Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1852-09-29
SELECT VARIETY.
MY Wife's New Friend.
ny SETH JONES, JR.


Mrs. Jones has quite habit of cultvating sud
den friendships, which have every appearance of
blooming eternally, but which soon wither i'll the
worlds cold blast. used to think this character
istic was confined TO schoolgirls, who swear i'm
mortal fidelity in letters crossed and recrossed but
forget each other as soon as they have caught
lover. My wife's last acquisition in the way of
| a bosom friend, is Mrs. Mortimer Mowbray, with
whom she became acquainted last summer, when
we were boarding out of town. Mrs. Mortimer
Mowbray had her carriage with her, and created
quite sensation; in fact every lady in the house
was eager to become her confident; but the amia-
BILE department of Mrs. Jones, combined, l doubt
not, with her intellectual accomplishments, rem
cupied the coach, and had the honor of advising
Mrs. Mortimer Mowbray in those thousand grave
perplexions, under which women suffer.
We returned to the city after the Mowbrays, but
etiquette, waived her privileges on this occasion,
and made the first CALL She was gracously re-
ceived, and came home in high spirits. All that
evening she could do nothing but talk of Mrs. Nor
ment," she said "a footman, with manners like
prince, waited at the door. The drawing room
was the perfection Of luxury and taste. Mrs. Now
bray had such sweet cap, and altogether, looked
so lady-like. Her manners were, indeed, the most
arstocratc. Just what one would suppose those
of a countess to be.''
In few days Mrs. Mortimer Mowbray returned
my wifes call, coming in q shining new carriage,
with new span of horses. Her equipage created
quite asensation in our street
Mrs. Jones, soon after this, began to act as If
brooding some vast design, which, not quite
matured, she deemed it wisest to be silent. AT
last, however, the mighty secret was broached.
"I was thinking, Jones'" she said one night,
just as was composing myself to sleep on my pill
low, that we ought to gives party. Not regular
ball, indeed, but select entertainment, where
few congenial minds may be brought together;
should like to introduce my dear Mrs. Mowbray to
some of the choicest of our set.'' -.s"
Now, ,detest parties, small or large but as the
delicacy of my wie's nerves does not allow Of her
being thwarted, made no objection TO this propo-
sition, though sighed to myself.
OF course, my DEAR" answered, "you know
best"
"We'll ask about thirty continued my wife,
warming with the subject" There's Mrs. Whar-
ton, and Mrs. Shinn, and Mrs. Price, and the three
Misses Trelawny," and thus the dear creature ran
on until she had mentioned about forty names, and
saw that her "select party of genial SOULS" was
going to be, after all, a crowded room.
"You have forgotten the two Misses Howell"
said, at last, when my wife stopped for want of
breath. H ta
The two Misses Howell were amiable, intelli-
gen! and pretty girls, in whom took particular in
terest, because their father had once been ex-
tensive shipping merchant, and having been re-
duced died bankrupt, the sisters were compelled TO
earn livelihood by standing in store. They had
numerous rich relations on whom they might have
billeted themselves, but with spirit of independ-
ence, they preferred rather to work for their main
tenance, than to eat the bread of charity. l had
long nourished romantic idea of seeing them mar
ried well, and had constantly made it point al
ways to invite them to our parties-to praise them
to the young gentlemen there and in every other
direct way, to assist in realizing my pet scheme.
| My wife, heretofore, had seconded me in my be-
nevolent plan but on the present occasion she hes
itated TO reply, and knew at once that there was
something in the matter. ...'' ~
fro BE CONTINUED.