New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1852-04-21
Really! Indeed! impossible!

friends resident in a quiet country town. we be-
came quite interested IN the tactics of the neigh
bors, and acquainted with their social condition
6 think we have almost exhausted our visit
ing rouna,' said our hostess, Mrs Smith, one
as she replenshed her card case,
G. with the exception Of Realty, H1deed, and I'M
possible. to whom We must introduce you. You
look puzzled but L mean the three Misses
Bonderlay, who are usually distinguished by
these interjectional names We will forthwith
send them an invitation to tea this evening" and
they shall be their own etymologists"
At the appointed hour, three ladies were
ushered into the drawing room, bearing so start
ling resemblance to each other in person, man.
ner, and costume, that we at once decided that
they must be trims. Not so, however; there was
ayear or two's difference in age between them
which rendered the strong resemblance more re-
lnarkable. They were tall, well formed, plump
ladies, of middle or uncertain age; with round
unmeaning faces, faxen locks, and pale blue
eyes. There Was not perceptible thread OF
pucker different in their three dresses, which
must have fitted all indiscriminately the faxen
cnrls were arranged in precisely the same waves
round each meaT countenance and the neat
caps, with bright, :reen ribbons, doubtless had
the same exact quantity of tulle and gauze in
their tashioning. Each sister owned delicate
work k-basket--trinai baskets also; and in eacl
receptacle reposed a similar square of worsted
work, the same to the last stitch We hear0
the visitors named as Miss Bonderlay, Miss Pau
lima Bonderlay. and Miss Constantia Bonderlay !;
but that was of no use. since they were not
ticketed, and our blunders became embarrassing
and ludicrous. We addressed Miss Bonderlay
as Miss Paulina, when the senior lady drew vi
with dignifed composure, and pointing to hel
sister, said: SO am Miss Bonderlay; that lady
is Miss Paulina Bonderlay" And so on witt,
the other two, who explained that they were
juniors, as they waved lily hand towards their
eldest sister. indicative of her supremacy. But
as the evening advanced. we learned to distin-
gush them by popularity of expression.
which had gained for these amiable maidens the
somewhat singular cognomens of Really! In.
deed and Impossible! for their conversation,
if conversation it could be called, consisted al
most wholly of these inter rjections, pronounced
in an unvarying, monotonous voice, while no
shadow OF emotion was perceptible on the cloud
less expanse of their unwrinkled physiognomies
When they were addressed in the usual con
versational appeal which demands a reply O
some kind, Miss Bonderlay, slipping her tea, OF
bending over her work, softly calculated: ss Re-
ally' you turned to Miss Faulina for some
more tangible announcement of her opinion, she
responded, in precisely the same tone: 'sIn-
deed And when, as last resource, you
looked towards Miss Constantia, the word s' I'm
p0ssible'" and that word alone, fell in honeyed
accents from her ruby lips. BY this means they
were easily distinguished; and their most in.
innate friends often failed to recognize which
was which when apart, and sometimes even when
they We're together, until the talismanic sylla-
bles gave to each her individuality. The pecu-
iiarity gave rise to little good -humored rid-
cue; but, for our part, we thought it quite won.
derful how well they played their part in con
sn a OF of
is much pliablity of meaning, however, in az
lnterjection: and in company, where there arc
always several persons who are anxious to be
heard, 1t is Il positive virtue. In Miss Constan.
tla's intonation Of her favorite impossible T.
it seemed 10 me that there mingled dash OF
sadness, kind Of musical and melancholy ca
dcnce, which was followed by an unconscious
absence Of mind. eyidencjng the fact that her
thoughts were what is vulgarly termed wool.
gathering On mentioning this impression to
Mrs. Smith, she complimented us on our kee,,
observation. since, in truth, a tinge of the ro.
mantle did attach to the history of the fair Con.
stantia; and she then sketched the following
outline, leaving all details to be filled up by The
imagination Of the auditor:
The Misses Bonderlay, it seems, had attained
the age OF womanhood when, by the decease Of
their surviving parent, a man of high moral
recttude, but stern disciplinarian, they were
left in possession of a comfortable independence
fully equal to their moderate wants. They had
teen governed with such an iron rule, and
treated as such absolute automatic from their
childhood, that when the hand of death released
them from the despotic sway, its effect still con-
tinued apparent in the constraint which habit
had rendered second nature They continued to
reside in their native town, only removing to n
smaller house, and pursued undevatingly the
routine they had always been accustomed to-
routine which might well bear comparison, in
is monotony and apathy, with that of monastic
seelusion. humor, with her thousand tongues.
had never singled out these vestal ladies as Oh
jects Of matrimonial schemes; no suitors dark
cned their doors or disturbed their peace; they
made no enemies, and, perhaps, no very enthu-
si0stc friends. They listened to the gossip re-
tailed oy their neigh6ors, as in politeness bound
but the imperturbable, F." really" :. indeed y
and s impossible!" gave no encouragement to
gossp they never asked questions, never prop
agated reports, but listened and calculated, and
Calculated and listened, giving and rcceiv-
ing no offence. 1t lever was positively ascer-
tanned whether the Misses Bonderlay conversed
among themselves; but popular opinion main
tanned. that they did not, assigning the ill-na-
tured reason, that they had nothing to say
Being neither oral inquirers nor readers, what
could they have to talk about: Still, popular
pPtiitvli IL pitsii NIO anu pefla S II was so In
this instance. AT any rate, if they did not ex
change confidential sentiments, quarres were
avoided; and smoothly the three fair sisters
sailed down the troublous stream of time
1t was great and stirring event in their
tranquil lives when maternal uncle, as if to
vindicate the fidelity of old romance, did ac-
tually return from India to his native land with
large fortune. Mr.. Elliston, childless wild
over, took up his abode at watering place,
and sent for his eldest niece, Miss Bonderlay,
She promptly oheyed the summons, and of course
it was generally reported, with some coloring,
that the bulk Of the nabob's fortune would be
hers if she played her cards WELL" But she
did not play her cards we'll, as the event turned
out for the old splenetic Indian tired very soon
of the monotonous " Really!' the sole response
to his wonderful narratives of tiger hunting
and Eastern marvels in general. At length
Mr.. Ellston bluntly gave his visitor to under
stand that he wished to see Miss Paulna, and
poor, crestfallen Miss Bonderlay returned
home, and Miss Paulina departed in her turn
to ill the vacant place at the nabob's board.
She remained considerable time longer than
her eldest sister had done, and it was surmised
that " Indee1." had proved more agreeable
than " Really!" But, alas for human fore
sight and conjecture the second Miss Bonder-