Fashion and Famine

me feelings

shake, or t

strengthen

though the

by anything known in our city, it was nevertheless filled with a sort of gorgeous gloom that fell like a weight upon the beholder. Most of the shutters were closed,

knew that beautiful objects lay around you on every side, without the power of distinguishing them, save in shadowy masses. All this indi

ad so marvelously impressed herself upon the heart of that child, lay prone upon the couch in her boudoir in the second story. She was the only living being in that whole dwelli

d to startle her. She lifted her

disappointment, which had somet

another searching look over the room. But the pale, sweet features of the Flora smiling down upon her lilies, was the only semblance to a human being that met her eye. She dropped the

he went to the door, traversed the hall and the great stair-case; and her look grew almost wild when she found no signs of the little girl! Two or th

uld have sprung to her memory there and then; but so it was, and the very attempt to syllable that name seemed to freeze up the animation in her face

seen; and with an air of disappointment, the lady was about to close the door, when she saw upon the threshold a broken rose-bud, which had evidently fallen from the child's basket, and beside it the

st the windows, and the gloom thickening around her, but she seemed quite unconscious of this. Some new idea had taken possession of her mind, and it had power to arouse her whole being. She paced the room, at first gently, then with rapid footsteps, becoming more and

lips. It seemed as if she had been expecting the return of her servan

help me!" She walked slower then, and at length sunk upon the couch with her eyes closed resolutely, as one who forced herself to wa

. She opened her eyes, and there was that smiling face of marble peering down into hers; it seemed as

r gentle sympathy the child would have wiped the tears from her eyes. She took the cambric in her hand, not without a shudder; it might be of pain; it might be that some

ich wound up the tower that Julia had described as a steeple, and entered a remote room of the dwelling. Even here the same silent splendor, the same magnificent gloom that pervaded the whole dwelling, was darkly visible. Though perfectly alone, carpets thick as fores

the locality of some object in her mind, then s

he chamber, revealing every object with chilling distinctness:-the white walls; the faded carpet on the floor; and the bed piled high with feathers, and covered with a patch-work quilt pieced from many gorgeously colored prints, now somewhat faded and mellowed by age. Half a dozen stiff maple chairs stood in the room.

ng wheels; stripes of hard, positive colors contrasted harshly together, and even time had failed to mellow them into harmony; though faded and dim, they still spread away from the feet harsh and disagreeable. No indifferent person would have looked upon that cheerless object twice; but it seemed to fascinate the gaze of the singular woman, as no artistic com

g wind, and blackened with the gathering night. The rain poured down in sheets, and beat upon the spacious roof like the rattle of artillery. Gloom and commot

e a child. Every limb in her body began to tremble. The bed shook under her, and notwithstanding the stormy elements, the noise of her bitter sobs filled the room. The voice of her grief was soon broken by another sound-the sound of passionate kisses lavished upon the pillows, the quilt, and the homespun linen upon the bed. She looked at them through her tears; she smoothed them out with her trembling hands; she laid her cheek against t

even the turf-like carpets could not muffle them. The lady started up, listened an instant, and then hurried from the room, closing the door carefully after her. It was now almos

me-well!" said the

upon his arm, and shaking himself with much of the surliness, and all the indifference of a mastiff, till the ra

" said the lady, sub

too. Why, don't you hear the wind yelling and

ed the lady, mournfully; "I

as he spoke, the more remarkable that his strong Down East pronu

m! Jacob, this has been

" muttered the man, giving

y-you are wet through, my kind friend, an

like to know? A little rain, poh!" exclaimed the man, evidently annoyed tha

mistress-or friend, I should rather say-for it is long since I have considere

n it-"jist as if I was complaining or discontented-jist as if I wasn't your hired man-no, servant, that is the word-to serve,

el

was betrayed by the low, steady tone

ike searching for a needle in a hay-mow. But you wanted to know where he was, and I determined to find out. Wal, this morning, as we left the steamer, I saw a man in the crowd with a great, gilt star on his breast, and as the thing looked rather od

lady, starting as a name her lips had not ut

s on; I told him what brought me there, and who I wanted to find. He called a young man from the out room; wrote on a slip of paper; gave it to the man, and asked me to sit dow

ay at the same wharf where the steamer lies. Did you observe a

s; a black coat?' says

tly,'

the color of; lashes always down; black silk dres

so!'

e to the chief

ey go?' questi

amer, one to the City Hall, one to the New York, one to

ied the lady, striving in vain to conceal th

at the chief aske

swer-was sh

only a little steadier; and the m

el

oung lady to a house in-I believe i

lief, came to her features; "and he is there alone at the Astor House. And I in the same city! Does nothing tell hi

miles. I don't exact

us. Oh! God, would that it were all!" she cried, su

deep in the room. For several minutes no word was spoken between the two persons so unlike in looks, in mind, in station, and yet linked together by a bond of symp

foliage of the trees; and the rain swept by in sheets, now and t

dy, with a sad, winning smile, and wit

d by the lightning, and this bro

m. Think of the storms we used

liancy came into

ed to them: and the evening,

from sun-down by the time!" answered Jacob, taking ou

re you ve

me tired? One would think I had been h

to speak again, and her voice faltered

out-perhaps you will get me a carriage-t

ly overwhelmed with surprise: "a carria

The thought of delay suffocates me-I am not myself-do you not see i

poor Jacob, from some cause

. How can we two meet, save in storm and strife

of you,

errupting him: "urge nothing more, I entreat you; but instead of o

othered in that faithful breast, and then he went forth perfectly heedless of the rain; whi

ccess of his errand. The lady had meantime changed her dress to one of black silk, perfectly plain, and giving no evidence of position

t the door, and drawing down her veil that he might not see al

nt feeling, for a small lamp had been lighted in the boudoir during