The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-07-24
MISCELLANEOUS.
AND HER SISTER KATE AND
THEIR COUSIN.
BY HARRIET BEgcHER STOWE.

..s
BY HARRIET BEEcHER STOWE.
Mistakes and misunderstanding are moi
such bad things after all, at least not always
so circumstances alter cases.
remember case in point. Every body
in the country admired Isabelle Edmonds, and
in truth she was nm admirable creature, Just
made for admiration and sonnetteering. and
falling in love with, and accordingly all the
county Of - was in love with her. The
columns Of every Argus, and Herald, and
Sentinel, and Gazette, and Spectator, and all
manner Of newspapers, abounded with the
illusions, supplicatory and decIaratory, Of her
worshippers in short. Miss Isabelle was the
object Of all the spare ideality' in all the re-
gion round about. Now shall not inform
my respected readers how she looked, you
may Just think Of Venus. Payche, a Ma
donna, fairy, an angel, Sc, and you will
have very definite idea on the point. must
run on with my story. am not about to
choose this angel for my heroine, because she
is too handsome, and too much like other
heroines for my purpose. But Miss Isabelle
had sister, and think ! shall take her 49,
Little Kate for she was always spoken Of
in the dminutive, was some years younger
than her sister, and somewhat shorter in eta
ture. She had no pretensions to beauty
none at all /: yet there was certain some
thing, certain--in short, sir, she looked very
much like Mrs. A. or Miss G.. whom you adj
mire so much, though you always declare she
is not handsome.
1t requires very peculiar talent to be
overlooked with good grace, and in this
talent Miss Kate eycelled. She WINS as placid
and as happy by the side Of her brilliant sister,
as any little cnntented star, that for ages has
twinkled on, unnpticed and almost eclipsed
the only art or science, in which Kate ever
made any great proficiency, was the art and
science Of being happy. and in this she so
excelled, that one could scarcely be in her
presence half an hour without feeling unac-
counably comfortable themselves.
She had a world Of sprightliness, deal Of
simplicity and affection, with dash Of good
natured shrewdness, that after all, kept you
more in awe than you would ever suppose
you could be kept, by such merry, good
natured little body. Not one Of IsabeIle's
adorers ever looked at her with such devout
admiration as did the laughter-loving Kate.
No one was so ready TO run, wait and tend
to be up stairs and down stairs, and every
where in ten mirutes, when Isabella was
dressing for conquest. In short, she was, as
the dedcatons Of books sometimes set forth,
her ladyship's most obedient, most devoted
servant.
But if am going to tell you my story, l
must not keep you all night looking at pic
lures: so now to my tale, which shall COM
mence in manner and form the following:
II came TO pass that certain college vale
dictorian and far of cousin Of the two sis
tiers, came down to pass few months of his
free agency at their fathers; and, as afore-
said, he had carried off the first collegiate
honor, besides the hearts Of all the ladies in
the front gallery at the last commencement.
So interesting so poetic such fine eyes,
and all that, was the reputation he left with
the gentler sex. But alas. poor Edward, what
did all this advantage him SO long as he was
afflicted with that unutierable, indescribable
malady, commonly rendered bashfulness--a
worse nullifer than any ever heard Of in Caro-
lima. Should you see him in company, you
would really suppose him ashamed Of his re.
markably handsome person and cultivated
mind. When he began to speak, you fell
tempted to throw open the window and offel
him smelling bottle, he made such dis.
tressing affair Of it, and as to speaking to q
lady, the thing was not to be thought Of.
When Kate heard that this rara apis' was
coming to her fathers, she was unaccounta'
bly, interested TO see him, Of course because
he was her cousin, and because dozen
other things too numerous too mention.
He came, and was for one or two days an