LITERATURE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 3580, 1 October 1879, Page 3

LITERATURE.

MISS BRACE'S DREAM. BY Q. T. "Truth," said Miss Brace oracularly, "lies at tho bottom of a well, and tho people of nowadays are too lazy oven to, go fishing for it. Tlie deceit, tho sham, and hypocrisy that one sees everywhere are enough to make him lose his faith in x«uman nature — if he overbad any. Now, for instance, I overheard Fanny Blanchard, the other, day, telling a gentleman how much, work ahc did at > home, how devoted Bhe was to her ' dear mamma,' how she had made the pretty and olaborato dress sbe had on, etc., etc. I happened to know that <dear mamma' aud the Ashenputel sister bad pufc every stitch into the pretty dress. So that was one lie. Then a little la*cr old Mrs Gatherum told mo confidentially that little Kate Dalton was once an actress in a variety theatre. That was another lie, for I have known Kale Dalton all her life. But in the ejes of the world . poverty and crime are boon companions. Ono falsehood was born of ambition and the other of malice, and they wore -equally useless and stupid. .If^vojcould only live in the Palace of Truth, and' stop trying to humbug our neighbours, wo should be so much happier." ' A _Miss Brace had been expounding somo of her pet the^^^tholifctle circle of friends who had met this evening afc the major's, and .this remarkably brilliant speech wa? the fc:ig chd~6f one ofTflie " cxpoundments." Wheh'sliec^nishcd her sormon she was «much disgus^e^fco find thafc instead of making conYerfs-o_*—^se easy-going worldlings, she had^ only bored them. Bob was asleep on the iou'ngej .the rinajor paced restlessly up. and down the^fibm, with his hands clasped bohind him, and the ladies Jipd tbeir heads together over an embroidered cLaircovrr. As I havo said before, Miss Brace was disgusted. Sbe shruggod her shoulders and settled herself back in her chai-, as who should say, " How stupid they are." "My dear girl," said Froudo, compassionately, " you're wasting your logic. It's very pretty, but they don't hear it ; and they would nt heed it if thoy listened ever so long. You can't overturn the dL-ta of society any more than you can mako a new world. We shall all tell white lies, and cheat oach other, and be smiling villians to the end, I supposo." "Shedoesn fc object to man's dishonesty so much," said Bob lazily, roused by Froude's gruff voice ; it's woman, lovely woman. The truth is, Polly, you are a fanatic on the subject of feminine vices." "It doesn't look well for a woman to bavo so little faith in her own sex," quoth the major, piusing in his march. "The ladies are all agreeable, of course ; we accept tbat as a self-evident proposition, and if you would use a little of the policy you condemn it would be better for you, eh ?" raising his eyebrows interrogatively, to tako the sting out of his words. . " Oh, she's getting too cynical for anything," chimed in tho major's wife. " You'll ruin all your prospects in life, Polly, if you keop on this way. Of course we can't all be as clever as you are," with mock humility, " but we give and tako moro pleasure. Now Miss Blanchard is really a very nico girl " " A charming girl ! " echoed Bob — " dance 3 divinely, sings like a nightingale, is always pood tempered." Miss Braco gulped down hor rising indignation. She- knew that tbe charming girl was a hypocritical, selfish little flirt, but as Froudo had said, what was the use? In truth, Miss Polly was not fitted for a modern regenerator. Sho might bave done nobly inifche old Puritan days of zeal and intolerance} but in the nineteenth century sho was out of place. At present she had tact enough to change the subject. " Silenced, but not convincod," murmured Froudc, vas he bade her good night a fow momenta later, and held her hand a little longer than was absolutely necessary. " You'linderstand, at any rate," she eaid, impetuously. " Of course I do," with a tender intonation very soothing to her irritated feelings. Froude had that manner with all women. It said so plainly " I sympathise with you, I know all your trials— trust me." It was better than a volume of compliments. In short, it made Froude rather dangerous ; just now it served as a valve for Polly's lacerated self-love, and sent her to bed with a pathetic little smilo on her lips. Pathetic to us, who knew that Froude wasn't a "marryingman" (to use a phrase which, to my thinking, brings matrimony and merchandise too much together). However, I don't know that Polly was. falling, or even stepping ever so guardedly, in love. Moro likely Vanity was only masquerading in Love's dress. She does that sometimes. Usually Miss Brace slept soundly, not because she had a clean conscience, but because her digestion was good. To-night, however, either Froude or the ohicken salad,

or her lecture, had (fisagiwed with her, end |»he turned and tossed wearily amtil it became - linsopportables So slim arranged the drop-digh-t *bove h»r head, got' a prosy book, and • ;sefc„efl herself 'to reaidl Ifc yms nil in vain ; iFronde's face danced up* and down the page, *• and, her mind. wandered? off ta»-the evening's - ooniraTsation^. Suddmftly bhe book dropped > from her bauds, and sbe saw in its place a ■• :tiny figure perched daiotilp upon the footipiooeof tbe Bed. !■ Ofconrse.it was l_e-« traditional fairy godmot&er, bu&instead of: being attired 'in the traditional .fashion, .with, peaked cap and. BaaeM stodKngs, sho wore... a plain, straight, gray gewn^ finished with a white- frill at the ' th,»©at. h«» .hair was ? banded closely to the : qseer „M_» bead,a_dsalhu)2fc concealed- by--0 shade of Parisian .".nodisfoa ! — a white sun---1 ljf>nnet. Polly g»zed at heivw_>_ silent . awe. and ad-, miration. 1 "If I could om/tdtoss like that," she said' , at last. " Well, why cotP ,,: - md, ; tho fairy .god' mother smiled. cynically/. " There's nothing, to hinder you. Try it.?' She pointed a -ta'ny.forefinger at Polly, and* forthwith that damselfound herself arrayed in exact imitatiem cf -the severe simplicity 4 before her. • ] "Now," sai^rhor mentor,, "you have an opportunifcy ofc putting ..your theories intopractice. You aro- always shouting at .women for their extravngasoe, and longing foiv a jj millennium whioh- s_all strip them- of the I - dear deceit , of r bwiuty.' You?*e alwayß preaching againsfc shams - r suppose *ou. practice a little. . Hojv you liko yourself as an emblem of truth ?*• *he added, as-Miss Bracestepped in firontoftke long mirror. Poor PolbjrilctoJks- rather, discoaifited. . Hc»tbm hair (hor voay own) drawa back unto & vicious little-pug atatainly was nofc becoming^ and tho straighfc,.»h.)rfc dress, mado' her -tall', shin figmerloo.k a. Wn-pole. "It dceim't,lQo_ like the Ba__,on,me," she faltered. "If everyone else would dross, ia the saraa-I should not mer.iit, bufc. peoplewill stare, so," r l "Of ••coji„.&-..t_ey will,;; an,d laugh fcoo, probab:yi. I see- you' re not ih, earnest. TSiete arden'jtrcformers. always recant at tba last moment*" audi the morsel lawglied wickedly. '• Fnvnot to do an uUiing of the sort," said Pelly, bsitated into defiant e.~ "Oaly tell me what t0., d0 and I'll dapitj" • ." Tft 4; a ,EP<«l," eaid thcujfairy. " Here, tako thia,.'. producing from a mysterious receptacle a sender,, fanta-tic, ebon wand, inlaid with inaiuieraWb quaint characters in -^old, and bearing f«» its handle, litUqlica wit_ d^^p^- v^os, v Miss Rracogavc ap., .ocstntic cry, "How pretty,!:"' she said, nnd, took , it , eagorly. A iag^p s^ock pas^ei- through hor as she _}uc}ie_ it, but she . only held ifc closer-, and ; the, tiding pain scqq. passed awt.y. I. It^jhimo.. Godmother inodded approvingly. V Yo-"_ do*" sho said. " Ycu want to live in the. golace of _?ut^?- Very well Just .touc- your frit-de. or enemas, with that, foqdi, trust me, the masks will fall- off quickly cnoa^gh. I w-oyhVfc advise yo'4,to put to the ;les* anyone tliau. you love much. It's very ; risky ; " and B_o.sbmgged her shoulders with aa air of i-ccpiioism beautiful to behold. ; " But if I &:v?uld loso it ;y gasped Polly, bewildered by the sudden ricqefeidn of power, as many ar«,ihsr bus beon before her. "Thai's, your look-out,, of course," said madamo, Joking oufc scjaethmg that looked liko a tiicy cigarette. "-A matoh if you pleaso, _;y dear. Thank, you. I hopo you'll bo happ^" and with r x mocking little laugh she pufs.d,a- cloud of sqipkc in Miss Rmco's bewildered eyeß ai^l vanished. But tho smoke>spread and U^Lukenod until Polly was Biirro-nded by a blue mist, and as it slowly cleared away sho found herself in nn immenso hall in, fche midßfc of a gaily-dressed throng. There were al\ our best people— co many fajsijliar f u cos that Polly felt at home at onco. It was Vanity Fair in full blast— tho idle, careless crowd, tbe foolish, purposeless talk she knew well ; tho vapid compliments and insincere badinage sbe bated bo bitterly, were all tln j re. But contrary to all expectations nobody noticed hor, or if they did it was with a vacant stare which took her in ns it would ono of tho decorations of the room, putting her outside the palo of animate objects, as ifc were. And Miss Brace, oddly enough, found, this harder to bear than curiosity or coty tempt — so strongly does our vanity assert itself whon we would put asido our iadivi' duality and curve our decant I into an insigp nificant nought. Polly remembered how Froudo bnd 6aid once of a mutual acquaintance, "I liko her very well— that is," aftor a moment's thought, " 1 don't dislike her." It brought a pang to Polly. How very probable ifc was that ho liked her in the same way — tossing her iutp tho list of his friends as oco tosses.a pa2)er into tho wasto basket. She Btood watching tho crowd silently for awhile, hor magic wand forgotten in her hand. Unconsciously sho has pushed her white sunbonnet back from her fuce (o. get a better view beforo her, thus, ranking herself moro liable to recognition. Pretty soon Froude passed her with a bonanza belle hanging on hia arm— a pretty creature, gay and glad in her youth aud fortune. Polly, with an envious pang, grasped her wand a trifle moro closely, a,m\ as she felt its responsive thrill determiool to .try its power then and thero. Instantly alio stopped forward ond touched F^oud.o on tho avm. He Btopped as if ho had been shot, and turned on her with a frown. " Aren't you, glad to see mo ?" said Polly desperately, trying to think of somo tost question. '* NNto t I should think not. What a guy you've made of yourself ! You had bo.tor go homo as soon as possible. I'm ashamed to be seen speaking to you." " Who is this young lady ?" persisted Polly, trying to keep cool, but feeling very quoer. " Oh, it's a little fool I'm going to marry for hor money," eaid Froudo, with a kind of s *aggor in his tone. Juat then Polly caught fclic horrified expression on th? young lady'a face, and included her in the magic circle by a tap of her ebony toy. " Do you lovo this gentleman ?" sho said abruptly. " Love bim ? " and tho slock-gilded noso " tip-tilted " directly. " That stupid old fogy ? I like to have him flatter mo, and he's one moro to put on my list of admirers, but he's an awful old boro. Of course I wouldn't marry such a creaturo ! " Then thero were two angry faces, and Miss Brace laughed aud loft them. Turning a corner suddenly 6he came upon a group of hor frionds just in timo to hear the major's wifo say, in ecstatic staccato — "I'm so glad to sco you, Miss Banks! Whon did jou get back ? We've missed you so much. And your going to be neighbours of ours, I hoar, and eclipse us all wifch your loads of lovely foreign things. How I long lo see tbem." But Polly's wand happening to touch her elbow just then, she added: "You're a miserable old piece of shoddy, and I hate tho rery sight of you. I envy you your money and your fino things, but I'd rather take a dose of medicine than call on you. I wouldn't do ifc if my husband did not havo some dull axes for Mr Banks fco grind." Polly stood aghast at the ruin she bad wrought, and would fain havo gone away unnoticed, bufc she was josl led againsfc half a dozen of tho group, and the witch-stick seemed possessed, for it resisted all efforts to hide it away and stuck out in half a dozen different directions at once, striking somebody at overy turn. Poor Miss Brace turned dizzy at the babel of voices which followed. This was not at all what she had intended or wished. The major's wifo followed hor quickly. " How daro you disgrace us so ? " she said angrily ; " jou are ugly enough at best, but in that garb you aro positively hideous. Try to get away, boforo nny one else bpos you. You are always doing something disagreeable." Polly thought of tho compliments this lady had always showered upon her. Why, it was only yesterday she had praised our poor friend's beauty and exquisite taste. The major's wife was celebrated for hor amiability and delightful manners, Polly turned away without a word. How could she ever disentangle this dreadful snarl ? Sho began to be a littlo frightened. Tbe wicked little face at the end of her wand leered at her horribly and winked — yes, absolutely winked— its diamond eyes. " I w—h I could get away from hero," sighed Polly, and catching sight of Bob, who had always been so jolly and brotherly, she ran after Mm: "Oh, Bob, tell mo how to to get away from this dreadful place," sho panted, clinging to his arm. But Bob shook her off impatiently. He had a pretty widow on the other side to whom ho was busily talking. " Don't bother," he said c&rcle„ly,

"But 1 ...»u't know whore to so." moaned Polly. B ' """""^ : "F-den't (ire if you go to thedevH^eplied this gen...l young man— not angrily, but as if that' were* iiiiiifcr* f coirso. • (To be continued.)