her youth--still
delicate and spiritual in appearance; and the calm, matronly dignity
that pervaded her manner rendered her very lovely. Several children
she had--for our Lillie can boast a Neapolitan birth; but in her whole
troop she has but this one darling girl. Calm and quiet is Agnes Mason
in her general deportment; but her intercourse with her children
presents a strong contrast--then it is her "old enthusiasm" bursts
forth. She has been a devoted mother; and her children think her the
most perfect creature on earth. The intercourse between Agnes and
Lillie is, indeed, interesting. On the mother's part there is intense
devotion, which is fully returned by the daughter, blended with
reverential feelings. She has superintended her education, and
rendered what would have been wearisome tasks, "labors of love." How
often have I found them in the library with heads bent over the same
page, and eyes expressive of the same enthusiasm; or at the piano,
with voices and hands uniting to produce what was to my ears exquisite
harmony. Agnes' love-requiring heart, "like the Deluge wanderer," has
at last found a resting-place, and on her daughter, and on her noble,
beautiful boys, the whole rich tide of her love has been poured.

Lillie Mason, with all her beauty and wealth, will never be a belle,
as her mother says she has been made too much of "a household
darling." I watched her one evening, not a long while since, at a gay
ball, where her mother and I sat as spectatresses. She had been
persuaded from our side by a dashing _distingue_ youth, and was moving
most gracefully with him through a quadrille. In the pauses of the
dance he seemed most anxious to interest her, and I saw his fine, dark
eyes bend on her very tender glances. Her _bouquet_ seemed to him an
object of especial attention, and though a graceful dancer himself, he
seemed so wrapt up in his notice of these fragrant flowers as to
derange the quadrille more than once. I drew Agnes' attention to this.

"But see," said Agnes, "how coolly and calmly Lillie draws his
attention to the forgotten figures. I'll answer for it, she spoils
many of that youth's fine sentiments."

"I wonder," said Lillie, with a half-vexed air, after her partner had
placed her beside her mother, while he hastened to procure some
refreshments for us, "I wonder what Mr. Carlton dances for. I would
not take the trouble to stand up in a quadrille, if I were in his
place. He always talks so muc