gaining in firmness as I perceived the weight of opposition brought to bear upon me, "I do know Mrs. Smith. I have no like to a long drive, and if the men of two families come to loggerheada it is tho more raason why the women shdüld try to keep the peaee." The girls gaped at me. "But, why today, in Heaven's name?' "Why not today?" It seemed as if the butler had taken upon himself to answer my question, for he had again entered the room and waa speaking. "If you please, the coachman is very sorry, but the roads are like hice, and he has not liad the horses roughed." I besitated. "That settles the question," cried my eldest girl, triumphantly. ■ "Does it?" [said I, toiiicked back into ínstantaneous decisión. '"Let hún send for the blacksmith at once to rough the carriage horses as quickly as he can. I must have the broiiam as soon as it can be got ready, whatever the weather." Stervants never look surprised, and th girls were too angry with me, and I suppose thought me too great a fooi to b worth spending any more breath upon, so I had no further remonstrances from them te? battle with. It was past 3 o'clock, instead of 2, before I starled, but I did set off at laetI got ifly way! [ 0NTI1 U D NEXT WEEK]