Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1851-04-08
Ny Firs t PartyI
BY c. HIow4RD.-

! Mrs Browns tonight said ny pret-
| ty cousin.
! Il Why, Ellen J pu k4 9w'
THAT you have meyer been to a
party before I suppd dse. 50 much
the more reason why you should go
now. Here you are eightden, and
half through college. It's high time
to make a beginning.
4 don't know what under heaven
I should do there
FWhat all other young men do
talk to the ladies'.
I'm afraid l couldh t domdch that
way. Totell you the Truth, i haven't t
small talk enough to go to party
| Vastly complimentary But sup
pose you pull down Your towering
intellect little,- and condescend to
lay aside your books for one night,
and mingle with US ordinary mortals
on a footing of equality II won't
do you any serious injury.
But, Ellen, l have 10 invitation
Because Mrs. Brown did not know
you were here. If 81 hat Heard Of
your arrival in town, 81 le would GER
tainly have sent yd u one. Don't
you remember she ga ve you q gener-
al invitation last winte erl'
was not altogethe er convictel by
this logic; but my co lsih was deter
mined to take no excuse Finding
escape impossible, l resigned myself
to my fate, and went to $tewaft's for
a pair of white kid g gloves.
Parties and balls h ave always been
my especial detestati on. l hhve oft
en- wondered why th by we're invited,
and after many profd dund cogltations
on the subject, could only find these
two reasons; first, t b enable ladies
and gentlemen of fashion tokill time;
and secondly to,ahorl a sort bf mar
ket where young women 4aay be
shown off to the best advantage, and
| young men most readily en- tangled
in the. snares Of cupid and hymen.
| Now, touching the first of thRse mo-
tives, | never find the hours hang
heavy on my hands. 'Afs 1oHga alta
brcmS.' Art is long and life iE short,
or as translated by LongfelloE, art is
long and time is fe4ting; and / al
ways have quite as much Ito do as ]
can manage, With respect to the
second, | haFe never be EN- exactly
matrimonialty ineline ed, Al nd least Of
all just now, when it requires all my
energies to support my sing le self.
Heaven knows what / should do with
a wife.
The eventful hour of my first ap-
pea rance drew nigh. I.arraIed my
self in full dress suit, with pumps,
and silk stockings. I alb bminate
pumps; they seem to have been in
vented to purpose on cripple the
wearer. If they are tight, you are
kept in continual t6rmen y; Il loose.
they threaten to slip off evdry mo-
ment, and you ar forced to ma
neuvre about in the m like bat shod
with walnuts.Y H
The man who first introduced
dress-boots, deserves to be enrolled
among the benefactors of the human
race. But on such occasidns 5. they
were not generally worn. So
crowded my feet, as / have sal ID, into {
pair ofpumps. Having perfort rtned my
ablutions with the most SCI 4upulou.
cares and ascertained by divd rs sur
veys that | was as should be il
every respect, ! emptied abb dut hal
the contents of a bottle of cologne
upon my white. 'kerchief,'tOol mod
: crate draught put OF the same, 4
mean the bottl&) by way of Inspiring
mysdlfwith little Dutch courage
and then drawing on my new gloves
sailed forth.
Now behold US, myself and cousin
entering Mrs. Browns we'll filled par
lor! i heartily wished myself hom,
again for, in spite of the cologne
r felt a sort of all-ove1shnesS when
as the noyel-writers say, can be NOR
easily imagined than desprI rIbfd. ;,
: am sure it was not modesty OF bash
e fulness; these are commodifles wit
0 which was never over-stofked.
: could even then, at an examination
n rattle offan extempore t1'anF Flation Q
1 x,1x-d,. hnfnr