Next day the youthful pair started for Copenhagen， where they were to live; mamma-in-law accompanied them， to attend to the “coarse work，” as she always called the domesticarrangements. Kala looked like a doll in a doll's house， for everything was bright and new，and so fine. There they sat， all three; and as for Alfred， a proverb may describe hisposition—he looked like a swan amongst the geese. The magic of form had enchanted him; hehad looked at the casket without caring to inquire what it contained， and that omissionoften brings the GREatest unhappiness into married life. The casket may be injured， the gildingmay fall off， and then the purchaser regrets his bargain.
In a large party it is very disaGREeable to find a button giving way， with no studs at handto fall back upon; but it is worse still in a large company to be conscious that your wife andmother-in-law are talking nonsense， and that you cannot depend upon yourself to produce alittle ready wit to carry off the stupidity of the whole affair.
the young married pair often sat together hand in hand; he would talk， but she couldonly now and then let fall a word in the same melodious voice， the same bell-like tones. It wasa mental relief when Sophy， one of her friends， came to pay them a visit. Sophy was not，pretty. She was， however， quite free from any physical deformity， although Kala used to sayshe was a little crooked; but no eye， save an intimate acquaintance， would have noticed it.She was a very sensible girl， yet it never occurred to her that she might be a dangerousperson in such a house. Her appearance created a new atmosphere in the doll's house， andair was really required， they all owned that. They felt the want of a change of air， andconsequently the young couple and their mother travelled to Italy.
“Thank heaven we are at home again within our own four walls，” said mamma-in-law anddaughter both， on their return after a year's absence.
“there is no real pleasure in travelling，” said mamma; “to tell the truth， it's verywearisome; I beg pardon for saying so. I was soon very tired of it， although I had mychildren with me; and， besides， it's very expensive work travelling， very expensive. And allthose galleries one is expected to see， and the quantity of things you are obliged to runafter! It must be done， for very shame; you are sure to be asked when you come back ifyou have seen everything， and will most likely be told that you've omitted to see what wasbest worth seeing of all. I got tired at last of those endless Madonnas; I began to think I wasturning into a Madonna myself.”
“And then the living， mamma，” said Kala.
“Yes， indeed，” she replied， “no such a thing as a respectable meat soup—their cookeryis miserable stuff.”
the journey had also tired Kala; but she was always fatigued， that was the worst of it. Sothey sent for Sophy， and she was taken into the house to reside with them， and herpresence there was a GREat advantage. Mamma-in-law acknowledged that Sophy was notonly a clever housewife， but well-informed and accomplished， though that could hardly beexpected in a person of her limited means. She was also a generous-hearted， faithful girl;she showed that thoroughly while Kala lay sick， fading away. When the casket is everything，the casket should be strong， or else all is over. And all was over with the casket， for Kaladied.
“She was beautiful，” said her mother; “she was quite different from the beauties they call'antiques，' for they are so damaged. A beauty ought to be perfect， and Kala was a perfectbeauty.”
Alfred wept， and mamma wept， and they both wore mourning. The black dress suitedmamma very well， and she wore mourning the longest. She had also to experience anothergrief in seeing Alfred marry again， marry Sophy， who was nothing at all to look at. “He'sgone to the very extreme，” said mamma-in-law; “he has gone from the most beautiful to theugliest， and he has forgotten his first wife. Men have no constancy. My husband was a verydifferent man，—but then he died before me.”
“'Pygmalion loved his Galatea，' was in the song they sung at my first wedding，” saidAlfred; “I once fell in love with a beautiful statue， which awoke to life in my arms; but thekindred soul， which is a gift from heaven， the angel who can feel and sympathize with andelevate us， I have not found and won till now. You came， Sophy， not in the glory ofoutward beauty， though you are even fairer than is necessary. The chief thing still remains.You came to teach the sculptor that his work is but dust and clay only， an outward formmade of a material that decays， and that what we should seek to obtain is the etherealessence of mind and spirit. Poor Kala! our life was but as a meeting by the way-side; inyonder world， where we shall know each other from a union of mind， we shall be but mereacquaintances.”
“That was not a loving speech，” said Sophy， “nor spoken like a Christian. In a futurestate， where there is neither marrying nor giving in marriage， but where， as you say， soulsare attracted to each other by sympathy; there everything beautiful develops itself， and israised to a higher state of existence： her soul will acquire such completeness that it mayharmonize with yours， even more than mine， and you will then once more utter your firstrapturous exclamation of your love， 'Beautiful， most beautiful!'”