American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1845-11-07
COUSIN NANCY:
OR. THE VIRGIN OF sEvENT


al will lay you dozen Of wine, Tom, that
GO and make love to cousin Nancy" said the
gay and fashionable Frank Dewese TO his asso-
ciate in frolic, as they stood one evening in a
piazza looking through the window into room
where sat the lady in question, busly engaged
in extracting the sweets of the last novel
'Done for Dozen" replied the laughing
/ Tom, cit were worth a basket Of Joly's best
to sec you rouge-gathering on the turfowed
checks and skinny lips Of that walking anato-
my--that splendid example Of the eternal sis
! teIhood.
Cousin Nancy had toied through life for
three score years, enjoying all the platonic
pleasure of single blessedness. In all respects
but two, she was, to say the least, suHoIable;
but her affectation was as provoking as her
amatory disposition was veratious. The first
never allowed her to keep Z CALENDER beyond
her tlnrty-irst year-made her ape the dress,
manners and habits Of a girl-use rouge with
out bounds-wear gaudy dresses-attend Ju-
venile assemblies Of amusement-and take les
SONS III music daily. The second, was ever
| hurryng her into low adventures making her
the bone of all the beaux; sending her heart on
one wild goose chase after another, until she
could sea rcey swear to it as her own; and lead
ing her to imagine that she was making con-
quests wherever she went. Reader, can you
not see her now before you, large as life, her
grey locks sauciIy giving the lie 20 he! raven
papilote, her congratulated phz smeared with
paste rouge until it looks like mine of red
chalk her sinewy neck and withered bosom
forming q deep yellow ground to display the
lace above it, and exposed with generosity
which fifty years ago would have been rresis-
tible, her dress flashed with rainbow ribbons
and her fidgety movements betraying the rest
less activity of the soul, fretting and chatting
within its venerable tabernacle?
You can now appreciate the motives of the
young men for engaging in their mischievous
plot-if you cannot, we pity you.
Cousin Nancy was on visit to Franks pa
ternal residence, but she had remained SO pro-
vokingly long that Frank was out OF patience
with her, and could so far forget hospitality, as
to hoax her occasionally for fun's sake.
The bet was ratified with mutual grasp
and into the worthy lady's room marched Mr..
Frank, assuming an airof awkard mystery that
was calculated 10 rouse the suspicion OF his We
nerable cousin. Closing and boiling the door
behind, he drew the curtains, taking care to
have peeping hole fer his acconiplices, who
surveyed the preparations with infinite glee; ne
then seated himself by the side of his wonder
struck cousin, and Selling her unresisting hand,
began to whisper soft things in her car. She
was amazed with joy; wriggling in her char,
tried to blush, in short she acted like fool
Frank now proceeded still farther; fell on his
knees, and poured fourth torrent Of unmean-
ing rhapsody; called her goddess-augel--do
of his soul-besought her to have mercy or
him and declare his fate-anything; even the
killing NO were better than this suspense
'Speak, my adored cousin, pronounce my SEN
tence, and oh, let it not be that which viii
drive me to despair or suicide"
"Why--my dear Frank--you must know
how can that is--it is 80 uneXpected-timt
to decide" dearest of women must | re
main in agony till morning; Well will strive
to live till then-then you must give me my an
swer.' He caught her in his arms, and sh'
made no opposition, but sighed deeply--''my
dear, dear Frank" His lips wandered freely
over her face and neck, trailing the moveabl,
complexion after them, and daubing his chin
cheeks and nose most elegantly in its sanguint
hues, he tore himself from her-.tumbled pur
DOS ly over cheir-mistook by singular &C
cident the closet door for the entrance Of thu
passage-and finally joined his almost smoth
cred friend, who was bursting with compressed
laughter.
"Bravo! Frank, bravissimo! the wine is yours
| hv all the powers of farce and comedy, it il
r richly earned Ha ha! ha! wipe off the rec
lead, Frank, from your fps--'twiil poison tn
: Burgundy"
The next morning Frank csme down yer!
, late and languid in the breakfast room, scarce
3 " noticing the members Of the family; bu
seemed to be entirely busted with yavning