it seemed, had been protracted from the day of her marriage.

Society was essential to her happiness; and society Mrs. Lawk was
determined she should have. If through her illness my privileges
experienced curtailment, her recovery brought annihilation itself.
Notwithstanding my piteous petition, we suddenly expanded into eminent
gentility.

I am dimly conscious that to many of our guests my introduction was to
Mrs. Lawk a poignant mortification. Most of them I never did know.
Several, however, seemed invited for my especial benefit; and this piece
of malignity will never cease to harrow.

How could _I_ talk to Miss Rose Buddington Violet, when she let down her
back hair and made eyes at the moon? _I_ had no back hair (in fact, none
at all to speak of), and scarcely knew there _was_ a moon.

When Mrs. Jesse Hennessee of Tennessee (whose husband is interested in
iron) persisted in making a blast-furnace of the kitchen stove, what
could I say?

There was Miss Aurelia Wallflower, who believed the world hollow, and
dolls stuffed with saw-dust, continually expatiating on the sufferings
of early Christians. _I_ have never read Fox's Book of Martyrs. With
Mrs. Lucretia McSimpkins I had some relief. She was fond of operatic
music, and, it is true, banged our piano out of tune at every
visit,--indeed, her efforts resembled a boiler-maker's establishment
under full headway; but, when she did subside, her perfect and
refreshing silence lasted for hours.