The Wit and Humor of America, Volume V. | Page 6

as she called it; and in trying to wash the rose with lake, she daubed it
on of crimson thickness. When Mr. Gummage saw it, he gave her a
severe reprimand for meddling with her own piece. It was with great
difficulty that the superabundant color was removed; and he charged
her to let the flowers alone till he was ready to wash them for her. He
worked a little at the piece every day, forbidding Marianne to touch it;
and she remained idle while he was putting in skies, mountains, etc.,
for the other young ladies.
At length the wreath was finished--Mr. Gummage having only sketched
it, and washed it, and given it the last touches. It was put into a splendid
frame, and shown as Miss Marianne Atmore's first attempt at painting:
and everybody exclaimed, "What an excellent teacher Mr. Gummage
must be! How fast he brings on his pupils!"
In the meantime, she undertook at home to make the small copy that
was to go to China. But she was now "at a dead lock," and found it
utterly impossible to advance a step without Mr. Gummage. It was then
thought best that she should do it at school--meaning that Mr.

Gummage should do it for her, while she looked out the window.
The whole was at last satisfactorily accomplished, even to the gilt star,
with the A in the center. It was taken home and compared with the
larger wreath, and found still prettier, and shone as Marianne's to the
envy of all mothers whose daughters could not furnish models for china.
It was finally given in charge to the captain of the _Voltaire_, with
injunctions to order a dinner-set exactly according to the pattern, and to
prevent the possibility of a mistake, a written direction accompanied it.
The ship sailed--and Marianne continued three quarters at Mr.
Gummage's school, where she nominally affected another flower-piece,
and also perpetrated Kemble in Rolla, Edwin and Angelina, the Falls of
Schuylkill, and the Falls of Niagara, all of which were duly framed, and
hung in their appointed places.
During the year that followed the departure of the ship _Voltaire_ great
impatience for her return was manifested by the ladies of the Atmore
family,--anxious to see how the china would look, and frequently
hoping that the colors would be bright enough, and none of the flowers
omitted--that the gilding would be rich, and everything inserted in its
proper place, exactly according to the pattern. Mrs. Atmore's only
regret was, that she had not sent for a tea-set also; not that she was in
want of one, but then it would be so much better to have a dinner-set
and a tea-set precisely alike, and Marianne's beautiful wreath on all.
"Why, my dear," said Mr. Atmore, "how often have I heard you say
that you would never have another _tea_-set from Canton, because the
Chinese persist in making the principal articles of such old-fashioned,
awkward shapes. For my part, I always disliked the tall coffee-pots,
with their straight spouts, looking like light-houses with bowsprits to
them; and the short, clumsy teapots, with their twisted handles, and lids
that always fall off."
"To be sure," said Mrs. Atmore, "I have been looking forward to the
time when we can get a French tea-set upon tolerable terms. But in the
meanwhile I should be very glad to have cups and saucers with
Marianne's beautiful wreath, and of course when we use them on the

table we should always bring forward our silver pots."
Spring returned, and there was much watching of the vanes, and great
joy when they pointed easterly, and the ship-news now became the
most interesting column of the papers. A vessel that had sailed from
New York to Canton on the same day the _Voltaire_ departed from
Philadelphia had already got in; therefore, the _Voltaire_ might be
hourly expected. At length she was reported below; and at this period
the river Delaware suffered much, in comparison with the river Hudson,
owing to the tediousness of its navigation from the capes to the city.
At last the _Voltaire_ cast anchor at the foot of Market Street, and our
ladies could scarcely refrain from walking down to the wharf to see the
ship that held the box that held the china. But invitations were
immediately sent out for a long projected dinner-party, which Mrs.
Atmore had persuaded her husband to defer till they could exhibit the
beautiful new porcelain.
The box was landed, and conveyed to the house. The whole family
were present at the opening, which was performed in the dining-room
by Mr. Atmore himself--all the servants peeping in at the door. As soon
as a part of the lid was split off, and a handful of the straw removed, a
pile of