Crusoe in New York, and other talesHale, Edward Everett
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Crusoe in New York, and other tales
Hale, Edward Everett
New York (N.Y.) -- Fiction; Short stories, American; United States -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction
And such a visit as it was! Not one day was unprovided for by Edward's
forethought, and one amusement after another crowded upon the time, so
that, if it were possible, the three ladies might not have a moment's
time either for caballing against each other, or for lecturing poor
Psyche. It was a little funny to see how, as a matter of course, they
all taught her how to carry on her household. They would tell her, to
Edward's great amusement and to her well-concealed rage, how to cheapen
her mutton, how to keep her butter, how to save eggs in her
sponge-cake, and even how to arrange the dishes on the table.
Everything was elegant and tasteful in Psyche's house, wholly beyond
any standard which they had ever seen at home; but all the same, they
would make this suggestion and give that direction, as if, she said to
her husband, crying, one morning--"as if this were poor papa's house,
and I were Cinderella again."
And Edward only laughed and kissed her, and said, "O my sunbeam, keep a
bright eye for them! There are now only six days more, and then Mrs.
Grundy will be satisfied. '_Olim meminisse juvabit_.'" And then he
pinched her ear, and she pulled his whiskers, and she laughed through
her tears.
The first day was a day fresh from heaven; the apple-blossoms were in
their prime, the air was sweetness itself; and after a late breakfast
two pretty carriages came to the door. And Psyche took Agnes, who was
the least hateful of the three, in her little pony-carriage, and
herself drove Puss and Doll, her pretty ponies, after she had given to
each an Albert biscuit from her own hand. And Edward took Priscilla and
Bloody Mary with him, and as he passed the Norfolk House, he stopped
and picked up Jerry Fordyce, who was stout and handsome and jolly, and
Jerry took the back seat with Bloody Mary, and flirted desperately with
her all that day, while Priscilla sat with Edward, and for miles on
miles drove his beautiful bays. And they took a drive more lovely than
any of these girls had ever seen. They came out upon the sea-shore--I
will not tell you where. They ate such a dinner as neither Bloody Mary
nor Agnes nor Priscilla had ever dreamed of. They came home by five in
the afternoon, and Edward made all the women lie down and sleep. And
when they had waked, he made them all dress again, and there were two
carriages at the door, which took them to see Warren at the Museum. And
they laughed till they almost died. And then they had a charming little
supper in a private room at Copeland's; and after midnight they all
came home. And this was what Psyche meant when she said she lived very
quietly, and was not at all gay!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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