A Serious Tea-Drinking Page #2

"A Serious Tea-Drinking" is a novella by Sarah Orne Jewett that explores themes of social custom, friendship, and the intricacies of women's relationships in 19th-century New England. The story centers around a group of women who gather for tea, allowing for intimate conversations and revelations that reveal their inner lives and societal roles. Jewett's delicate prose captures the nuances of human connection, the subtleties of social etiquette, and the quiet strength of women as they navigate their relationships against a backdrop of tradition and expectation. Through this setting, she poignantly examines the significance of seemingly small moments and the deeper meanings they convey.

• Short story

								

meaningless than most others. Mrs. Fraley was leaving this world
reluctantly; she had been well fitted by nature for social
preeminence, and had never been half satisfied with the opportunities
provided for the exercise of her powers. It was only lately that she
had been forced to acknowledge that Time showed signs of defeating her
in the projects of her life, and she had begun to give up the fight
altogether, and to mourn bitterly and aggressively to her anxious and
resourceless daughter. It was plain enough that the dissatisfactions
and infirmities of age were more than usually great, and poor Eunice
was only too glad when the younger Miss Prince proved herself capable
of interesting the old friend of her family, and Mrs. Fraley took
heart and suggested both informal visits and future entertainments.
The prudent daughter was careful not to tell her mother of the guest's
revolutionary ideas, and for a time all went well, until some unwise
person, unaware of Miss Fraley's warning gestures from the other side
of the sitting-room, proceeded to give a totally unnecessary opinion
of the propriety of women's studying medicine. Poor Eunice expected
that a sharp rebuke, followed by a day or two's disdain and general
unpleasantness, would descend upon her quaking shoulders; but, to her
surprise, nothing was said until the next morning, when she was
bidden, at much inconvenience to the household, to invite Miss Prince
and her niece to come that afternoon to drink tea quite informally.

There was a pathetic look in the messenger's faded face,--she felt
unusually at odds with fortune as she glided along the street,
sheltered by the narrow shadows of the high fences. Nan herself came
to the door, and when she threw back the closed blinds and discovered
the visitor, she drew her in with most cordial welcome, and the two
friends entered the darkened south parlor, where it was cool, and
sweet with the fragrance of some honeysuckle which Nan had brought in
early that morning from the garden.

"Dear me," said the little woman deprecatingly. "I don't know why I
came in at all. I can't stop to make a call. Mother was very desirous
that you and your aunt should come over to tea this evening. It seems
a good deal to ask in such hot weather, but she has so little to amuse
her, and I really don't see that the weather makes much difference,
she used to feel the heat very much years ago." And Miss Eunice gave a
sigh, and fanned herself slowly, letting the fan which had been put
into her hand turn itself quite over on her lap before it came up
again. There was an air of antique elegance about this which amused
Nan, who stood by the table wiping with her handkerchief some water
that had dropped from the vase. A great many of the ladies in church
the Sunday before had fanned themselves in this same little
languishing way; she remembered one or two funny old persons in
Oldfields who gave themselves airs after the same fashion.

"I think we shall both be very pleased," she answered directly, with a
bit of a smile; while Miss Fraley gazed at her admiringly, and thought
she had never seen the girl look so fresh and fair as she did in this
plain, cool little dress. There had been more water than was at first
suspected; the handkerchief was a limp, white handful, and they both
laughed as it was held up. Miss Fraley insisted that she could not
stay. She must go to the shops to do some errands, and hoped to meet
Miss Prince who had gone that way half an hour before.

"Don't mind anything mother may say to you," she entreated, after
lingering a minute, and looking imploringly in Nan's face. "You know
we can't expect a person of her age to look at everything just as we
do."

"Am I to be scolded?" asked Nan, serenely. "Do you know what it is
about?"

"Oh, perhaps nothing," answered Miss Fraley, quickly. "I ought not to
have spoken, only I fancied she was a little distressed at the idea of
your being interested in medicines. I don't know anything that is more
useful myself. I am sure every family needs to have some one who has
some knowledge of such things; it saves calling a doctor. My sister
Susan knows more than any of us, and it has been very useful to her
with her large family."

"But I shouldn't be afraid to come, I think," said Nan, laughing.
"Mrs. Fraley told me that she would finish that story of the diamond
ring, you know, and we shall get on capitally. Really I think her
stories of old times are wonderfully interesting. I wish I had a gift
for writing them down whenever I am listening to her."

Miss Eunice was much relieved, and felt sure that Nan was equal to any
emergency. The girl had put a strong young arm quickly round her
guest's thin shoulders, and had kissed her affectionately, and this
had touched the lonely little woman's very heart.

There were signs of storm in Madam Fraley's face that evening, but
everybody feigned not to observe them, and Nan behaved with perilous
disregard of a lack of encouragement, and made herself and the company
uncommonly merry. She described the bad effect her coming had had upon
her aunt's orderly house. She confessed to having left her own
possessions in such confusion the evening before when she dressed
again to go up the river, that Priscilla had called it a monkey's
wedding, and had gone away after one scornful look inside the door.
Miss Fraley dared to say that no one could mind seeing such pretty
things, and even Miss Prince mentioned that her niece was not so
careless as she would make them believe; while Nan begged to know if
anybody had ever heard of a monkey's wedding before, and seemed very
much amused.

"She called such a disarray in the kitchen one morning the monkey's
wedding breakfast," said Miss Prince, as if she never had thought it
particularly amusing until this minute. "Priscilla has always made use
of a great many old-fashioned expressions."

They had seated themselves at the tea-table; it was evident that Miss
Fraley had found it a hard day, for she looked tired and worn. The
mistress of the house was dressed in her best and most imposing
clothes, and sat solemnly in her place. A careful observer might have
seen that the best blue teacups with their scalloped edges were not
set forth. The occasion wore the air of a tribunal rather than that of
a festival, and it was impossible not to feel a difference between it
and the former tea-party.

Miss Prince was not particularly sensitive to moods and atmospheres;
she happened to be in very good spirits, and talked for some time
before she became entirely aware that something had gone wrong, but
presently faltered, and fell under the ban, looking questioningly
toward poor Eunice, who busied herself with the tea-tray.

"Nancy," said Mrs. Fraley impatiently, "I was amazed to find that
there is a story going about town that your niece here is studying to
								Rate this book:0.0 / 0 votes