--_Meredith_.
Meanwhile all Claudia Merlin"s time was taken up with milliners, mantua makers, and jewelers. She was to make her first appearance in society at the President"s first evening reception, which was to be held on Friday, the sixth of January. It was now very near the New Year, and all her intervening time was occupied in preparations for the festivities that were to attend it.
On the twenty-third of December, two days before Christmas, Mr. and Mrs. Middleton and all their family arrived. They came up by the "Columbia," and reached Judge Merlin"s house early in the morning.
Consequently they were not fatigued, and the day of their arrival was a day of unalloyed pleasure and of family jubilee.
Ishmael took sympathetic part in all the rejoicings, and was caressed by Mr. and Mrs. Middleton and all their younger children as a sort of supplementary son and brother.
On Christmas Eve, also, Reuben Gray, Hannah, and her children came to town in their wagon. Honest Reuben had brought a load of turkeys for the Christmas market, and had "put up" at a plain, respectable inn, much frequented by the farmers, near the market house; but in the course of the day he and his wife, leaving the children in the care of their faithful Sally, who had accompanied them in the character of nurse, called on Ishmael and brought him his trunk of wearing apparel.
The judge, in his hearty, old-fashioned, thoughtless hospitality, would have had Reuben and his family come and stop at his own house. But Reuben Gray, with all his simplicity, had the good sense firmly to decline this invitation and keep to his tavern.
"For you know, Hannah, my dear," he said to his wife, when they found themselves again, at the Plow, "we would bother the family more"n the judge reckoned on. What could they do with us? Where could they put us?
As to axing of us in the drawing room or sitting of us down in the dining room, with all his fine, fashionable friends, that wasn"t to be thought on! And as to you being put into the kitchen, along of the servants, that I wouldn"t allow! Now the judge, he didn"t think of all these things: but I did; and I was right to decline the invitation, don"t you think so?"
"Of course you were, Reuben, and if you hadn"t declined it, I would, and that I tell you," answered Mrs. Gray.
"And so, Hannah, my dear, we will just keep our Christmas where we are!
We won"t deprive Ishmael of his grand Christmas dinner with his grand friends; but we will ax him to come over and go to the playhouse with us and see the play, and then we"ll all come back and have a nice supper all on us together. We"ll have a roast turkey and mince pie and egg-nog and apple toddy, my dear, and make a night of it, once in a way! What do you think?"
"I think that will be all very well, Reuben, so that you don"t take too much of that same egg-nog and apple toddy," replied Mrs. Gray.
"Now, Hannah, did you ever know me to do such a thing?" inquired Reuben, with an injured air.
"No, Reuben, I never did. But I think that a man that even so much as touches spiritable likkers is never safe until he is in his grave," said Mrs. Gray solemnly.
"Where he can never get no more," sighed Reuben; and as he had to attend the market to sell his turkeys that night, he left Hannah and went to put his horses to the wagon.
So fine a trade did Reuben drive with his fat turkeys that he came home at ten with an empty wagon and full pocketbook, and told Hannah that she might have a new black silk "gownd," and Sally should have a red calico "un," and as for the children, they should have an outfit from head to foot.
Christmas morning dawned gloriously. All the little Middleton"s were made happy by the fruit of the Christmas tree. In the many kind interchanges of gifts Ishmael was not entirely forgotten. Some loving heart had remembered him. Some skillful hand had worked for him. When he went up to his room after breakfast on Christmas morning, he saw upon his dressing table a packet directed to himself. On opening it he found a fine pocket-handkerchief neatly hemmed and marked, a pair of nice gloves, a pair of home-knit socks, and a pair of embroidered slippers.
Here was no useless fancy trumpery; all were useful articles; and in the old-fashioned, housewifely present Ishmael recognized the thoughtful heart and careful hand of Bee, and grateful, affectionate tears filled his eyes. He went below stairs to a back parlor, where he felt sure he should find Bee presiding over the indoor amus.e.m.e.nts of her younger brothers and sisters.
And, sure enough, there the pretty little motherly maiden was among the children.
Ishmael went straight up to her, saying, in fervent tones:
"I thank you, Bee; I thank you for remembering me."
"Why, who should remember you if not I, Ishmael? Are you not like one of ourselves? And should I forget you any sooner than I should forget Walter, or James, or John?" said Bee, with a pleasant smile.
"Ah, Bee! I have neither mother nor sister to think of me at festive times; but you, dear Bee, you make me forget the need of either."
"You have "neither mother nor sister," Ishmael? Now, do not think so, while my dear mother and myself live; for I am sure she loves you as a son, Ishmael, and I love you--as a brother," answered Bee, speaking comfort to the lonely youth from the depths of her own pure, kind heart.
But ah! the intense blush that followed her words might have revealed to an interested observer how much more than any brother she loved Ishmael Worth.
Judge Merlin, Claudia, Mr. and Mrs. Middleton, and Ishmael went to church.
Bee stayed home to see that the nurses took proper care of the children.
They had a family Christmas dinner.
And after that Ishmael excused himself, and went over to the Plow to spend the evening with Reuben and Hannah. That evening the three friends went to the theater, and saw their first play, "the Comedy of Errors,"
together. And it did many an old, satiated play-goer good to see the hearty zest with which honest Reuben enjoyed the fun. Nor was Hannah or Ishmael much behind him in their keen appreciation of the piece; only, at those pa.s.sages at which Hannah and Ishmael only smiled, Reuben rubbed his knees, and laughed aloud, startling all the audience.
"It"s a good thing I don"t live in the city, Hannah, my dear, for I would go to the play every night!" said Reuben, as they left the theater at the close of the performance.
"And it is a good thing you don"t, Reuben, for it would be the ruination of you!" admitted Hannah.
They went back to the Plow, where the Christmas supper was served for them in the plain little private sitting room. After partaking moderately of its delicacies, Ishmael bade them good-night, and returned home.
Reuben and Hannah stayed a week in the city. Reuben took her about to see all the sights and to shop in all the stores. And on New Year"s day, when the President received the public, Reuben took Hannah to the White House, to "pay their duty" to the chief magistrate of the nation. And the day after New Year"s day they took leave of Ishmael and of all their friends, and returned home, delighted with the memory of their pleasant visit to the city.
Ishmael, after all these interruptions, returned with new zest to his duties, and, as before, worked diligently day and night.
Claudia went deeper into her preparations for her first appearance in society at the President"s first drawing room of the season.
The night of nights for the heiress came. After dinner Claudia indulged herself in a long nap, so that she might be quite fresh in the evening.
When she woke up she took a cup of tea, and immediately retired to her chamber to dress.
Mrs. Middleton superintended her toilet.
Claudia wore a rich point-lace dress over a white satin skirt. The wreath that crowned her head, the necklace that reposed upon her bosom, the bracelets that clasped her arms, the girdle that enclosed her waist, and the bunches of flowers that festooned her upper lace dress, were all of the same rich pattern--lilies of the valley, whose blossoms were formed of pearl, whose leaves were of emeralds, and whose dew was of diamonds. Snowy gloves and snowy shoes completed this toilet, the effect of which was rich, chaste, and elegant beyond description. Mrs.
Middleton wore a superb dress of ruby-colored velvet.
When they were both quite ready, they went down into the drawing room, where Judge Merlin, Mr. Middleton, and Ishmael were awaiting them, and where Claudia"s splendid presence suddenly dazzled them. Mr. Middleton and Judge Merlin gazed upon the radiant beauty with undisguised admiration. And Ishmael looked on with a deep, unuttered groan. How dared he love this stately, resplendent queen? How dared he hope she would ever deign to notice him? But the next instant he reproached himself for the groan and the doubt--how could he have been so fooled by a mere shimmer of satin and glitter of jewels?
Judge Merlin and Mr. Middleton were in the conventional evening dress of gentlemen, and were quite ready to attend the ladies. They had nothing to do, therefore, but to hand them to the carriage, which they accordingly did. The party of four, Mr. and Mrs. Middleton, Judge Merlin, and Claudia, drove off.
Ishmael and Beatrice remained at home. Ishmael to study his law books; Beatrice to give the boys their supper and see that the nurses took proper care of the children.
CHAPTER LII.
AN EVENING AT THE PRESIDENT"S.
There was a sound of revelry by night-- "Columbia"s" capital had gathered then Her beauty and her chivalry: and bright The lamps shone o"er fair women and brave men.
A thousand hearts beat happily; and when Music arose with its voluptuous swell, Soft eyes looked love to eyes that spoke again, And all went merry as a marriage bell.
--_Byron_.
The carriage rolled along Pennsylvania Avenue. The weather had changed since sunset, and the evening was misty with a light, drizzling rain.
Yet still the scene was a gay, busy, and enlivening one; the gas lamps that lighted the Avenue gleamed brightly through the rain drops like smiles through tears; the sidewalks were filled with pedestrians, and the middle of the street with vehicles, all going in one direction, to the President"s palace.
A decorously slow drive of fifteen minutes brought our party through this gay scene to a gayer one at the north gate of the President"s park, where a great crowd of carriages were drawn up, waiting their turn to drive in.
The gates were open and lighted by four tall lamps placed upon the posts, and which illuminated the whole scene.