Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, W.T. [i.e. Wis.]) 1843-1844, 1843-12-02
From tho Gin for 1914.
THE UNKNOWN BELLE.

dying OVID, usea 10 =.
Jnctof -pinx with unmliIgated disgust.
7 considered her the most intolerable of
antione bores, and Gdipus patient
Ounce. The proceedings OF Alexander
in cutting the Gordian knot, instead OF
pJzzIing himself by attempting to I'M
tie ii, met with my hearty approval.
| loved him from the moment was
made aware Of that incident in his ca
reer. But when mystery comes in
the shape Of a pretty woman, that is
different matter altogether. My antip-
athies give way like blocks OF ice be-
fore spring freshet. Listen to my
story.
1t was one ofth gayest Of the gay
seasons at Washington. The first of
series Of brilliant balls at the White
House had commenced. The east
room was crowded with all the beauty
resident aud transitory, Of the District.
Foreign ministers and attaches, with
their stars aud gariers, ribands, breech.
cs, and silk stockings; members Of
Congress with their thumbs in the arm
holes Of their waistcoat; Indian chiefs,
depu;ed by their tribes, with their
plnmes and painted feathers; ofIice-ho
ders; oifice-s'e kers, oilers, and lobby
lounsers were the principle constitu-
cnts OF the male portion Of the assem-
blage. Add to these some hundreds
of invited guests, who came because
they felt they had proprietary inter
est in the mansion, and an idea may be
formed Of the density and mixed char
acter Of the crowd.
Half dozen quadrilles and values
had been completed. A number Of the
more provident and sagacious Of the
guests had begun to take up a line Of
march towards the supper-room; and
the dancers tired of jostling one anoth-
er, were endeavoring to retreat, when
one of the managers called upon the
gentlemen to form new cotillion, and
at the same time, causing the SANDERS
by to fall back, opened a circle, and
then led forth from the dense throng,
from which she seemed TO emerge like
the evening star from behind a cloud,
a young and beautiful female. A gem
eral murmur of surprise and admira-
ton greeted her appearance.
"Who can she be2" Did any one
ever see her before?" "What Ggure!"
What facet" the hasty whls-
pers exchanged among the spectators.
thu ~
tina, the space cleared for the dancers
was almost Immediately filled up. No
one seemed able to give the slightest
information as TO who she was, when
or whence she came. II all seemed TO
me, for a moment, iairy-ltke delu-
sion. Was not at the ball given by
Prince Forinnaius. and was not this
Cinderella herself glanced down
at her feet: they were marvelously
small, and the glossy white satin slip
pers shone like glass. The deluson
grew stronger. Never before had I
experienced so forcibly the potency of
the Imagination. l began to wonder
whether or not she would disappear in
coarse attire when the clock struck
twelve.
was reused from my reverie by be-
ing seized by the hand by the manager,
Cat the moment took him for Prince
FortunatuS,) who had hastily introduce
ed me as partner to the fair un-
known, and, as | afterwards learned,
bes,irrcd himself to keep back the
crowd, and create room for the quad
rifle. How dazzlingly beautiful she
was! Ordinary beauty may be describ-
cd in detail, bu, Miss Smith { yes that
was the name hy which she was intro
duced to me startled you by the per-
feet unity of her charms. You could
not pick out one feature or one quality
az beautiful, because il was a part of a
perfectly beautiful whole, and was
therefore iaultless, as a matter of course.
Her coun,enance was lucid mirror Of
every passing though. aud emotion OF
her soul; and if occasionally the cx-
preston was melancholy, il was al
ways lovely. like a mountain lake, the
aspect .; which no change of sky can
render less picturesque, but in which
every change developes new beauties.
1t took a minute or two to rally my
thoughts and recollections, and to con-
vince myselflhat | had neither walked
into the wrong room nor the wrong
century. The lady spoke first. Her
voice touched me like an Eolian harp,
it was SO musically sad Some Young