Richmond palladium., 1833-12-07
Fro0 the London Weekly Magazine.
COURTSHlP.

AS C0urtshSP - the appeJJatlve uSu
ally given to the probationary state, o,
period Of acquaintance; Immediately
proceeding marriage; We have seizct
upon the werd, hackneycd ss il is, the
title Of our remarks.
We have frequently observed, tina,
q has been . matter Of sorrow and
someliaes indignation TO Us, that most
young, aye, and sometimes even old
folks proceed, during this state, in a
manner which is afterwards sure to
procure pain and disappointment.
There is too much art, and too little ol
candor; in a word, there is generally
on both sides far too little confidence.
Now without pretending to have
been admitted very deeply into a
knowledge Of the affairs either Of our
friends Or the gay Lotharios, We think
we can draw up . little sketch, which
more than one ofthem will be able to
lay at heart, and 40 il carries with it,
its own moral, We will, without much
ado, commence.
Less than forty years ago, there
dweltin Liverpool, a gentleman, a sur
geon BY profession, whose name was
Holden. He had 'onIy one daughter
who was known by the modest Chris
iian name Of Priscilla and, like Old
Polonius, he loved her "Passing we'll"
A. the mother Of Priscilla had died
while she was very young, she became
the very apple Of her fathers eye,-
the being upon whom he lavished ali
the affections Of his nature. Having
always been absorbed in the mere dry
details Of his profession, he was not Il
man possessed Of many elegant accom-
plishmcnts. RE, however, determined
within himself that his daughter should
-. model Of perfection. No cost or
pans we're spared 10 render her al
complete paragon in every species Of
acco mplishmeut. Her genius was, asI
it were put in hot.bcd. When the
first years Of childhood - ere past, her
father, whose Indulgence was abundant
ard yho wanted the necessary taste to
take upon himself the direction Of her
stuiies, allowed her to undertake such
rs pleased her own fancy. 1t was not
enough, that a young girl, Of an ardent
thus left TO herself, should
make choice rather Of that which was
snowy and fashionable than that winch |
va. useful. Her reading also, was
confined principally to novels and ro-
mances, through the whole ocean Of
which she was permitted TO drive with
out helm or pilot to direct her course.
Now We have no objection to these Gle
CANT and lighter flowers Of the garland
Of literature, but they should, in all
cases, be judiciously selected, and only
REQUIRED to as occasion serves, to un-
bend the mind after more serious SER
viceable studies.
1t is Observable, and 10 withal per-
fectly natural, that a young lady no
sooner arrives at a slight knowledge Of
herself than innate tenderness ariscs
in her heart, which TO fix itself only
an object. One would have
thought that with Priscilla Holden,
the in6amatory sort Of
to which she had been addic.
ted, and the desultory, though exPen-
live course Of education, this feeling
would very early have developed it.
sclE. Such, however, was not the case.
Though Of a lively imagination, she
was naturally girl Of good sense, and
,he avoided intuitively, the shoals Of
ools and coxcombs Who were so assid-I
,ous in paying their court to her. She
was in her twenty first year when, at a
party she net with Henry Sclwyn, a
man oftalent and requirements. Now
he had in common with the rest other
,ex, imbibed the silly opinion, that as
ne are necessarily the masters aid {
protectors ate, marriage, II is proper
IhA, women should have the Preroga- I
i've Of exercising as much tyranny as j
hey possibly can previous to tat e I
rent. In
Selwvu soon became very assiduous
10 his attentions to Priscilla, and it was q
evident to all that h~ war deeply and j
ievotedIy in love with her. When
he made the discovery, her sensations 7
we're any thing bot disagreeable, far a
yer heart had long painted for an OBJ =
ect On which her good sense might al .
~ ID to 6x itself When, ho~ever, .
he ycsng Selvyn began to make those h
,ointed advances towards her. which =