The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1849-01-15
THE P E RIL OF A B U T T o N Z.
nv HANS CHRISTIAN ANnFRsEN

| ne music Is eXcellent--lt even SETS the Ola
| Excellencies' legs in motion, and they think OF
| dances in days of yore The lacqueys move like
Caryatdes, with refreshments, through the closest
circles; in recess of window stands Clara,
prettier, perhaps, than she ever was before. She
is in white transparent dress, which falls In full,
vapor-like folds, as if it were woven of air and
snow. Small bouquets of moss and vioets seem
if they thrown on it. There is, as it were,
a transparency in the face, in the arm, in the
whole figure There is an expression of bliss in
that youthfuy- fresh, charming face-a smile that
owns more magic than music and poetry never
before has she been beautiful-never before has
| she smiled more happily; she is in conversation
with of the princes, who leads her to the dance.
Frederick stands not far from her, in blue velvet
| courtdress, with large diamond buttons. He sees
| her happy smile; he is angry with her, without
even being able to account to himself for 1t.
'sThey meet in the dance and part again. Hol-
ger enters just at this moment. Clara has promised
him her hand for the third Dance and yet he is the
last that arrives But we must know the reason.
Hoger was yesterday made gentleman of the
bed-chamber. His tailor has been sewing the
| whole night and day at his unform-made impos-
sibilities possiblegot it ready for this ball, and
only half an hour ago was it delivered.
'The red gold-embrodered coat sits well-the
tight kerseymere trOwsers are made to admiration.
Holger is strikingly handsome, and he knows it.
This is the first uniform he has worn; it is the
first title he has received-except that of baron by
right of birth-and Clara has already discovered
him, and smiled to him. How much youthful spirit
and happiness one heart not find place for!
Count Frederick, on the contrary, appears all
at once 10 be quite dissatisfied The ball tires him ;
Clara's smile is not pleasing to him, and not one
dance has she for him. Fourteen days ago was
engaged for them all ) has she said with a smile,
which he, in his present state feeling thought was
coquettish and now she dances with Holgere
They are handsome couple, and they are no
ticed. There is to them both present feeling of,
The whole world is ours-al the rest only figure
around usn Is it Clara's smile, is it the music, or
the new uniform that fits WELL or, perhaps, all
three, that have their influence At this moment
it is clear TO Holger it never was before, that he
loves Clara-that-he must tell her so-that he
would dance with her thus life through-there is
no sorrow, no sickness, nor death!
They now retire to a saloon-the champagne
explodes. Holger is happy as god-eloquent and
gay-and as he again enters the ballroom with
Clara, his resolution is formed: before the ball is
ended she must know his feelings-knew that he
loves her-that this is the first all powerful love
" He has spirit, and he has will that must be
acknowledged; and atthis moment Herman sleeps
quietly at home; at this moment Frederick is med
ilating if he shall if he shall not drive Clara to-
morrow, at noon, with the great sledge party to
Bellevue. The music of the dance is, to the low
spirited wretch, like surging waves, that make his
spirit still more wreck but the glad and happy
they only lift still higher. Clara had quite forgot
ten Herman's amusing, genial pictures-forgotten
lively sketches Oh Ills Sod-tTip-Wnlcn
she had before listened to with so much delight
Holger is the best dancer-the most attentive of
all-the most amiable In the dance which is now
to begin, he will lead her out.
with the whole expression of happy being in
his eyes and men, he stands before Clara, his blood
and thoughts like champagne; he bows low !; with
testing smile, he then raises himself fuli inch
higher than his wont, and then-is there magic at
work One would think so Are men accOmpa-
MED by an invisible, good or bad AT the moment
that Holger rises there suddenly as II Were
a transformation in him; his face becomes deeply
crimsoned his movements are forced his words
are longer buoyant; something of Importance
has happened his whole thoughts are divided be-
tween Clara and-nay, it would sound too terrible
to pronounce the word suddenly
The least causes have often the greatest effects
Holger no longer moves as before-he even returns
quite preposterous answers.
''This night he will not propose. Clara still exists
for Frederick, for Herman, for him whom no one
knows-for any body. In the midst of fascination's
brightest moment on the of loves bold revela-
tion-yes, perhaps, more than one, who has been
in the same situation, knows the agony with which
ment-and this Hoger has lost the days of youth,
the pride of his new title, of his well-made uni
formal are vanished Clara regards him with
an anxious look The thought strikes her-the I'M
just thought-it is the wine The has drunk too
much champai gne-and the halo around him is
extinguished! She knows not what injustice she
does him; her eloquence becomes mute-she in
voluntarily seeks Count Frederick-her eye meets
his-it is as if he smiled, as if he understood her
Decentralization is renewed, and she inclines
for Frederick Holger creeps behind the window
curtain for a moment, and makes his appearance
again; but he is no longer the same man. The
whole affair has been the most unfortunate, but
most innocent situation at ball, that ever hap
pened. 1t is realitys most fearful prose that has
overwhelmed him. When man is to be executed,
it is the custom to say, he is to lose his button,
that is to lose his head and Holger has lost but
behind has come off his tight kerseymere inexpres-
sibles. Now the word is ont, and now we can
conceive his sudden blushing the forced deport-
ment, the distracted thoughts and the preposterous