Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1849-11-09
TEE BAsHFUL COUSIN,
BY MRS. HARRIET p. STOWE.

Mistakes and misunderstanding are
not such bad things after all, at least not
always SO; circumstances alter cases.
remember case ID point. Every
body in the country Iadmired Isabella
Edmunds, and in truth shs3was an admi-
rable creature, just madef6r admiration,
sonneteering, and falling in love with,
and accordingly all the county of -
was in love with her. The columns of
every Argus and Herald, and Sentinel
and Gazette and Spectator, and all man
nef of newspapers abounded with the eff
fusions supplicatory of her worshippers.
In short, Miss Isabella was the object of
all the spare ideally in the region
round about.
Now | shall not inform my readers
how she looked; you may just think of
Venus, Pysche, Madonna; fairy,
an angel, ct cetera, and you will have a
very definite idea on the point. | must
on with my story. am not about to
choose this angel for my heroine; because
she is too handsome, and too much like
other heroines for my purpose. But
Miss Isabella had a sister, and think
shall take her. e
Little Kate for she was always spo-
ken of in the diminutive, was some
years younger than her sister, and somc-
what shorter in statue. She had no pre-
!eniions to beauty--none at all--in short,
sir, she looked very much like Miss c.,
whom you admire SO much, though you
always declared she is not handsome.
1t requires a very peculiar talent to be
overcome with good grace, and in this
talent Miss Kate excelled:Ashe was as
placid and as happy by the side of her
brilliant sister as any little contcnted stQr
that for ages had twinkled on, unnoticed
and almost eclipsed by the side of tine
peerless moon. Indeed, the only art or
science in which Kate ever made any
proficiency was the art and science of be-
ing happy, and in this she so excelled,
that one could scarcely be in her pres
ence half az hour without feeling unac-
countably comfortable himself.
She had world Of sprightliness, a
deal of simplicity and affection, with a
dash Of good natured shrewdness, and
after all kept you more in awe than YOU
could be kept by such merry, good ma
tured little body. Not one of lsabela's
/ adorers ever looked at her with such de-
vout admiration as did the laughter low
ing Kate. No one was so ready to run,
wait and tend-to be up stairs aud down
stairs and every where in ten minutes
when Isabella was dressing for con-
quest. In short, she was, as the dedica-
ton of books sometimes sci forth, her
ladyship's most obedient, most devoted
servant.
But if | am going to tell my story
must not keep you all night looking al
pictures; so now to my tale, which
shall commence in manner and form the
following. a
1t came to pass that certain college
valetudinarian and far off cousin o.
the two sisters. came down to pass few
months of his free agency at his fathers
and as aforesaid, he had carried off the
first collegiate honor, besides the hearts
of all the ladies in the front gallery a
the first commencement.
So interesting, SO polite! such fine eyes
and all that, was the reputation he lef
among the fair sex. But alas! poor Ed
ward, what did all tilis advantage hin
$50 long as he was afflicted with this un