tobacco。 As his forefinger shows a little too distinctly that he
uses a pen； I shall compliment him by calling him the Man of Letters；
until I find out more about him。
The Young Girl who sits on my right； next beyond the Master； can
hardly be more than nineteen or twenty years old。 I wish I could
paint her so as to interest others as much as she does me。 But she
has not a profusion of sunny tresses wreathing a neck of alabaster；
and a cheek where the rose and the lily are trying to settle their
old quarrel with alternating victory。 Her hair is brown； her cheek
is delicately pallid； her forehead is too ample for a ball…room
beauty's。 A single faint line between the eyebrows is the record of
longcontinued anxious efforts to please in the task she has chosen；
or rather which has been forced upon her。 It is the same line of
anxious and conscientious effort which I saw not long since on the
forehead of one of the sweetest and truest singers who has visited
us； the same which is so striking on the masks of singing women
painted upon the facade of our Great Organ；that Himalayan home of
harmony which you are to see and then die； if you don't live where
you can see and hear it often。 Many deaths have happened in a
neighboring large city from that well…known complaint； Icterus
Invidiosorum； after returning from a visit to the Music Hall。 The
invariable symptom of a fatal attack is the Risus Sardonicus。But
the Young Girl。 She gets her living by writing stories for a
newspaper。 Every week she furnishes a new story。 If her head aches
or her heart is heavy； so that she does not come to time with her
story； she falls behindhand and has to live on credit。 It sounds
well enough to say that 〃she supports herself by her pen；〃 but her
lot is a trying one； it repeats the doom of the Danaides。 The
〃Weekly Bucket〃 has no bottom； and it is her business to help fill
it。 Imagine for one moment what it is to tell a tale that must flow
on； flow ever； without pausing； the lover miserable and happy this
week； to begin miserable again next week and end as before； the
villain scowling； plotting； punished； to scowl； plot； and get
punished again in our next； an endless series of woes and busses；
into each paragraph of which the forlorn artist has to throw all the
liveliness； all the emotion； all the graces of style she is mistress
of； for the wages of a maid of all work； and no more recognition or
thanks from anybody than the apprentice who sets the types for the
paper that prints her ever…ending and ever…beginning stories。 And
yet she has a pretty talent； sensibility； a natural way of writing；
an ear for the music of verse； in which she sometimes indulges to
vary the dead monotony of everlasting narrative； and a sufficient
amount of invention to make her stories readable。 I have found my
eyes dimmed over them oftener than once； more with thinking about
her； perhaps； than about her heroes and heroines。 Poor little body！
Poor little mind！ Poor little soul！ She is one of that great
company of delicate； intelligent； emotional young creatures； who are
waiting； like that sail I spoke of； for some breath of heaven to fill
their white bosoms；love； the right of every woman； religious
emotion； sister of love； with the same passionate eyes； but cold；
thin； bloodless hands；some enthusiasm of humanity or divinity； and
find that life offers them； instead； a seat on a wooden bench； a
chain to fasten them to it； and a heavy oar to pull day and night。
We read the Arabian tales and pity the doomed lady who must amuse her
lord and master from day to day or have her head cut off； how much
better is a mouth without bread to fill it than no mouth at all to
fill； because no head？ We have all round us a weary…eyed company of
Scheherezades！ This is one of them； and I may call her by that name
when it pleases me to do so。
The next boarder I have to mention is the one who sits between the
Young Girl and the Landlady。 In a little chamber into which a small
thread of sunshine finds its way for half an hour or so every day
during a month or six weeks of the spring or autumn； at all other
times obliged to content itself with ungilded daylight； lives this
boarder； whom； without wronging any others of our company； I may
call； as she is very generally called in the household； The Lady。 In
giving her this name it is not meant that there are no other ladies
at our table； or that the handmaids who serve us are not ladies； or
to deny the general proposition that everybody who wears the
unbifurcated garment is entitled to that appellation。 Only this lady
has a look and manner which there is no mistaking as belonging to a
person always accustomed to refined and elegant society。 Her style
is perhaps a little more courtly and gracious than some would like。
The language and manner which betray the habitual desire of pleasing；
and which add a charm to intercourse in the higher social circles；
are liable to be construed by sensitive beings unused to such
amenities as an odious condescension when addressed to persons of
less consideration than the accused； and as a still more odiousyou
know the wordwhen directed to those who are esteemed by the world
as considerable person ages。 But of all this the accused are
fortunately wholly unconscious； for there is nothing so entirely
natural and unaffected as the highest breeding。
》From an aspect of dignified but undisguised economy which showed
itself in her dress as well as in her limited quarters； I suspected a
story of shipwrecked fortune； and determined to question our
Landlady。 That worthy woman was delighted to tell the history of her
most distinguished boarder。 She was； as I had supposed； a
gentlewoman whom a change of circumstances had brought down from her
high estate。
Did I know the Goldenrod family？Of course I did。…Well； the
Lady； was first cousin to Mrs。 Midas Goldenrod。 She had been here in
her carriage to call upon her；not very often。…Were her rich
relations kind and helpful to her？Well； yes； at least they made her
presents now and then。 Three or four years ago they sent her a
silver waiter； and every Christmas they sent her a boquet；it must
cost as much as five dollars； the Landlady thought。
And how did the Lady receive these valuable and useful gifts？
Every Christmas she got out the silver waiter and borrowed a glass
tumbler and filled it with water； and put the boquet in it and set it
on the waiter。 It smelt sweet enough and looked pretty for a day or
two； but the Landlady thought it wouldn't have hurt 'em if they'd
sent a piece of goods for a dress； or at least a pocket…handkercher
or two； or something or other that she could 'a' made some kind of
use of； but beggars must n't be choosers； not that she was a beggar；
for she'd sooner die than do that if she was in want of a meal of
victuals。 There was a lady I remember； and she had a little boy and
she was a widow； and after she'd buried her husband she was dreadful
poor； and she was ashamed to let her little boy go out in his old
shoes； and copper…toed shoes they was too； because his poor little
tentoeswas a coming out of 'em； and what do you think my
husband's rich uncle；well； there now； it was me and my little
Benjamin； as he was then； there's no use in hiding of it；and what
do you think my husband's uncle sent me but a plaster of Paris image
of a young woman； that was；well； her appearance wasn't respectable；
and I had to take and wrap her up in a towel and poke her right into
my closet； and there she stayed till she got her head broke and
served her right； for she was n't fit to show folks。 You need n't
say anything about what I told you； but the fact is I was desperate
poor before I began to support myself taking boarders； and a lone
woman without herher
The sentence plunged into the gulf of her great remembered sorrow；
and was lost to the records of humanity。
Presently she continued in answer to my questions： The Lady was not
very sociable； kept mostly to herself。 The Young Girl （our
Scheherezade） used to visit her sometimes； and they seemed to like
each other； but the Young Girl had not many spare hours for visiting。
The Lady never found fault； but she was very nice in her tastes； and
kept everything about her looking as neat and pleasant as she could。
…What did she do？Why； she read； and she drew pictures； and she
did needlework patterns； and played on an old harp she had； the gilt
was mostly off； but it sounded very sweet； and she sung to it
sometimes； those old songs that used to be in fashion twenty or
thirty years ago； with words to 'em that folks could understand。
Did she do anything to help support herself ？The Landlady couldn't
say she did； but she thought there was rich people enough that ought
to buy the flowers and things she worked and painted。
All this points to the fact that she was bred to be an ornamental
rather than what is called a useful member of society。 This is all
very well so long as fortune favors those who are chosen to be the
ornamental personages； but if the golden tide recedes and leaves them
stranded； they are more to be pitied than almost any other class。 〃I
cannot dig； to beg