A VERY SAD TALE.

Evening Star, Issue 3251, 22 July 1873, Page 3

A VERY SAD TALE.

The Australasian Skakher says “ A very sad tale, but one in which a useful moral lies it properly applied, comes to ns from the late Italian Opera season. At the door of a well known house, in a fashionable quarter of our city, there stood a gentleman and three ladies clad in evening costume, and bound for the opera. The carriage had to wait while a slight discussion'took place. The matron of the party is insisting that the fair young girl, her charge, must have a wrap to shield her from the night air when she leaves the warm house. The young lady remonstrates, she does not wish to keep them waiting ; she does not wish to go to the cloak room ; she has nothing else with her. The matron is determined, however; she has left a wrap out expressly for her on the foot of her bed, and the young lady friend can avoid the cloak-room by carrying it under her opera shawl. The girl obeys, goes upstairs in the dark and gets the wrap, brings it down under her shawl, enters the carriage with the light step of youth, and is whirled away with her friends to hear Moses sing down the Egyptian magicians, and see him lead his countrymen across the present route of the P. and 0. Company’s boats. According to directions, the wrap was thrown over the back of her seat and forgotten. Forgotten for a short three hours, but to be remembered for a lifetime by her and her companions! Why did not the waters of the Fed Sea swallow it up with Pharoah and his host ? Why did not the too, too solid floor of the dress cirle melt, so as to drop her and her confusion into the yawning gulph beneath? The opera is over, the ladies rise, and the gentleman springs to assist them with their cloaks, when horror I anguish I destruction 1 be bolds up a pair of

unmentionable wraps, that ladies are not in the habit of wearing with their evening dress. The despair of that party on their sad return home it boots not to tell. The owner of t’:io “ wraps ” was sitting up waiting for his wife and friends. They told him the terrible tale, with voices broken with emotion, and hysterical gasps that almost resembled laughter, when, to their renewed astonishment, the master of the house jumped up, and with the deepest concern cried, ‘ What! Mine ? Goodness gracious, there was L2O in the right pocket.” All is well that ends well. The wrap was searched the money found, and my moral is that young ladies should be very careful how they go in the dark for any article to a gentleman’s bedroom.”