The Gilded Age by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner

mouth is in repose–foreign travel can never remove that sign. But he

was a very delightful gentleman, and his little foible did not hurt him

at all. We all have our shams–I suppose there is a sham somewhere about

every individual, if we could manage to ferret it out. I would so like

to go to France. I suppose our society here compares very favorably with

French society does it not, Mrs. Oreille?”

Mrs. O.–“Not by any means, Miss Hawkins! French society is much more

elegant–much more so.”

Laura–“I am sorry to hear that. I suppose ours has deteriorated of

late.”

Mrs. O.–“Very much indeed. There are people in society here that have

really no more money to live on than what some of us pay for servant

hire. Still I won’t say but what some of them are very good people–and

respectable, too.”

Laura–“The old families seem to be holding themselves aloof, from what I

hear. I suppose you seldom meet in society now, the people you used to

be familiar with twelve or fifteen years ago?”

Mrs. O.–“Oh, no-hardly ever.”

Mr. O’Riley kept his first rum-mill and protected his customers from the

law in those days, and this turn of the conversation was rather

uncomfortable to madame than otherwise.

Hon. Mrs. Higgins–“Is Francois’ health good now, Mrs. Oreille?”

Mrs. O.–(Thankful for the intervention–“Not very. A body couldn’t

expect it. He was always delicate–especially his lungs–and this odious

climate tells on him strong, now, after Parry, which is so mild.”

Mrs. H:–“I should think so. Husband says Percy’ll die if he don’t have

a change; and so I’m going to swap round a little and see what can be

done. I saw a lady from Florida last week, and she recommended Key West.

I told her Percy couldn’t abide winds, as he was threatened with a

pulmonary affection, and then she said try St. Augustine. It’s an awful

distance–ten or twelve hundred mile, they say but then in a case of this

kind–a body can’t stand back for trouble, you know.”

Mrs. O.–“No, of course that’s off. If Francois don’t get better soon

we’ve got to look out for some other place, or else Europe. We’ve

thought some of the Hot Springs, but I don’t know. It’s a great

responsibility and a body wants to go cautious. Is Hildebrand about

again, Mrs. Gashly?”

Mrs. G.–“Yes, but that’s about all. It was indigestion, you know, and

it looks as if it was chronic. And you know I do dread dyspepsia. We’ve

all been worried a good deal about him. The doctor recommended baked

apple and spoiled meat, and I think it done him good. It’s about the

only thing that will stay on his stomach now-a-days. We have Dr. Shovel

now. Who’s your doctor, Mrs. Higgins?”

Mrs. H.–“Well, we had Dr. Spooner a good while, but he runs so much to

emetics, which I think are weakening, that we changed off and took Dr.

Leathers. We like him very much. He has a fine European reputation,

too. The first thing he suggested for Percy was to have him taken out in

the back yard for an airing, every afternoon, with nothing at all on.”

Mrs. O. and Mrs. G.–“What!”

Mrs. H.–“As true as I’m sitting here. And it actually helped him for

two or three days; it did indeed. But after that the doctor said it

seemed to be too severe and so he has fell back on hot foot-baths at

night and cold showers in the morning. But I don’t think there, can be

any good sound help for him in such a climate as this. I believe we are

going to lose him if we don’t make a change.”

Mrs. O. “I suppose you heard of the fright we had two weeks ago last

Saturday? No? Why that is strange–but come to remember, you’ve all

been away to Richmond. Francois tumbled from the sky light–in the

second-story hall clean down to the first floor–”

Everybody–“Mercy!”

Mrs. O.–Yes indeed–and broke two of his ribs–”

Everybody–“What!”

Mrs. O. “Just as true as you live. First we thought he must be injured

internally. It was fifteen minutes past 8 in the evening. Of course we