And finally there was Aunt Varina, palpitating with
various agitations, not daring to whisper to anyone else the fears
which this sudden home-coming inspired in her. Bishop Chilton and
his wife were away, but a delegation of cousins had come; also Uncle
Mandeville Castleman had sent a huge bunch of roses, which were in
the family automobile, and Uncle Barry Chilton had sent a pair of
wild turkeys, which were soon to be in the family.
Behind Sylvia stalked her cold and haughty husband, and behind him
tripped the wonderful nursemaid, with her wonderful blue streamers,
and her wonderful bundle of ruffles and lace. All the huge family
had to fall upon Sylvia and kiss and embrace her rapturously, and
shake the hand of the cold and haughty husband, and peer into the
wonderful bundle, and go into ecstasies over its contents. Rarely,
indeed, did the great ones of this earth condescend to spread so
much of their emotional life before the public gaze; and was it any
wonder that the town crowded about, and the proprieties were
temporarily repealed?
It had never been published, but it was generally known throughout
the State that Sylvia's child was blind, and it was whispered that
this portended something strange and awful.
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