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
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