Fudge doings :: :: University of Virginia Library

AT the present writing, I find my aunt Phœbe,
Mrs. Solomon Fudge, invested with that
auroral charm which the society and waters of
Saratoga are supposed to impart; and with ten
pounds, avoirdupois, additional weight of body.
Jealous ladies, of less Valenciennes to their cap-strings,
said, “How corpulent Mrs. Fudge has
grown!” The same ladies, being asked to accompany
her on a drive to the lake, “were glad to find
her so improved in appearance.” Mrs. Fudge had
taken her horses to Saratoga, and found them good
capital. She had besides taken Wilhelmina, who
was also good capital. Mr. Solomon Fudge, remaining

in Wall street, except for occasional Sunday-visits,
supplied the capital for both.

My aunt, in the course of two winters' campaigns,
with Wilhelmina under her command, had acquired
considerable strategic experience. She had learned,
with commendable accuracy, the proper breakfast-toilet
for self and daughter, and the hours for the
same. She had learned much of young men—the
Count Salle (who was fifty) included. She had
learned not to use French words in conversation;
finding them, on repeated trials with the Count
above-mentioned, unintelligible. She had learned to
restrain, in some degree, the natural impetuosity of
her character, by which her color was gradually
subsiding into white. She had familiarized herself
to some extent, under Wilhe's tuition, with the
range of fashionable topics; she had even learned
to talk upon these with a measurable degree of correctness.
In short, Mrs. Phœbe was becoming one
of the established ladies of the place; well known
to the chief waiter, well known to the hackney-cabman,
and well known to the purveyors of the triweekly
hops.

The Count Salle was at the Springs; a fact duly
chronicled in the little Sentinel of the place, in the
same column with a flattering mention of the distinguished
Baron Brobdignag, an eminent foreign

physician, whose time was necessarily limited, and
who wore huge eye-glasses on the end of a very red
nose.

The Count Salle enjoyed repeated waltzes with
Miss Wilhelmina; indeed, the Herald, in its entertaining
correspondence, ventured to state that “a
distinguished Count, well known in New York circles,
was particularly attentive to the elegant and
attractive Miss W— F-dge, of — Avenue, and
it is hinted that a marriage is on the tapis.”

It is unnecessary to say that Mrs. Fudge
expressed herself very much scandalized with this
public mention of her daughter, and yet read the
announcement with praiseworthy frequency in her
own chamber. The same thing might be said of
most of the individuals who are the subject of fashionable
mention in the above-named journal.

Young Quid, on a visit to the Springs, drank
wine (sour Jullien, labelled Margaux) with Mrs.
Fudge and daughter. Through the influence, however,
of Mrs. Spindle, who was at the head of a
Saratoga coterie that rivalled the Fudge coterie, he
withdrew his attentions. My aunt Solomon, however,
sustained her part nobly in the summer contest.
True, the Spindles boasted blood; but the
Fudge carriage was the handsomer. The Spindle
parlor was on the second floor—the Fudge parlor

was on the first floor. One gentleman of the Fudge
coterie sang ballads—no gentleman of the Spindle
connection did sing ballads. The Count Salle was
cool to the Spindles—the Count Salle was empressé
with Wilhelmina.

Arabella Spindle was barely mentioned in the
Herald correspondence—Wilhelmina was praised.
The Spindles bowled—the Fudges said it was vulgar
to bowl, and Wilhelmina played at billiards
with the Count. The Fudges walked upon the
porch after dinner—the Spindles said it was vulgar,
and Arabella walked in a flat, after breakfast.

Wilhelmina had the reputation of being heiress;
not only in virtue of the father's wealth, but just
now there were hints bruited of a certain Bodgers'
estate, to which she laid large claim. This matter
was spoken of mysteriously by the mother; indeed,
she hardly suffered it to modify her conduct—except
in shopping.

Under all the circumstances, with a daughter
reputed heiress, being herself of commanding presence,
having risen to the dignity of chief of a
Saratoga coterie, honored with a Count in her train,
I think that my aunt might safely be considered a
lady in the best society. It is certain that she
held herself in that estimation. For this, she was
indebted, in nearly equal proportions, to the piquancy

of Wilhelmina (the Spindles said she was fast); a
few daring speculations of uncle Solomon; the manifest
admiration of the Count Salle; last winter's
party (costing, by Mr. Brown's estimate, four thousand,
seven hundred and sixty-three dollars); the
antagonism of the Spindles; and the rumor of the
Bodgers windfall.

If these combined do not offer as stable ground
for fashionable elevation in New York as can exist,
I should be pleased to be informed what the other
grounds might be. I revere my aunt Solomon for
her attainments; I admire her coach; I relish her
filets à la sauce piquante; I watch with interest the
Dauphin speculation; I try to comprehend Wilhelmina's
French; I am amused with the Count; I
keep up my intimacy with the family; I am esteemed,
I may say that I am courted, by young men; and
enjoy frequent juleps at their expense.

It is unpleasant to mar this festive and agreeable
description; but constant sun-shine does not belong
even to the supremest fashion; and it happens often,
that the golden hinge on which revolves every door
to fashionable pleasure, wears thin with the using.

On a certain Sunday-visit, my uncle Solomon
wore a long face; longer than his Sunday wont.
The hot days of mid-summer are not favorable to
fancy-stocks; and the Dauphin had very likely

drooped. Money was not easy to be found; and
certain heavy bills, dated Paris, had come to hand,
with an awkward beginning, to wit: “at sight.”

The old gentleman had already found it necessary
to mortgage, in a quiet manner, his house upon the
Avenue, in furtherance of his coal-speculations; and
a new demand for money, in a way so little likely
to make speedy return as that indicated in the sight-drafts
of young Wash, disturbed my uncle Solomon
seriously. Mrs. Fudge, too, had her own
sources of disquiet, not only in the advised curtailment
of the summer's visit, but in certain distressing
hints thrown out in the somewhat rambling epistle
of her Parisian son. She feared he might have
fallen into low company.

In the midst of these distresses, which were
somewhat relieved by reflections upon the Bodgers
estate, my worthy uncle had been considerably
startled by the receipt of a short note, very politely
worded, from Mr. Quid, senior, bearing this interpretation,
viz.:

Mr. Quid begged to inform Mr. Fudge, as one of
the parties most nearly concerned, that he, Mr.
Quid, had entered upon the proper legal steps for
securing to his son, Adolphus Quid, heir-at-law, the
estate of the late Truman Bodgers, Esq.

It might not be uninteresting (Mr. Quid thought)

to Mr. Fudge, to know that Adolphus Quid entered
claims to the property alluded to, as only son of
Mrs. Quid who was only child of former Mrs. Bodgers,
widow to elder brother of Truman Bodgers,
Esq.

He, Mr. Quid, did hope that an affair connected
with so painful an event would be arranged pleasantly,
and to the satisfaction of all parties; this,
at any rate, was eminently prayed for, by his obt.
servt., Quid, etc.

It will not appear strange that the communication
of this fact, coupled with the advertisement,
that it would be necessary to bring to a speedy end
the Saratoga visit, should have greatly distressed
my cousin Wilhelmina; and diminished, to a very sad
extent, the auroral charm of which I have spoken,
as playing about the countenance of Mrs. Solomon
Fudge.