Woman As She Should Be | Page 7

learned the art of flattery in your travels, Mr.
Bernard."
"Flattery!" exclaimed Ella, drawing up a chair close to her friend, and
smiling at her brother, who was seated opposite; "I only wish you had

heard him, Agnes, a little while ago, in what terms he spoke of our sex,
for if you had, you would agree with me, that the title of woman-hater
would be far more appropriate than flatterer."
"Ella, Ella, that is hardly fair," said Arthur, while his cheek became
slightly flushed.
"But what did he say about us, Ella?" Agnes inquired, smiling half
mischievously at his evident embarrassment.
"Say, all sorts of things; he declared that the great majority of us care
for little else but pleasure; that the idea of exerting our influence for
good is one that we seldom ever entertain, and he wound up his
exceedingly edifying lecture by a dismal story of a lady, whose
persuasions induced a friend of his to break a promise which he had
made to abstain from intoxicating liquors, and was, thereby, led to an
untimely death."
"You have been bringing very grave charges against our sex, Mr.
Bernard," said Agnes, with a sweet seriousness, that, however unusual,
well became her fair youthful face; "and I am afraid we should have to
plead guilty in too many instances. Still, even those who appear the
most thoughtless, have their hours of reflection, no doubt, when they
feel the utter insipidity of a life of pleasure--false pleasure--and form
many resolutions to abandon it; but habit is strong, and example
powerful, and once immersed in the gayeties of life, nothing short of
strength from above can make them to 'come out from the world, and to
become separate.'"
A deeper shade of seriousness passed over Agnes's expressive
countenance as she uttered these words. It was evident they had evoked
some painful recollections, and, as Arthur gazed on the down-cast face,
on the long silken eyelashes that but half concealed the tear that
unhidden rose to the lustrous eye, and observed her lip quivering with
suppressed emotion, he easily divined, from his previous conversation
with his sister, the cause of her agitation.
"She has suffered, and in the cause of truth," was his mental ejaculation.

Oh, to have the privilege of cheering and sustaining one so lovely! but
"Man may not hope her heart to win, Be his of common mould."

CHAPTER IV.
A few select friends had assembled at Mrs. Bernard's, to celebrate
Ella's birthday.
"It will not do to have a dancing-party, Mamma," said Ella, when they
were making the necessary arrangements, "it will not do to have a
dancing-party, or Agnes will refuse to come, and I have set my heart on
having her, and I strongly suspect somebody else has done the same,"
glancing mischievously at her brother, who had just entered the room.
"I am sure, too, I shall enjoy myself a great deal better with a few select
friends, than if we had a large, gay party."
"Have it your own way, my dear," said the mother, fondly kissing her
daughter's fair upturned brow; "if it pleases you, I am sure it will satisfy
me."
"Thank you, dear Mamma, and now I have nothing to do but to write
my invitations, and send them. But, Arthur, I declare you have not said
a word; one would imagine, only I know better, that you do not feel at
all interested in the matter."
"Interested, why should I, in your foolish parties? Do you not know I
have something better to think of?"
"Doubtless, and you do not care in the least who accepts the invitations.
Now, confess, for you may as well, that when I proposed, a few
evenings ago, having a small select gathering of friends for Agnes's
sake, your very eyes shone with joy, for all you did wear that
provoking grave look. Confess, too, that you have thought of little else
ever since. I am sure you dreamed about it last night, for you looked
very smiling as you entered the breakfast room this morning."

"You are an incorrigible little rattle-brain, Ella, and, to punish you, I
have a great mind to declare I will not enter your party. How would you
like that?"
"I am not in the least alarmed, brother dear, that that threat will be
carried into execution, for the very good and sufficient reason, that you
would thus punish yourself worse than me. But if I stand talking any
longer, my invitations will not be written in season, so I must defer our
very edifying conversation till another opportunity,"--and, humming a
favorite air, the lively girl danced gaily out of the room.
Arthur, left alone, stood for a moment musing, half amused and half
vexed with his sister. He scarcely had