The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1842-06-11
From the American Ladies Magazine.
"My Aunt Silly



whats in name'' A great deal. Much has
been gained by giving fine sounding name to
the heroine of five-voume romance. Now, gen.
Tie reader, what think you of the title which has
been bestowed upon the lady whom | am about
TO describe,-"Aunt Silly, "-ony think what
name-you are tempted to turn over the leaf,
and leave poor Aunt Silly without casting anoth-
or glance at her fortunes. But when tell you
that she ID Miss Cclcstina Lenox, "a change
comes DER the spirit of your dream" and your
Imagination Immediately invests the possessor of
so charming name with all those, beauties and
graces which SO plentitully adorn the pages of ali
old-tashloned novel. So much fu. . nanlc-aow
for the lady.
Miss Celestina Lenox is now ''some fifty, or
bhy're lady, nclnng to three scoro" years OF age.
l have been told she was once n beauty, but
cannot remember that she was ever young, and
my memory would be sadly at fault if were to
attempt recalling the time when she was hand
some: Tall and thin, with STOPPING shoulders,
and feet SO much attached to each other from
long acquaintance, as to be unwilling to separate
thereby subectmg themselves to tho significant
eeplthet OF parrot toed; skin resembling an old
law paper, tor the many fine wrink les which are
imprinted on her face bear no small resemblance
to the half-oblterated characters on a musty
parchment; mouth of somewhat formidable d.
inenslons, IN which tho teeth are "too many, vet
how tew;"-and eyes of feline keenness, as well
as color-such is the picture Of Aunt Silly.
Cclestna Lenox began life with determine
ton to be beauty and belle. Her father died
when she was about eighteen, leaving her the
helrces OF some eight or ten thousand dollars, with
which she Immediately turned her back upon the
little country village where she was born, and
hastened to New York, which she hoped to make
the scene of her trumphs. Had she been con-
tent t. improve her own natural advantages,
"hhcut affecting graces and accomplishments
"hich she never possessed, she might have sue
ceeded TO her wishes, and gained the great prize
which she proposed to herself via husband
But unfortunately, she had plenty of fine sense
without one grain of common sense. She had
peen miracle OF learning in her native place,
ana she now tried to create great sensation in
the three-fold capacity beauty, heiress, and
bluostocking 1t was soon discovered that her
beauty was of a kind which would NO, bear too
close an inspection-that her fortune would net
pay for her caprices, and as for her learning it
was with Orlando's wits-in the moon-that
general receptacle Of unexistent matter,
Day after day month after month"; and finally,
year after year passed on, and yet Celestna had
not gained the husband for which she sighed.
Her two sisters-both younger than heIself-fiit
rosy, country girls, whom she looked upon as the
very qnintessence of vulgarity, found husbands
.'.thout the least exertlon. Ono married u rich
farmer, the other came to the city to spend the
winter--stared with genuine Yankee curiosity at
all the wonders-showed her white teeth upon
all occasions, without caring about the vulgarity
OF loud laugh, and before spring she was the
wife OF prosperous New York merchant. All
tins was 5, NORWOOD to the spirit ofpoor Celes-
tina. She rcdoublcd her efforts to please, but
without success and the reason was very obyi-
Gus one. Celestina possessed very unaIniable
temper;-quick to take offence, violent in her re-
sentiments bitterly sarcastic in her rcproofs:-is it
any wonder she was not beloved Ii is true she
tried to conceal the defects in her temper, but she
did not attempt to conquer them, and it requires
great talent in discrimination, to veil the out
breakings of a passionate temper. In fact, she
was perfect impersonation of the 'ortiter ct SUI
ariter." Nothing could be1nore bland than her
manner when in society,-nothing more harsh
and oVerbearing than her conduct among her ev-
eryday associates.
Deeper and deeper grew the lines about the
face OF the disappointed Miss Lenox. The rogue
which tinted her cheek could scarcely hide its fur