A CHANGE OF FORTUNE. 



105 



the poor ones we took care to keep out of sight, our 

 reputation increased, and we had abundance of ap- 

 plications. 



In this state of things we requested some friends 

 to whom we were under many obligations, to be 

 permitted to wait upon them at their houses. On 

 receiving their assent, the next morning at nine 

 o'clock Mr. C. in a caleza, with all the complicated 

 apparatus packed around him, drove up to their 

 door. I followed on foot. It was our intention to 

 go through the whole family, uncles, aunts, grand- 

 children, down to Indian servants, as many as would 

 sit ; but man is born to disappointment. I spare 

 the reader the recital of our misfortunes that day. 

 It would be too distressing. Suffice it to say that 

 we tried plate after plate, sitting after sitting, vary- 

 ing light, time, and other points of the process; but 

 it was all in vain. The stubborn instrument seem- 

 ed bent upon confounding us ; and, covering our 

 confusion as well as we could, we gathered up our 

 Daguerreotype and carried ourselves off. What 

 was the cause of our complete discomfiture we nev- 

 er ascertained, but we resolved to give up business 

 as ladies' Daguerreotype portrait takers. 



There was one interesting incident connected 

 with our short career of practice. Among the por- 

 traits put forth was one of a lady, which came to the 

 knowledge of a gentleman particularly interested in 

 the fair original. This gentleman had never taken 

 any especial notice of us before, but now he called 



Vol. L— O 



