New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1852-09-20
ALICE OR, THE LOVERS.

ssHe is conceited fop, and l hate him.
don't wish to have anything to do with him. l
have great mind not to go.''
Such were the words of pretty Miss Alice to
her mother, as the door closed on Mr. Hiram
Blunt: She was charmingly dressed in readi-
small l-crowned and broad brimmed straw hat,
with yellow fringe and green ribbons, which
her mother was holding out for her
Poor Mr., Hiram had come down to Bloomfield
with the express intention of making an impress
sion on Miss Alice He had seen her but once
before; it was for about ten minutes, at an
evening party some where the preceding winter,
where he heard her sing one song, her beauty
and her voice, and her fascinating manners,
had captiyated his attention, and he had cher
ished her image in his memory. There was to
be picnic at Bloomfield, where she lived with
her mother; and he had succeeded in prevailing
upon his aunt, who lived in the same village, to
secure an invitation for him in such a way that
he should be the escort of Miss Alice He had
driven out from the city the evening before, and
had aceoutred himself in the morning of the
auspicious day with much care and trouble
Like many people, however, he did not know his
own good points and fortunately for the excel
| lence of his general character, his best point
was not his dress. Not that he had dressed
himself in bad taste he had too much good
sense for that but nicely arranged external
of Mr.. Hiram Blunt When, therefore, he ap-
peared before Miss Alice in a jaunty littlestraw
hat, with a long ribbon hanging down on one
side, and q tailors freak in the sc sack" line for
a coat, and a white vest, and faultless collar,
with striking cravat selected for the occasion,
after an examination of the assortments to be
found in all the stores of the eity--tied after
many trials, in q most accurate knot, his
s'pants" cut in the most unexceptionable style;
and his bright vanished leather shoes shining
with their little silver clasps-when he appeared
in this guise, with ridiculously slender silver
topped cane in his hand, he suggested the idea
Of a dandy SO broadly, that it concealed his
true nature SO effectually, and he completely
efaced from the mind of Miss Alice her agree
able impression Of the ten minutes of the pre-
ceding winter, and caused her to dread passing
in his presence the whole day, which she had
indeed been anticipating with impatienee, as one
of pleasure.
However, her mother represented to her that
she must 60 now, since she had promised, and
being herself really too sincere girl to feign
sudden headache--as we fear some young Ia
dies would have done under the circumstances
she put on the mall-erowned broad -brimmed
hat, with its straw fringe and green ribbons,
and waited the return of Mr.. Hiram with his
buggy for they were to ride to the scene of ac-
ton. And when he came back in a few mo-
ments to say that the horse was waiting at the
door, and lost his speech for half a second i'm
admiration .of her, She warmed towards him
ENOUGH to smile pleasantly. and to bound ont Of
the house with the semblance of eaeerness. she
recovered her coldness and dislike however, in
time to restrain herself from eiyins him the On. T.
riously wrought decoration Of flowers which she
had indeed been at much Mains to nrenore for
him, and determined to dispose of il in some
better way. Mr., Hiram had BROUGHT ont n verv
dasbinp city couipare to take Miss Alice to the
picnic, altogether beyond the fashion Of the u
Village of Bloomfield. and the stately horse. ,,n-
blinied and uncurbed, waiting impatientiy in
his ribbon- like harness. and the vehicle with
it's wheels, the spokes Of which were attenuated
almost to nonentity. renewed in her mind her
preiudices.
And so the long and winding ride to the pic-
mic ground, about Which both had formed an
ticipations With considerable eacerness, proved
a disannointment Nature had done ali she
could to make it a pleasant ride. The road
was beautiful-now Wholly shaded by trees,
which. bending over the narrow way, almost
formed q continued arch-now running by the
side of a rurpling brook, and now on a hill top,
affortlinp n fine view of a highly cultivated
country The day, too, was fine the sun shone
BRIGHTLY, but the air was cool, and there was
slieht breeze, But Mr.. Hiram, with the same
fa tal misapprehension of his own character, had
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