The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1845-01-15

vi III hiCNC wan ilht IGDtUTc, Ut
scrbing her as rinisteriug angel, dealing I
her interiors not only pecuniary aid, but til
kindest and truest sympathy, They did nc
mention her personal appearance, nor did I'm
herst,ask any questions on the subject, hayin
conjured up in his active and creative mind
vision Of an erect figure, with a somcwha
faded complexion, green veil and parasol
and deep dowdy bonnet. He was delghte,
TO frd that the amiable unknown possesse,
the beauties of the person as well as those o
the mind; and as he began privately to be OK
cessively nervous about his uncie's legacy
and to be apprehensive that, after all, he shoult
! be obliged to link himself with a blooming
termagant or graceful simpleton, he felt graft
! fled in the idea that the beautiful and excel
lent niece of good Mrs. Gerard might prove
an eligible bride forhim.
! The evening ofihe party arrived, the beau
( ties began to pour in, all looking as lovely n.
nature.their miliners and hair-dressers coulc
make them; ciiaperons, wisely filed OF TO en-
Joy cards aud ANIMALS in an adjoining room
and the hours had "A clear stage and fair
The whole thing, however, proved failure
! II was all light and no shade; the eye was IA
| tl9ued with brightness, and longed TO rest on
some refreshing and quiet object; il gave to
the beholder more the idea ofa scene in the
atrical pageant, or a beautiful collection OF
wax-work, than of meeting of The Women
OF England offu;ure wives and mothers.
Neither were the beauties themselves at all
in good humor: each had been accustomed to
be the star OF her own circle, and to look down
with tranquil sense Of superiority on the
checks CT lacking bloom, aud eyes lacking
brightness, IN her vicinity; Row she enjoyed
those iriumphs n" longer; ali we're beautiful
some, perhaps. more so than herselc-and
IN several cases an aGmirer, who had hitherto
been devoted to oIc alone, seemed, for the
first time, TO find OFT that there were others
IS fair, or fairer.
Have any OF my readers been smitten with
the vain ambition Of collecting party Of wits
together at dinner! II they have, and have
succeeded in their undertaking, appeal to
them whether the conversation was not far
less brilliant and agreeable than when the
party was iudiciously compiled o: wits and
commonplace people. There can be no en-
joyment where there is not ease and nothing
is SO destructive TO ease as the spirit of COM
petition. A few Of the beauties were engaged
in discourse with their accustomed flirts; but
the consciousness that the eyes of Amherst,
his aunt, or his particular friend, were sure
TO be upon their proceedings, impaired UNI
wOnted constraint to their m amer. Mrs. Est
court proposed music; but beauties aie not,
usually speaking, very accomplished race,
and there were few nouns substantive among
the ladies in question--they had been accus-
toned to lean on some other person; one
could sing Duets with her cousin, and anoth-
or cOn1 NAV on Tho l,--t1 e i.ar
panied her on The piano; but The cousin and
sister were not beauties, and had therefore
been pronounced uninvitabIc.
Mrs. Estcourt began TO grow very impa-
tient for the arrival of her Queen ofBeauty,
and made up her mind that Mrs. Gerard " as
great deal more worldly than she had sup
posed her 10 he, aud was keeping back her
beautiful niece till late hour.to enhance The
effect of her appearance. Such, howcver,was
an uncharitable conjecture; HE fact ia that
Mrs. Gerard would have arrived the first c THE
party. had it not been fer the sudden int!ispo-
si.i0n Of the solitary stecd attached TO her
small chariot, which rendered it necessary
that another Of his species should be procured
from some distance.
81 length Mrs. and Miss Gerard were an
nounced, uad the heart Of hmhers, beat vio-
lenily. But Why should particulasize Am
hersti The hearts of the whole company
beat; for Tyro!d, with the charitable inieii-
ton OF Plaguins the beauties, had signiiied TO
them that guest was expected y no would
decidedly outshine them an. Mrs Gerard ad
vanced in brown silk dress and close lace
cap looking with perfect astonishmcni on the
sprsngies, Jewels. and feathers, embroidered
Waisic0aSts, and lighted chandeliers, that sur
rounded her; she wac accompanied by 4
young lady whom she introduced rs herniece,
Miss Gerard.
Alas! had some evil enchamment been at
work upon her, like that which. in Don Quix-
Ote's opinion has transformed the lady Dull
cinea del Tohoso into a rustic GIRL She was
short without being sylph-likc her complex
ion was pale, aud rattle: inc!iuing to sallow
her features were irregular; her teeth, altho'
white, were far from even; an animated
smile and an intelligent eye might have just
preserved her from the imputa,,on of being
plain in party Of the usual description, but
on this occasion, in the presence of SC many
beauties, she looked decidedly and undeniably
plain, and her unadorned white muslin dress
offered 4 complete contrast 10 the shining ari-
al draperies which fluttered around her. Mrs.
Estconrt felt enraged at Tyrod, who, she
concluded, had invented the report Of Miss
Gerard's beauty, and shown her suppositi-
tious picture, with the intention of hoaxing
her and spelling the effect Of her party. She
caught his eye, however, and he looked SO I'M
afectedly astonished and vexed that she felt
convinced that he was guililess Of any wiful
deception.
Concluded merit Sreek.