Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1845-04-19
T Fl Z VILLAGE GIRL.


One of the widest and loveliest of how.
dens was Kate Lisbourne. Her dark COM
plexion, her glittering black eyes, and the
thick masses of her short curling hair, gave
her very gipsey-Iike look, while she
seemed to have imbibed no small portion of
the spirit of those free and lawless people
From her childhood she had been a sad
romp, and she could not be brought to feel
that at seventeen she was bound by any
more restrictions than she had been at
seven. Her merry laugh rang through the
house from morning till night, and the
sound of her dancing footsteps, (for she
never walked demurely and properly as a
young lady should) inspired every one
with cheerfulness. She was like an en-
bodied sunbeam, for her presence difijused
light and joy wherever it appeared
Yet, sooth to say, pretty Kate was not
one of the utilities Of household. Books
she regarded with cordial hatred; needle
work was her detestation, for she never
could master the mysteries of side. stitching.
gazing. overhandlng, and hemming; and
music was perfectly stupid affair when
she was compelled to sit down before a
piano TO discover the sympathy between
ivory keys and black headed notes. But
she had those quick perceptions which
made person wiser than mere book-le
ing; and if she did not know much about
feminine employments, she had delicate
womanly instincts, and an inherent sense
of order and neatness; while her voice
was perfect melody, and her untaught
songs, like the carol Of the forest bird,
seemed to burst forth from the overlooking
of joyous and thankful heart.
Poor Katel she had lost her mother
when she was too young to feel the be-
reavement and the fond love of an indul-
gent father had been her only guide. No
wonder she knew so little of the decorum
of young lady-ism. She had always dwell.
too, in little country village, where her
| fathers moderate fortune was comparative
wealth; and happy in her own Joyous i'm
pulses, she had never known want or felt
a sorrow.
Once, and only once, had Kate been
made sensible of her own defects. Her
cousin Harry Leighton, had once spent
some weeks with her father, and during
his visit, she felt most painfully the differ
ence between her own manners, and those
of the polished and refined youth. Yet he
was so kind, SO gentle and so good that
although she was daily mortified by some
ebullition of her own irrepressible gaicty.
yet she could not but regret the moment
Of his departure, and cherish tender re-
collection of him, long after she fancied
he had forgotten her.
Kate had counted her eighteenth summer
when the sudden death of her father first
acquainted her with real grief Her only
living relatives were the Leightons; and
when her cousin Harry hurried to share
her sorrow, he bore with him a request
from his mother that Kate should hereafter
take up her abode with them in the city of
-. The orphan gladly accepted this
Proffered kindness; and looking forward
with the buoyancy of youth to the pleas
ures of a city life, left her home with little
regret.
Mrs. Leighton, who had so kindly offered
Kate home, (Which, by the way, she dc
not actually need, as her fathers pretty
cottage was now her own,) was one o
those persons who are "content to dwell in
decencies forever" and who find, in the
respect Of society, ample reward for al
sacrifices of feeling and affection. Pos.
sessing much practical good sense, she was
yet incapable of enlarged or original views
She saw every thing through the distorted
medium of worldly opinion, and she had
fixed certain theories in her own mind. tc
which she wished all within her influence
to agree. There was no softness. no ten.
derness about her, and she could make NJ
distinction between violation of the rule
of etiquette and breach of the moral law
She might be described in few words a!
one Of those cast iron women, whom tim,
may rust and corrode but can never soften
This pattern woman had five daughters
who had been moulded in her own image
mentally as we'll as bodily. They looked
like her, walked like her, thought like her
while they regarded her with a species o
blind reverence very tlattering to her van
) ity. But her only son, the cousin Harry
of Hates early "reminiscences, was far NOR
impracticable than his sisters. He hadl6n
, talents and studious habits; but there ha,
: always been SO many restrictions on hi
freedom of will in boyhood, that he ha
, learned to look with perfect hatred upo
every thing which seemed like a fetter t
. his spirit. His mother was ambitious an
: the wish TO see Harry occupy a conspic
= uous station in society, either as the wise:
e or richest of his associates, had been cher
: ished ever since his infancy. But Harr
1 had imblbed so thorough dislike of all un
= necessary restraints, and had learned $
! well 10 love the liberty of thought and &C
r ton which he now enjoyed, that he had n
iJao pF Dnttipu hiD1Salf into tho trop,D,