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Like Greek tragedy, the conversations in the boudoir were often kept up chiefly between two interlocutors, generally Laura and Olivia, the attendant sisters forming the necessary chorus.

"Please bear in mind that I danced in the same quadrille with Jane, and I could not keep my eyes off her berthe. It was the loveliest thing in the room!” "More lovely than the fair wearer ?" I ventured to inquire.

Laura opened her beautiful eyes in unfeigned astonishment.

"Jane Stevenson is not in the least pretty-in fact, very plain," she replied. "I have not the honor of her acquaintance."

"She is Henry Stevenson's sistercousin of John Stevenson."

Henry Stevenson was an excessively stupid and hideously ugly fellow, but a favorite partner of Carrie Frippery's. He was worth a million or two. John Stevenson, a clever young lawyer, was a hopeless admirer of Emma's. was so poor he could scarcely pay his office-rent.

He

"Jane is, perhaps, the plainest girl in town. But such taste! Such an exquisite dresser !”

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Exquisite,' ," "delicious," " dresser," 'dresses," 'dressing," admirable," "perfect," "faultless," "dresser," "dresses," "dressing," dress," "dress," " dress," exclaimed the chorus, with a full burst of generous enthusiasm.

"And she never wore anything more perfect in its way than that berthe à façon. So delicate, so fanciful, so distinguished. I have sometimes thought a few other girls dress as well as Jane Stevenson; but that berthe à façon has changed my opinion-so fresh, such an exquisite mélange!"

"Such a mélange, however, would not have been thought in good taste last year," observed the languid Julia, with an air of deep reflection on her Grecian brow.

"Of course not!" was Miss Laura's

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Very well! Once admit that, and the whole matter is settled. The first being Valenciennes, the second was Honiton, the third Maltese, in the natural order of things. The lightest above, the heaviest below. It is clear as day."

"But," observed Olivia, who, sweet creature, had a blue vein of obstinacy in her disposition, "you know, Laura, that irregularity in trimming is allowable !"

"Allowable, of course-the effect is often very good-irregularity is sometimes a proof of very high fashion. Lawson is often irregular."

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Very well-perhaps it was so in this case."

"If I had never seen this berthe d façon, I might, perhaps, suppose so,

too.

But you forget that I stood full five minutes near Jane; and five minutes are sufficient, I should hope, for a woman of sense to know something of a berthe immediately under her eye. Why, in fact, I have many a time read the whole dress of a lady near me, in half that time, from her braid to her shoe-strings."

"You are certainly very quick in reading a dress, Laura; I admit the fact," was Olivia's cordial confession.

"Nothing is more easy, I am sure, if a woman is blessed with eyes and some sense," was Laura's modest rejoinder.

"But it is not every one that has your great facility in that way—"

"Well, I do hope Jane will wear the berthe to-night, and then we can settle the question," said Carrie.

"No probability of that. The berthe will never be seen again. Jane never wears a ball-dress more than twice."

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pains and trouble!" exclaimed Laure again.

"Of course not, I am sure I am often tired to death just choosing, and planning, and giving directions. But the Snippery girls do all the fitting and sewing besides-only think of it!"

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They have too much spirit to be unfashionable, that is all. If I were poor, I should do as they do. Kate Snippery says she had rather die' at once than drop into a dowdy !"

"Oh, a dowdy!-who would be a dowdy!" exclaimed the chorus.

"Not Kate Snippery, that is certain; nor I either. I should feel miserable in a dress that was not perfectly in fashion."

"Kate has often made herself ill by working over party-dresses," continued Olivia.

"They make beautiful things!" observed Emma. "Kate's last hat might have passed for a Lawson."

"A Lawson! My dear Emma-that is saying rather too much, even for Kate. She never could deceive me in that way. I can tell a Lawson, just as far as I can see one of its bows. The Snipperys make very respectable things; but they cannot give them the real air, after all. I can read home-made' in them in every fold of their best dresses."

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"They deserve great credit,, I am sure, for trying to make a respectable appearance," replied Laura, in a tone of high commendation.

"To be sure they do. Why they give up their whole time to their dress! They work really hard," continued Olivia.

"As if any one could dress really well without a very great deal of

"So can I-and I-and I-" echoed several of the pretty group.

"Their dresses always have a copied look," continued Laura.

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You like first impressions, I see, Miss Laura as we lovers of engravings say. The worn-out plate does not suit you," I observed.

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mantilla; and the latter, tenderly returning her friend's salute, fixed her hazel orbs on the trimming of the morningdress before her. Emma was gazing intently in the direction of Helen Snippery's face; but it was evidently not her friend's countenance, but the hat-border which was so attractive to the affectionate creature. Had we all been in the palace of truth that morning, the meeting of the lovely friends might probably have been recorded much as follows: "Good morning, dear"-Hat strings too short. "Cold day-Yes!"-Nose very red. "Throat sore? very sorry!" -Collar too pointed. "Poor Mr. Jones is dead!"-Prettyish buttons, those. "Children with scarlet fever, too!"Abominate green flowers. "Read Hiawatha ?"-How can Kate afford such lace! "Ball to-morrow" -Awkward gathers those. "Mamma pretty well, thank you"-Mean little bows!

Of course the fancy-ball and its costumes were discussed, with a dozen other parties, and their appropriate dresses. But I cannot attempt to follow the young ladies, as they even surpassed themselves, on that particular morning, in eloquence and vivacity, while discussing the usual subjects. To speak frankly, as day after day passed away, it began to strike me that we did not often discuss any other subjects with the same fullness of interest. Of course we indulged largely in gossip; but it was generally well sprinkled with millinery. With reading we did not meddle much;

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our devotion to literature showing itself chiefly in attending fashionable lectures; where, of course, the dressing was not thrown away upon us. We were a well conducted household, we went to church regularly every Sunday morning, and sometimes in the afternoon too, when there was no company; but, true to our Vocation, the hats, and collars, and sleeves, in the main aisle, were always carefully reviewed. I acquired a great deal of valuable information about loves of mantillas, or frights of hats, on Sundays. If an engagement was announced, anticipations regarding the style of dress

and furniture were considered more than the happiness of the lovers. If a baby was born, its caps and cloaks were more affectionately handled than the infant itself. If a wedding took place, the laces, cachemires, or diamonds were, of course, the chief items of interest. And more than once, after a funeral, the style of the shroud and coffin ornaments afforded us ample material for boudoir talk.

The physicians had enjoined a course of relaxation and amusement: At first these came very readily. To have all these girls talking nonsense about me from morning to night, was delightful: they diverted me extremely. It was all so new, so strange, so different from my previous bachelor habits. After a while, when the novelty had somewhat passed off, a feeling of wonder and admiration arose the unflagging devotion

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of these fair creatures to the great object, their unwearied perseverance in the good cause, were astonishing. Their zeal literally rose superior to all fatigue; no desire for change of object was ever expressed; not the least symptom of exhaustion could be discovered where the toilet was in question. Nay, even in the midst of the arduous duties of a winter campaign, the sweet creatures were already anticipating the seasonslonging for "spring openings:" looking eagerly forward to new summer wardrobes, to be displayed at New York or Saratoga.

It may have been a consequence of

debility, but I confess that, at times, I now found it difficult to keep up with this extreme devotion to one subject. The powers of concentration seemed relaxed -or, in other words, I was guilty of an occasional yawn. I should, at this period, have made my visits to the boudoir less frequent; but, to take you into my confidence, good reader, I had now an especial motive for being there as often as possible. One morning, when too unwell to leave my room, as I sat languidly looking through the open door, I saw an object which immediately quickened my pulse, and aroused all my attention. The door of the boudoir

against me. I in against me. My uncle, the physician, the ladies-all agreed that now, more than ever, cheerful society was absolutely necessary-quiet and seclusion were strictly forbidden. Some days I was dragged back to the boudoir; at other times, the doors of my own apartment were thrown open, and Mrs. Glit tery, with the young ladies, kindly came to entertain me with their chit-chattalk over the last ball, display a new cachemire, or show the last trinket from Tiffany's. Little did I gain in this way; on the contrary, every day strength and spirit seemed to be wasting more and more.

opened, and a lady came out. I instantly knew her to be the same who had already appeared to me in the car, and in the railroad cabin. The conviction of her identity flashed upon me at once; but, to make the matter more sure, she wore the same gray dress, and over her arm were thrown the same simple shawl and hat I had once so closely studied. She was alone; and, walking the entire length of the passage without observing me, went quietly down stairs. I was breathless with surprise and pleasure. Hobbling to the bell, I rang it instantly; but judge of my vexation when it proved impossible for me to discover who this visitor was. The servants had not seen her-the ladies themselves were out-no card had been left! One declared it must have been a milliner's messenger, another a female burglar! My indignation at the last accusation excited so much merriment, that my lips were henceforth closed; but, resolved to watch all visitors to the boudoir very closely, I continued even more regular in paying my court to the ladies than heretofore. Alas! the consequences were not what I had hoped. The gray dress and the gentle face did not return, while I myself began to suffer severely in health and spirits.

I became, indeed, very strangely affected. Singular symptoms, wholly different from what I had hitherto felt, began to appear. I lost all appetite. My spirits, generally so good, were very low. Languor and listlessness crept over me. I became frightfully nervous. The rustling of a silk dress made me turn pale. The fluttering of feathers threw me into agitation. An intricate pattern of embroidery produced giddiness. Bugles made me see double. Furs caused a feeling of intolerable suffocation. Jewelry brought on great oppression on the chest. The play of a spray of artificial flowers had an extremely unpleasant effect. Nay, even the most beautiful natural flowers, if placed in a jeweled bouquet-holder, produced very serious discomposure.

In vain I struggled against the attack; the evil went on rapidly increasing. Feeling, in this condition, wholly unfit for society, especially that of the boudoir and its lovely inmates, I with drew to the seclusion of my own room, and should, perhaps, have gradually regained calmness there; but, alas! a general conspiracy seemed forming

At length, the very night of the great fancy ball, I was seized with an attack so violent, and so extraordinary in its character, as very seriously to alarm my friends. I had thrown myself exhausted on my bed, just as the ladies left the room, after kindly devoting half an hour to showing me their beautiful costumes, in full completeness. As the brilliant array swept through the door, on their way to the saloons, I fell on the bed, and, closing my eyes in utter weariness, endeavored to shut out the noise of wheels, and clamor of coaches, already commencing beneath my windows. How long I lay in this state, I cannot say; but I was suddenly and most effectually aroused. The door of my room opened again, and, to my surprise, I beheld the same gay troop returning to honor me with a second visit. Led by Laura, superb as a night of the tropics, they tripped in, forming a sort of basket-dance as they entered-their beautiful faces and figures, and charming drapery of laces and flowers, making a picture to delight the eye of one in a sounder condition than I then was. As they whirled lightly but rapidly about me, my head began to turn, and the compliments I was about to utter died on my lips. I fell back on the pillows in a half fainting condition. Faster and faster flew the feet of the fair dancers; nearer and nearer the circle narrowed about me. Not a word was spoken, not a sound was heard-all was pantomime : graceful. but rapid, bewildering pantomime. Not the faintest murmur of music reached me. The fair creatures seemed moving like the nymphs on the Grecian vase, to unheard melodies. In the midst of these whirling evolutions, marked and wild in their movement, the fluttering gauzes and laces appeared to pass

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