Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1851-06-05
Friends and Fortune.

Mr.. SAMUEL WITHERs at at the age
Of twenty.one, found himself in posses
sion of freedom and fortune. A rich old
uncle, who acted as guardian on the
death Of Smithers' father, had brought
him up in great seelusion at country
town good many miles from New York.
After decent interval, the young gentle
man came to the great metropolis to see
a+little of life, and was, as might be ex-
pected, completely dazzled and bewildered
by the splendors of Gotham. M
baOne Of his earliest visits was to Peale's
Museum, where he failed not to be slnit-
enby the charms of a dancer and sin
ger,swho, in allsthe glory of whiting,
rogue, ganze and artificial flowers, pi-
routed and warbled nightly to the admi-
ration of gaping crowd: Seeing her.
self the object of attraction to q young;
gentie ostentat tioasi aud Tichly at:1
tired, Miss Celestine nezKIggad oon addressed
her notes and steps particularly to, this
unknown and very yerdant admirer. He
smiles his satisfaction; she replied by an
answering smile; he threw her a .boquet;
she pressed it to her heart and raised it to
herlips. Had it been possible, he would
have declared himselfnpon the spot. As
it was, he went to bed at the Astor, and
dreamed of the enchantress, and the next
morning called at her house, and obtain
ed permission Of her mother to pay her q
respectful visit. Though Miss Celestine
was ignorant and conceited, her charms
completely blinded the poor young gen.
tleman, and when he took his leave of
her, he left his heart behind him.
On his second visit, he carried with
him Cashmere shawl, which was CRATE
fully and gracefully accepted. At the
end of the first weeks acquaintance, he
made her present of a necklack of bril-
liants and a set of pearl ornaments, which
cost him FIVE thousand dollars. 1t was a
very extravagant present, but then was
not the lady destined for his brides Three
weeks passed away in ecstacy, and the
deeply enamored youth was all the while
screwing up his courage to propose.
Though infinitely superior to the foolish
and volatile creature who had enslated
him, he considered himself SO vastly be-
meath her, that she inspired him with as
much awe as if she had been an empress,
at the very least.
What, then, was the astonishment. hor-
ror and grief Of Mr.. Smithers, when one
morning the waiter handed him the fol-
lowing note:-.
SIR: It gives me great pain to inform
you that you are an egregious dupe.-
Though stranger to you, / could not
witness the injury done a gentleman of
character and fortune, without protesting
against it. Miss Calestine Rigadon, Of
Barnum's, who is now seeking to plunder
and deceive you, is an arrant coquette
She is engaged to be married to French
barber in Chatham street, and will only
pretend to favor your addresses so long
as she can obtain money of You. an
prepared to furnish evidence of the truth
of my assertions, and for that purpose
will await upon you about dinner time.
Respectfully, your friend,
AUGUSTUS FLAsHER."
Mr.. Smithers' correspondent kept hi
appointment punctually. He was young
man of forty, with very black whisker
and large amount of shirt.eoilar ant
jewelry, and stated that he was a com
mission merchant doing business in Wal
street. His manners were exceedingl..
prepossessing, and after the infinite ser
vice he had done Snithers in opening hi
eyes to the mereenary. character of Mis-
Rigadoon, Smithers7 could do no les
than ask him to dinner. That evening
they, went to the theatre together, and tn
Eext day to the races on the Uniol
Course. In short, they became very init
mate, and Smithers, after having dismissed
the false Miss Celestine from his thoughts