Midas Goldenrod was not so entirely peculiar and anomalous in her
likes and dislikes; the only trouble was that she mixed up these
accidents of life too much with life itself, which is so often serenely
or actively noble and happy without reference to them. She valued
persons chiefly according to their external conditions, and of course the
very moment her relative, the Lady of our breakfast-table, began to find
herself in a streak of sunshine she came forward with a lighted candle to
show her which way her path lay before her.
The Lady saw all this, how plainly, how painfully! yet she exercised a
true charity for the weakness of her relative. Sensible people have as
much consideration for the frailties of the rich as for those of the
poor. There is a good deal of excuse for them. Even you and I,
philosophers and philanthropists as we may think ourselves, have a
dislike for the enforced economies, proper and honorable though they
certainly are, of those who are two or three degrees below us in the
scale of agreeable living.
--These are very worthy persons you have been living with, my dear,
--said Mrs. Midas--[the "My dear" was an expression which had flowered
out more luxuriantly than ever before in the new streak of sunshine]
--eminently respectable parties, I have no question, but then we shall
want you to move as soon as possible to our quarter of the town, where we
can see more of you than we have been able to in this queer place.
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