Chapter Eleventh.
"Self is the medium least refined of all, Through which Opinion's searching beam can fall; And passing there, the clearest, steadiest ray, Will tinge its light, and turn its line astray." Moore.
It was at the breakfast table the next morning that Mildred had herfirst sight of the new comers.
They were late in making their appearance, excusing themselves on theground of fatigue from the journey of the previous day.
Juliet, the elder of the two, was an extremely sentimental young lady;tall and thin, with fair complexion, pale auburn hair, and faded blueeyes.
The other, Reba, a noisy, rattling, romping, pert young Miss, withstaring black eyes, black hair, straight and coarse, and a muddy skin,which she strove with very limited success to conceal with toiletpowder and rouge.
She prided herself on being a fast girl, a good shot with a pistol,and not afraid to mount the wildest horse that could be found.
Her talk was of horses and dogs, race courses and shooting matches; hersister's of beaux, parties and dress.
Juliet had a great deal to say about her summer at Saratoga, and thegentlemen she had met there, especially a certain titled foreigner,whom she spoke of as "that charming, fascinating Count De Lisle."
It came out in the course of the morning, that she had heard from himsince her return home in the fall, and would not be surprised if heshould follow her to Roselands.
"Pa won't like it if he does," remarked Reba. "He thinks he's afortune-hunter, with nothing to recommend him but his title, and thatvery likely it is all a pretence. And I am inclined to think pa isright, and that the fellow is not even a foreigner."
"As if your opinion was of the least consequence!" sneered her sister."I consider both you and pa extremely uncharitable to indulge in suchsuspicions. I have seen a good deal more of the Count than either ofyou, and he is a delightful man."
"Well, don't waste your time disputing, girls," interrupted Mrs.Dinsmore, "you have yet to decide what you will wear to-night."
They were in the dressing-room appropriated to the sisters during theirstay; Mildred was with them, Mrs. Dinsmore having invited her in, thatthey might have the benefit of her taste.
A quantity of finery was spread out upon the bed, table, and chairs,and presently the four were deep in consultation on the all importantsubject.
Mildred was gifted with artistic taste in dress, and great facilityin giving form and shape to her conceptions, by the use of scissorsand needle. She was also very obliging, and having fallen to-day intothe hands of those who were selfishly unscrupulous about imposing upongood nature, she was given little rest until the two girls were fullyattired for the ball.
They surveyed themselves with delight; and indeed both lookedremarkably well for them; Juliet in white gauze over pale blue silk,and a few white blossoms from the green-house in her hair; Reba inblack silk with black lace overskirt looped with scarlet ribbons, andhair trimmed with flowers of the same brilliant hue.
She was in her wildest spirits, dancing, and pirouetting round theroom, declaring that Mildred had laid her under lasting obligations,she had had no idea how handsome she was, and it would be strangeif she didn't make a conquest before the evening was over; Juliethearing it all with a half contemptuous smile, while contemplating thereflection of her own charms in the glass, with the self-satisfiedthought that they far exceeded those of her sister.
"You are entirely welcome," said Mildred, "and I am very glad you aresatisfied with the result of my labors. Now I must go to Aunt Belle,for I promised to put the finishing touches to her toilet."
"We'll go too, and show ourselves," said Reba, and all three trippedgayly down the stairs, into Mrs. Dinsmore's dressing-room.
They found her resplendent in silk, lace and diamonds. The costly gemsdepended from her ears, sparkled on her wrists, at her throat, on everylink of her watch chain; and Mildred's task was to place a spray ofthem in her hair, already elaborately dressed by her waiting maid.
"Oh, you are splendid, Aunt Belle!" cried Reba, clapping her hands. "Ideclare I believe you look younger and prettier than either of us."
"Don't turn flatterer, child," said Mrs Dinsmore, coloring withpleasure at the compliment, and giving her mirror a glance ofunmistakable satisfaction.
"Oh, you needn't pretend you don't know it," laughed Reba. "But nowlook at us and say if you're not proud of your nieces."
"Yes indeed," Mrs. Dinsmore said after a moment's critical survey,"you are charming girls, both of you. Mildred, I think you deserve anyamount of credit."
"Eh! what has she been about?" Mr. Dinsmore asked, coming in from anadjoining room; "superintending the toilet of these girls? Why she iscertainly a young lady of taste, and a useful member of society."
"Decidedly prettier in her neat home dress than they in all theirfinery," he added mentally. Then aloud, "Come, Milly, don't you beginto want to go along? It isn't too late yet to change your mind. We'llwait for you to dress."
"Thank you," she answered brightly, "but I have not changed my mind,and really feel quite sure that I shall enjoy myself better at home."
"Such odd taste," laughed Reba.
"But perhaps she does not expect to pass the time alone," drawledJuliet with a significant look.
Mildred repelled the insinuation with dignity. "I expect no company butmy books," she said, "and certainly desire no other."
She was entirely sincere, yet it did seem a little lonely as she sat bythe fire in her own room after they had gone.
But she turned resolutely to her books, soon grew interested, and aftera couple of hours spent in close study, retired to bed.
Only her uncle, Miss Worth, and the children met her at thebreakfast-table the next morning.
Mr. Dinsmore explained that his wife and her nieces were sleeping offtheir fatigue, adding, "The girls danced all night, and really it wasnear sunrise when we reached home."
"They must be very tired," Mildred said. "Aunt Belle and you too,uncle."
"Yes; I think your plan was the wisest, after all. But what shall youdo with yourself to-day? I fear you will be left quite to your ownresources."
"I assure you I will be at no loss," she returned with a cheery smile.
The first thing in order after breakfast was a ride, in whichAdelaide, Louise and Lora were her companions. A very enjoyable one,the morning being bright, clear and not very cold.
On their return, as they cantered up the avenue, Adelaide exclaimed,"There's the Ion carriage at the door. What an early call Mrs. Travillais making!"
But it was only a servant with a note for Mildred; an urgent invitationto her to drive over to Ion and spend the day.
"I send my carriage for you," wrote Mrs. Travilla, "hoping it may notreturn empty. Uncle Eben is a careful driver, will bring you safely, Ithink, and carry you back when you feel that your visit must come to anend. I should drive over for you myself, but am confined to the houseby a severe cold."
No more welcome invitation could have come to Mildred. Full of delightshe hastened to her room to change her riding habit for something moresuitable for the occasion. That was the work of but a few moments,and leaving a message for Mrs. Dinsmore, who had not risen, she waspresently bowling briskly along the road leading to Ion.
She anticipated a delightful day and was not disappointed. It waspassed principally in Mrs. Travilla's boudoir and without othercompanionship, and seemed to Mildred very much like a day at home withher mother; for this new friend was a woman of the same spirit, andvery similar gifts and graces. And she received her young guest withtruly motherly warmth and tenderness of greeting.
The talk was first of Mildred's far off home and the dear ones there,then of the better land and the dearest Friend of all that eitherpossessed; and while conversing of Him and His wondrous love theirhearts were drawn very close together.
"Mrs. Travilla," Mildred said, breaking a pause in the conversation,"there is some one I
want you to help me pray for; one who wants justsuch a kind, loving, powerful, everpresent Friend as Jesus."
"Yes, my child, I will," Mrs. Travilla responded with feeling, "we willunite our prayers, and he will know whom we mean, though I am ignorantof it; He whose precious promise is, 'If two of you shall agree onearth as touching anything that they shall ask it shall be done of themof my Father which is in heaven.'"
"It _is_ a precious promise," Mildred said, tears springing to hereyes. "And there are others--O, Mrs. Travilla, can you not guess whom?that I want to plead it for. Some that I love, who are very kind tome, but seem to care nothing at all about this Friend, and to have nothought or concern for anything beyond this life."
"Yes, I know," Mrs. Travilla said, pressing the girl's hand tenderly inhers, "and you may well believe that I have not known them all theseyears without often asking my dear Lord to reveal himself to them inall his loveliness; and now I am very, very glad to have a helper inthis."
They sat silent then for some minutes, when the adornments of the roomattracting Mildred's eye, reminded her of a question she had beenlonging to ask.
Beginning with an account of her visit to Mrs. Landreth and the talkbetween them, in which Mrs. Travilla seemed interested, she went on tosay, with a smiling glance around the tasteful apartment, "I feel surethat you do not think as she does, and that she is not right in herviews or practice either; and yet I confess I am at a loss to know howto refute her arguments. So I have wanted to ask an explanation of yourviews. Do you think Mrs. Landreth a really good Christian woman?"
"Yes, my dear, I do," Mrs. Travilla said "She is beyond question veryself-denying and benevolent; but I think she forgets that we are to'_adorn_ the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things;' and so failsto recommend it as she might to others; particularly her husband andhis nephew.
"I quite agree with your mother that it is a wife's duty to study thecomfort and happiness of her husband in everything that she can withoutviolating the plain commands of God.
"Mrs. Landreth and I take different views on the question of the bestway to help the poor. She gives money, I let them earn it, paying themliberally for their work; this plan encourages industry and honestpride of independence; while the other teaches them to be willing to beidle pensioners on the bounty of their richer neighbors.
"Mine certainly seems the more self-indulgent way," she added witha smile, "for my house is thus filled with pretty things while Mrs.Landreth's is left very bare of ornament; and yet I think it is thebetter plan."
"I am sure it is," Mildred responded with an energy and positivenessthat brought a musical laugh from the lips of her friend.
"And," resumed Mrs. Travilla, "we differ quite as decidedly on thequestion of dress--she considering it a duty to spend as littleas possible upon herself, that she may have the more to give; Ithinking that those who have the means to do so without stinting theircharities, or driving hard bargains with their tradesmen, shouldbuy beautiful and expensive things in order to help and encouragemanufacturers, and render themselves and their houses attractive.
"Surely God would not have implanted in us so strong a love of thebeautiful, and given so much to gratify it, if he meant us to ignoreand repress it."
"No, surely not," Mildred said, thoughtfully. "Oh, how good he is! howmuch he has given us to enjoy! there are so many beautiful sights andsounds in nature, so much to gratify the taste and smell--the perfumefrom your plants comes most pleasantly to my nostrils at this moment,and the sweet song of that mocking bird to my ear. And I do so love oldocean's roar and the rippling of running water. Does it not seem like aslander upon the God of love, to teach that he would have us spend allour time, effort and means on those things that are utilitarian only?"
"It certainly does; and yet are not some of these things which somecondemn as mere indulgences, really useful, after all? the surroundingsaffect the spirits, and they in turn the health, and therefore theability to work. Grand or beautiful scenery has often an inspiring orsoothing effect, and their pictured representations the same to someextent."
"And just so with a sweet and noble face," Mildred said, "and what alovely one that is," turning her eyes toward a painting on the oppositewall.
"Yes," returned her friend, "I love to lie on my couch and gaze uponit, when not able to sit up, and it has been a comfort and help to mein many an hour of pain or sadness. Ah who shall say that an artist'swork is a waste of time--when his pencil is devoted to the reproductionof the good and beautiful--or that his God-given talent is not to beimproved?"
Then she drew Mildred's attention to other paintings, and pieces offancy work, to each of which she had a story attached: generally of astruggle with poverty and want on the part of the one of whose talentand skill it was a specimen.
These tales were told in no boastful spirit, yet Mildred learned fromthem a valuable lesson on the best use of wealth, and how much goodmight be done with it, in the way of lending a helping hand to thosewho needed assistance or lift them out of otherwise hopeless poverty,and how it could be accomplished without sacrificing a praiseworthypride of independence.
Mildred at Roselands Page 11