The Columbian fountain., 1846-09-26
WORTH AND'BEAUTY.
BY MRS. NJ. N. M'DoNALD.

| tE.tatAN MN# .itM.
Mr. Edward Nealand had the good luck
or misfortune, whichever you choose, TO be
the own cousin Of at least q dozen fine
girls. Girls that one might be proud TO
meet on winters morning in Broadway.
or summers evening at Saratoga, bright
eyed, rosy4ipped damsels, with merry
smiles and soft silken tresses, and-and
bless me! what task 10 portray dozen
fine girls at once, a thing my poor every
day goose quill can never accomplish, | am
certain, and so suffice it, that Ned had loved
and firted with them all, or nearly all, and
at twenty-five was still a batchelor. ss.,
While Ned was still in College, his cou-
sin Helen came out. There was deal of
beauty in the Nealand family, particularly
among the female portion Of il, and Helen
was decided belle, the belle Of the sea-
son, perhaps; and Edward worshippcd her
with all the enthusiasm of first love, the
purest, holiest, passion of mans heart
But Helen's smiles were not for him; her
hopes Of conquest scared higher than mere
ly the hum drum Of affection of boy-lov-
er, and while he was signing his heart
away over his books, or weaving sonne,s
'to his mistress eyebrow she became the
wife of southerner, and there was an end of
poor Ned's day-dream. Fisfz 2aln.4a.si
Fanny came next, but Edward had never
really loved Fanny, it was only smita-
tion, as Webster or some one else hath il, !,
a side-.hrust Of Cupid, which proved only
scratch, and when she chose to refuse his
invitation TO sleigh ride, and accept that
Of Ben Lyde, who drove splendid pair. Of
grays, why, Ned consoled himself with q
cigar and a merrier male companion, and
after being mad with Fan for week Or
two, thought no more about the matter.
There was Garry, too, pretty Carry
Lindsay, the verest little filrt in Christen-
dom, whose step was like a fairy's, whose
cheek made one think of June roses, and
her mouth such mouth reminded you
of all sorts of delicious things Ned fell
half in love with Garry when she was sweet
sixteen, and he danced with her at the first
ball she ever attended; wasn't he proud Of
his pretty partner2 And didn't his heart
keep time with the, music that night, In
fact, know not what might have happen
ed, but Ned discovered, just in time, that
she did not care fig for him, and so that
romance was given to the winds What
an unfortunate fellow y. II. y.
But Ned had other cousins. X ate, a black
eyed creature, with step like Juno, and
shower Of jetty rnglets, that served to
shade, without concealment, pair of dim
Piles, so deep they seemed fit hiding places
for Love. There was Emma, but Emma,
was literary, bas blue, scribbler for an
nuals and magazines; Ned had horror of
literary ladies, decided aversion !; he liked
woman in her own sweet sphere Of home
and home duties, a ministering angel to
man fireside companion; dispenser Of
life's charities; but woman wha wrote
regular book-maker, bah he could not
endure one, so he turned, as we may, to
Harriet and Sophy, because they were SEN
sible girls, but not exactly bookish, Har-
riet and Sophy were what is styled clever !;
excellent hous.-keepers, quite celebrated
for their preserves, and pickles, and famous
for delicious crullers and oily-cooks at
Christmas. They were not so pretty, per
haps, as some of the Nelands, but every
BODY liked them, and when Ned dropped
in at his unce's Of an evening, he found
them sitting with their needework in such
cheerful parlor, there wasn't another like
liz in all New York Harriet ready at his
first request to play and sing, and as to So
phv, why she was always ready for waltz,
and didn't mind watzing with her cousin,
and 50 they used to twirl about for while,
and then sit down round the fire and chat,
til the old gentleman would say, "Sophy,
bring out the decanter and some glasses,
will YOU i? And the basket of apples, too,
Sophy. And Sophy, some Of the pie | saw
YOU making this morning" And off trips
Sophy, and in few minutes in comes little
black Joe, with tea-board, and his young
mistress all smiles behind him, with bunch
of keys in her hand and Joe sets the tray
upon the table and Harriet cuts the pie ;
and Sophy helps papa and mamma, and
cousin Ned is told to help himself /; and
while they are eating and cracking jokes,
as well as nuts, and drinking the girls
health, the clock strikes ten, or it may be
eleven, and il was time to be gone, and Ned
often asked himself after one Of these social
evenings, what there was about them thai
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