Lower Sandusky freeman. (Lower Sandusky [i.e. Fremont, Ohio]) 1849-1849, 1849-03-24
1fl / srrlL II { o n 6 .
From the Cincinnati Gazette.
HOW TO MAKE FRIE N ID s
AND HOW TO KEEP THEM.
BY. JAMES H. PERKINS.

lived on quilting ruff1es and covering canvass with
incomprehensible designs in worsted-four damsels
of some sixteen or eighteen summers sat in the
cheerful chatty parlor of one of the many pleasant
houses in Fourth street. They had talked of the
weather. and the walking, and the last ball at the
Bazaar and the rumor that shoulders of mutton
were going out of fashion in Paris and had turned
up their eyes and shvered with horror at the thot
of tight sleeves they had touched on the bad man.
ners of one gentleman, and the intense stupidity
of another; had wondered how soon the engage
ment of Broadway would be out; and when the
marriage on Third was to come off;-many times
their heads had all been bent together, and mys-
terious whispering had ensued, enough to have
driven any single man crazy, had any one been
present. No bachelor however, was so unlucky.
One old gentleman with his newspaper sat by the
fresde and looked at his paper and listened to the
talk There was not much in it, good or bad; but
he liked to hear the silvery voices and the occasional
laugh-as one likes to listen to the empty gurglng
and laughing of brook among the hills-so he
stroked his queue and with half-shut eyes heark-
ened. Presently the conversation turned upon
friendship.
"I never made a friend in my life," said Miss
Maria Strong with a sort of mournful resig igna-
ton.
why! Maria" cried little Sally Thompson,
dropping her canvass; "you know we're all your
friends
"Yes" answered Maria, sad smile lighting for
a moment her really beautiful face, and lingering
in the blue eye till the soul seemed looking through
=" Yes know you are Sally. but you were born
my friends. didn't say had no friends, but that
had never made one
As she ceased speaking, the beauty of the face
disappeared, the light of the eye vanished. A
moment before you would have said I" How lovely
now you cannot help thinking how dowdy and
dull!"
"Theres nothing easier than to make friends -
said Georgiana Hull-and look of scorn passed
over her features" fattery will make anybody
your friend.
"But it is so mean!" replied Maria.
"Mean to give pleasure Everybody likes to
be fattered 1 do I'm sure; and when f1atter
others do as I'd be done by"
Maria still shook her head
at is mean!" said Sally Thompson impulsively
Not that yowre mean, Georgy; but should be if
were to anoint people with what grandpa calls the
oil of fooIs''
"Ard how do you make friends Sally for you've
a host of them"
"How? why make myself useful to them-I
carry them preserves when anybodys sick, and
send mince pies on Christmas, and toys to the chill
dren; and run of errands and 90 shopping for them
and do all sorts of things.
"B But you do such things for everybody; you
don't love everybody, do you?"
"No but | want everybody to love me;-
and Sc l treat them just as though l did love
them''
Georgiana's fine countenance was again darken-
ed by that look of scorn: And is not all that
fiattery Sally ?'' said she.
Before Sally could meet this unlocked for attack
Maria had turned to fourth of their little party,
who had not for some time spoken, and said with
an air in which affection and respect strangely
blended with perfect familiarity" what do you
say Lucy? You've more friends than any of us;
nobody ever sees you without becoming your friend
what do you do? What's your secret?'
The one thus addressed was by no means a
beauty. Her complexion was bad, and her feat
ures were far from regular Her hair to be sure
was beautiful and regular and when she spoke you
lost half of what she said in the enjoyment of the
most exquisite tones that ever stirred the air into
music. AS Maria spoke she blushed deeply; then
throwing back her ringlets with toss of the head
as gracefully it unstudied she answered
with the merriest laugh in the world:
! "My secret Maria? l can't tell you. 1t is such
deep one don't know it myself
The old gentleman who had been stroking his
queue with great energy suddenly broke forth
Z" True, true, very true-very true indeed"
Papa" said Georgiana with a smile that made
every lineament as lovely as the former smile oi
scorn had made them repulsive-" Papa is dream
|
"No, no, Miss" said Mr. Hull turning shor
around upon the astonished girls-"I am not drea
ming; I am not thinking of notification; am list
ening to your nonsense; and say that my deal
little grey eyed curly headed cousin here wher
she says she don't know her own secret speaks
most excellent admirable, never-sufciently-t ODE
commended truth" And the old gentleman benz
over the hanging head and put aside the hanging
tresses and kissed Lucy's cheek as deicatey the
butterfly kisses the rose.
i "And 1 say besides young ladies ''-resumet
the enthusiastic white haired old lawyer-"I say
, besides that all of you-you Miss Flattery-anc
you Miss Utility-all of you; everyone of you
will fail-entirely fail; till you learn my little cous
ms secret that she can't tell you. You can have
admirers enough-lovers enough-fatterers fo
the askng-but friends friends-my dear young
children-friends that will outlve beauty fortune
good spirits-even good temper; friends that will
cling to you when you are ugy-and you all viii
if you live be ugly, strange it may seem; friends
say my dear girls, that will cling to you wher
ugly, poor, stupid, cross deserted by atterers anc
all that hang, moth-like, around only the burning
candle, they are to be won how ? how? There
the lfe-problem. Any of you may be married
next month. Am right, Georgiana? If fattery
will make friend, it IL make ten lovers. A cir
pretty or no. can fatter almost any into suit
or; a husband. Very unromantic I know it.
7 know it. But it's true; true as the unromanti
, clay you walk and live on and are made Of Th