The Delaware register, or, Farmers', manufacturers' & mechanics' advocate. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1828-1829, 1829-03-07

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its progress through this life than village belle in
her arrival at the age of seventeen.
The first appearance of the little lass is something
after the manner of caterpillar, crawling and creep
ing upon the grass set down to roll by some tired lit
tie of elder sister MOTHER with her hands
full There it lies fat, homeless, rosy piece of
health aspiring the accomplishment of walking and
talking stretching its chubby limbs scramblng and
sprawling, laughing and roaring there it sits, in all
the dignity of the baby, adorned in pink checked
frock, blue spotted pnafore and little white cap,
toeraby clean and quite whole. One is forced to
ask whether it be boy girl for these hardy
country rogues all alike, open eyed, and weather
stained, and nothing fearing There is no more mark
of sex in the countenance than in the dress.
In the next stage, dirt encrusted enough to pass for
the chrysalis if it not unquie the gender re-
mains equally uncertain. 1t is ine stout cury-pated
creature of three four, playing and rolling about,
amongst grass or mud all day long; shouting, jump
ing, screechng-the happiest compound of noise and
deness, rags and rebellion, that trod the earth
Then comes sun-burnt gipsey of six, beginning to
grow tall and thin, and to find the of the world
gathering about her, with pitcher in one hand, mop
in the other, and old straw bonnet of ambiguous shape
half hiding her tangled har tattered stuff pettlcoat,
once green hanging below an equally tattered rock,
once purple her longing eyes fixed on game of
baseball atthe of the green, till she reaches
the cottage door, filings down the mop and pitcher,
ana darts OH TO JulpO VI
the storm of scoding with which the mother follows
her runaway steps.
So the world wags till ten then the little damsel
gets admission to the charity school, and trips mlncing
" thher every morning, dressed in the old fashioned
blue gown, and tippet, and bib and apron of that
primitive institution, looking demure nun, and as
tidy her thoughts fixed on button holes and spelling
books-those ensigns of promotion despislng dirt
and BASEBALL and all their joys.
Then at twelve, the little lass comes home again,
uncapped untippeted, unschooled, brown as berry,
wild as a colt, busy as bee-working In the fields,
digging in the garden, frying rashers, boiling potatoes
shellng beans, darning stockings nursing children,
feeding pigs all these empoyments, varied by occa-
sional fits of rompng and flirting, and idle play, ac.
cording as the nacent coquery or the lurking love OF
sport happens to preponderae merry and pretty ana
GOOD with all her little faults II would be well II
country girl could stand at thirteen. Then she Is
charming. But the clock will move forward ana at
fourteen she gets service in neighborng town
and her next appearance is in the perfection OF the
butterfly state uttering differing, inconstant van'
the oayest and gaudies insect that skipped over
village green And this is the true progress OF rus
tic beauty the average lot of our country glrs so
they spring up flourish change, and disappear Some
indeed marry and fix among and then ensues anoth-
er set of changes rather more gradual perhaps put
quite as sure till grey hairs, wrinkles, and nseywoi-
sey, wind up the picture.
Most men take least notice ofwhat plain that were
Of no use but puzzle their thoughts and lose themselves
those depths and abysses which human
II oan fatbon Sherlock.