The Illinois free trader. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1840-1841, 1841-02-05


while |, to keep her company, took a
comprehensive survey of my pumps. In
this situation we stood for some minutes
waiting very politely for the lady to
open the conversation but finding no in
dicatlons of such disposition on her
part, | at length made desperate attempt.
Every warm evening, Miss Cleye-
land ?"
Miss Cleveland replied in the ailir-
native.
But it was warmer Yesterday" con-
tinucd |, vigorously following up my first
movement.
The lady assentod TO this proposition
likewise.
There was another long pause. | be-
gan to feel fidgetty. My ears, which |
felt growing red, were stunned by the
insessant clatter of tongue every where
around me. The more | desire to say
something, the more | didn't know what
to say. At last, an idea flashed across
my mind, and was instantly passed into
service.
"Haye YOU seen the exhibition of the
National Academy, Miss Cleveland ~
mo, sir, have not"
This was complete damper. was
utterly nonplussed. Happily, at this
moment was heard the welcome call:
"Gentlemen, take your partners for a
cotillion." | led off Miss Cleveland to
her place, trying to recollect as much as
| could of 'the steps which had learned
three years before at school.
Jingle, jingle! went the piano. For
ward two quoih the NJ. c. pro tcm
and off started the dancers. | believe
trod on my partners toes occasionally,
and once or twice came near running over
Il very small young lady who was my
UiS-a-yis. But on the whole, things went
of 'as well as could be expected.
"Any thing for a change" as the yaga-
bond said, when they took him to the
watch-house. The company decided
that it was too warm to dance, q had
been of that opinion for some time preyi-
GUS and determined to have a little mu-
sic by way of variety. Accordingly, de-
mand was made on young lady, who,
after declaring, first that she never sung
secondly, that she didn't know how to
sing; and thirdly, that she hadn't practiscd
for six months, finally marched up to the
piano in grand style. took Miss Cleyc-
land in tow as a sailor would say, and
principle Of what mathomatcians call
the sufficient reason namely, because
there was no sufficient reason for my 90
ing any where else. The fair performer,
after turning over about two dozen songs
at last succeeded in finding one to hcI
taste. My eye was accidentally caught
by the title. TO my great surprise and
qualification, it was neither III Placer,
nor ia Tcdrai,' nor any other fashion
able ltaian-melody, | suppose | mus
call it-but beautiful Scotch ballad.
The diflident riigiccommcnccd. There
is an old adagc about not haliooing, etc.
and never was it more torcibly exempt.
fled than in the present instance. As il
has been said Carlyle and his imitators
that they write German with Englisl
words, so it might be said of this young
lady that she sang Italian with Scotcl
words. She heightened out the swee
strains, as if she could never have enough
of them, like fly crawling through ;
pot of honey. Annoyed beyond all inca
sure by the performance, leaned agains
corner of the wall, and sought the las
, refuge of the miserable But Il coy
e dame was sleep to me-" | could com
= mand only revcre.
was awakened by grand crash. 4
G young lady with any amount Of mouth
; and very small quantity of nose, wa
! doing execution on the unfortunate in
| strument at the rate of twenty knots Al
S hour, and letting loose upon society
} vast number of words in an unknown
tongue, patched III the shrlIest possible
a treble; while young gentleman in twC
G walstcoats, with one side of his cola
: standing up, and the other turned down
a and his mouth awry with musical intcnsi
| ly, was accompanying her il the yer!
e deepest kind Of bass. listened out o
c pure astonishmcnt, and soon distinguished
n the words, 'doUe, doUe, dort, il mic "a
:. lor,' q am sure have spelled the word
y correctly,) repeated again and again
' Herum, ter,oa, iterumqu,, in the loudes
: conceivable tone, amid terrible thunder
h ings of the piano.
d Now it is not surprising, that hearing