Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1847-07-16

preseui occasl0n. The circumstances ui her mo
lhcr being srated bctNgen lirr sister and herself
gave her aa excuse iof speaking in voice Ioul
enough to b. heard by hlm loy whom il sas in.
tended-whilst a in a mock whisper. she said
I"IceFyl did YOU ever see skeleton dressed in
yellow lcaIhcrl" This, Of course. ,hrax Oliva
into one Of her accustomed gggles, when her
maiher-Who hal been to- busy talking TO ona
+ q her ueighbors about her cousin, MT. Frederick
Randolph, Of Canton, and bis elegant equpags
Ito hear what her younger daughter had said,
being disturbed BY the noise Of The elder one,
exclaimed
DO. Levy, stop ,ha, gigglingl Il IS impOs.
sibic 10 hear whq, IS said for your noise"
''Oh, ma Charouc's 50 iunny-it is in9ossi-
Bile to keep from laughiug!" said the daughter.
Charlotte turned her eyes toward the "yeow
skeleton" but was convinced. from the perfect
equaninity Of his countcnance, that he had e-
Their not heard, or not understood the application
ofwhat she had said; and disappointed in her at
tempt to throw back upon him some Of the NOR.
,ifcation that she had experienced in the morn.
ing. she sat for some time silent. Al length, af-
ter the desert was placed upon the table, happy
thought struck her, aud picking out a half ripe,
half wilhered cherry from plaie Of cherries that
stood near her, she said, still addressing the sis
ter, in whom her wit Was always sure TO find a
ready listener, and constant admirer, and still
speaking IN the same pretended whisper in which
she had before a6Hr ssed her
"Leeyy, do you know what this is likel" and,
as she spoke she held the cherry toward her
sister.
"No." returned Oliyia--"what IS it likel"
"The end Of Maria Damlcy's nosel And
this" she added. holding up mildowed leaf of
the same fruit, "is the exact shade Of her com
plcxion."
This was TOO much for Olivia TO hear without
loud gigg.e-whiIc her mother again said, with
considerable impauencc-
"Leevy!I told you before not to make somuch
noise"
"Oh. mal you should h-ar Charlotte. and then
you would not wonder Al my laughing"
+ "WeIl. wish Charlotte would keep her wit
for another time, and no! disturb the whole COM
pany with H."
"Do you know wha, Bacon says Of witt" ask
cd the skeleton, tan appeIIation which we adopt,
both on account Of its appropriateness. and lOf
want the real one,) addressing Charlotte as hs
spoke.
IL know nothing about Bacon, or his sayings
ether" answered she, turning her heao away
contempuouSly, to show that she did not wish TO
enter into any conversation. But the same OBJ
tuseness that had been eyinced on every former
occasion. was sill displayed by her antagonist,
who continued. with as much composure as he
had been listened to with The most respectful at
tention. "He says that true vii is, like the I'm
est salt. without bitterness"
Again Charlotte's lip and nose were turned up,
F for She had no lack Of readiness of perception,
I ,bt,, nj Rutu uptc {
via. whose mind was Of much feebler nature,
and she therefore only uttered and said
allow queer to compare wit to salt Who ev.
er heard of such comparson!"
alt is one, however. for which he has high
authority returned the skeleton. "tor you know
our Saviour says to his faithful ioEIowors-'Ie
are the salt Of the earth!
To this Olivia could neither object nor assent,
for she knew but lue Of either the Saviour or
his savings, and her mother having now risen
from the table, she and her sister followed her
TO the piazza.
Mrs. Mion took her seat on part of the piaz.
"a that was sheltered from the sun, among some
other elderly ladies, who was not disposed to fol-
low the usual custom of resorting 10 their bed
rooms: and Olivia stood walng for Charlotte TO
accompany her up stairs to murder time,
while the gentlemen were engaged with their
smoking and their wine, with their accustomed
siesta. But Charloue's temper was at present
too much ruffied for her to think of sleeping,
and she stood turning over 10 her mind in what
way she could revenge herself upon the imper-
tinent Stranger for the severe, though quiet cuts
he had given her. She had found (for. as we
have before said, Charlotte was far from being de-
fcient in penetration) that nothing. however in
sultinr. that was directed toward himself merely,
had appeared TO be noticed or understood; but the
moment she had attacked Maria Darnley his
feeling had been aroused; and as, like many o.
thcr silly girls. she had no idea of any warm in-
tcrcst being discovered by gentleman toward
n female but from motives of love or marriage,
she took il into her head that he must actually
have fallen in love with her relative. Under
this conviction, she resolved the first opporun.
~, TO make Maria her butt, as the most certain
way orpaving off some of her debts to the often
der. Nor was it long before chance furnished
her with the power of putting her determination
into execution, for at the very moment that she
stood eogitating the matter, Maria came cut of
the house with bottle in her hand, which show
ed that she was on her way to the spring for wa
ter. With one of those swift gIances which pass
so rapidly across the mind, Charlotte determined
toplt her resolution into execution, and only re.
. GREETED that the skeleton was not by to give her
| an opportunity of cutting with atwo-edged sword.
But though she was not disposed to lose the pre-
sent chance. another and still more favorable one
might follow before long, and therefore she cried
e out
"Come here, Maria-l have something to say
, to YOU"
"What is it!" asked Maria, who endeavored
to speak cheerfully, but from feeling that my
readers can readily understand, there was slight
: tremor in her voice. "You must tell me quick.
H. e. I 80, =, hast, IN fatch water fOF NV mo-