The story of my life ; or, The sunshine and shadow of seventy years / by Mary A. Livermore ... with hitherto unrecorded incidents and recollections of three years' experience as an army nurse in the great Civil War, and reminiscences of twenty-five years' experiences on the lecture platform ... to which is added six of her most popular lectures ... with portraits and one hundred and twenty engravings from designs by eminent artists ...

268

268 THE STORY OF MY LIFE.

Wednesday morning dawned, transfigured by a clarity
of atmosphere resulting from a thunder shower in the
night. There was a dash of coolness in the breeze that was
laden with the perfume of the revived floral world. A
great glory lay upon the earth like a benediction from
heaven; and, as bright-plumag(,ed birds flashed through the
trees, it seemed as if they must be celestial visitants. I
wondered if the other mnelnbers of the household felt the
influence of the rare and perfect day. A sort of spiritual
ecstasy seized me. I seemed to tread the air, and walk-ed
unsteadily
We looked into the "4big dining-parlor," for a final
judgment of the decorations. They were above criticism.
Sprays of jasmine and climbing rose trailed over the walls,
graciously concealing all (lefects of time and use. They
drooped over the flags, looped up the bunting, and twined
round the tarnished picture frames, out of wvhich looked the
grim faces of great men, dead and living. On mantels and
sideboards were cut-glass bowls of orange-colored and
velvety nasturtiums, which arranged themselves carelessly
and naturally And sharing with them the honors of decoration were tall vases of sweet-scented honeysuckle, which
twisted around candelabra and bronzes, as if still seeking
support.
The dinner was to be served at the early hour of two, as
most of the guests wished to drive back to their various
homes that night. The damask table-cloth was thick and
satiny; the china and glass old and rare, but- pretty and
well kept, and the abundant and beautiful silver of antique
patterns threw a mild sheen over the whole. A handsome