"And after all, my dear,
there is no place like home."
The room was small, and Mrs. Jasher was small, so she suited her
surroundings excellently. Also, the widow had the good taste to
furnish it sparsely, instead of crowding it with furniture; but
what furniture there was could not be improved upon. There were
Chippendale chairs, a Louis Quinze table, a Sheridan cabinet, and
a satin-wood desk, hand-painted, which was said to have been the
property of the unhappy Marie Antoinette. Oil-paintings adorned
the rose-tinted walls, chiefly landscapes, although one or two
were portraits. Also, there were water-colored pictures, framed
and signed caricatures, many plates of old china, and rice-paper
adornments from Canton. The room was essentially feminine, being
filled with Indian stuffs, with silver oddments, with flowers,
and with other trifles. The walls, the carpet, the hangings, and
the upholstery of the arm-chairs were all of a rosy hue, so that
Mrs. Jasher looked as young as Dame Holda in the Venusberg. A
very pretty room and a very charming hostess, was the verdict of
the young gentlemen from the Fort, who came here to flirt when
they were not serving their country.
Mrs. Jasher in a tea-rose tea-gown for afternoon tea--she always
liked to be in keeping--rang for that beverage dear to the
feminine heart, and lighted a rose-shaded lamp.
Pages:
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139