The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1847-10-22
Grlffte0 TaIe.
TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS.
oR, WHO IS THE Lady!


~ OR, WHO is THE LADY!
sAll was bustle and confusion among
the fashionable of quiet little town in
one of the western counties in our State
lately on the day preceding the evening
of a select ball. The ladies became great
pedestrians, and we're on foot for hours
together, while husbands andfathers we're
at home waiting in awful suspense for
the respective shop.keepers' bills. The
shop-keepers were more polite than usu-
al, inasmuch as gauze, lace, and ribbons
were the only articles IN demand u we're
bought without the irritating enquiry,
.can't you take less!" and not milliner
could complain that night of want of
custom and full purse. Evening advanc-
edand the hustle increased. Beaux Just
from the bandbox might be seen with
glove on one hand and courage in the
other. tapping and bowing as if made of
vibratory material, with as much cash in
their pockets as brains in their noddles,
and more brass in their faces than either.
Que of these mushroom gentry, who had
the faculty of talkingnonsense, had cap
tivated the charming Mehitabel Clarissa
Adelia Bacon, third daughter of Captain
Jacobus Bacon, of the invincible volun-
teer company of heroes, vulgarly called
"barefoots," who, with remarkable val
or, during the late war, made a bloodless
(not mudless) retreat through swamp
Two miles with the enemy at their heels.
AT the appointed hour, and according to
promise, this sprig of the bean monde al
luded to, pulled the bell at the door ofthe
redoubtable captain, which was answer
ed by their female seryaut, who, among
the rest, was preparing fol. the ball, and
in her best bib and tucker" made po-
lite bow, aud invited the young coxcomb
in. Twilight deceived his already de-
fective division; for it is sometimes said,
that love, like wine, will make men see
double, especially if they run against a
lamp post; and mistook the servant for
Miss Mehitabel. Doffinghi hat, and de-
scribing with his body all figures Of Eu.
cid, such as circles, squares and trian-
giles. he at last completed his bow Ia
mode, and lisped the fact that he had the
"onnaw of being in readiness to ethcort
her to the assembly rooms"
II am engaged, sir" said the kitchen
belle.
"Engaged!' exclaimed the young chop.
fallen, miss Bacon engagedl"
20, it is Miss Bacon you wish to see,
then2n re nlied the Uirl
why, yoth-I am mistaken! fath the
deuth! bowing and scraping to servant
girl. Whenh your mithstress?"
walk into the parlor, sir," said the
insulted girl. | will call her"
Reader, wouldst thou know who thi:
servant girl might be, of whom we have
been talkingl Well, listen, and I'll tel
thee. Didst thou ever hear of William
Il, once very wealthy shipping
merchant of New York, who throdgt
multiplied losses, was exiled from the do
minions Of the wealthy and for man!
years dwelt obscurely in a country vii
lage, with the only remnant of large
family--a charming daughterl This wa
the verv child, At the age of ten, sht
became an orphan-but not fliendless.- :
The gentlemanly conduct of her father
even in poverty, had won the esteem 0
all, and this last survivor of his accumu
lated misforunes, found home and {
friend with wealthy country gentleman
She grew up to womanhood, beautiful
and accomplished, and beloved by all th
family, as a sister and child But dealt
claimed her adopted as his, and her pros
poets changed. The woman who sup
piled her place afterwards, was her an
tipodes, and Amanda L. stepped forth in
to the wide world dependent upon phys
ical strength alone for subsistence. Blu
the good wishes of her adopted famil
went with her, aud a situation in the fam
lily of Capt. Bacon was secured to hel
in the place the reader found her. Bu
TO resume.
At an early hour the ballroom was fill
ed with a truly brilliant assemblage.-
There were red cheeks in profuson som
painted by nature, others by art; bngt
eyesin abundance, some sparkling wit
intelligence, others with nervous excite
ment, and, amongthe rougher sex, man
with vine. Mirth and hiIarity bore IT
galsway, until a discovery was made
discovery considered by that assen
blage as Of equal importance with He
schel's lunar observations. The danc
was suspended, Notwithstanding Samt
stiIlsawedhis catgut, and whisper rG
throughthe crowd, The rse.proud vii
-egar faced Mrs Z------, had the hont
Of making the discovery, in which wi
involved the reputation Of oil present.
1t was nothing less than the lamentab
fact that Amanda L. the servant girl,
Bacon, had impertinently intruded he
selfinto the company of her betters--a q
tually danced two cotillions with the
before the degrading truth was known,