Daily American telegraph., 1852-03-20
AMERICAN TELEGRAPH.
: --------------
THE GIGGLING GENIUS.
q BY MARY IRVING

| t"Onee upon time, /" In a garden---no matter
4 where---I sat down under grapevine trellis
Y to write composition---that is, to write the
rough copy, for always had fancy that nv
| thoughts flowed more smoothly into words out
among the grasshoppers and humblebees than
within the four walls of my room papered
over with odd figures of blue roses and purple
antelopes. But that afternoon there seemed to
be some some serious obstacle in the way of my
thinking at all upon the character Of "Queen
Elizabeth" ," my subject for that week serb
bled a tree at the head of my paper, then sat
and bit the end of my pencil, in vain hope OF
coaxing some remarkable idea to strike me,
To tell the truth, was not very well satisfied
with myself. ! was conscious Of having done
most impolte thing, for Miss of thirteen,
that morning at school. 1t was this
| ] had gone with my classmates into the
| large recitation room, to hear the compositions
Of one of the divisions. All went on finely
7 until a young gentleman, with very foppish
air, rose up to read his essay. He fourished
white handkerchief about his face, and mado
ludicrous apology for i" a bad cold, which af-
fected his organs Of speech" then commenced
reading in a style SO half-sentmental, half
pompous, and wholly y-absurd, that | lost all
control of my risibles Before could carry
my handkerchief half way to my mouth, I
burst into a fit of laughing that startled ell
my seat-mates, confused the poor young man
exceedingly, and called down most majestic
frown upon me from my indulgent teacher.
tried to check it, but could not 50 buried my
whole face in my handkerchief and that in my
two hands, and sat silently shaking the bench
until we were dismissed. | went out at last,
fairly crying with modification, though still
unable to stop the twitching of my lips when
ever recalled that bombastic tone Sober re-
Election, after went home, made me still more
| ashamed Of having done as | would by no
means shave been done by" So, as | sat
there under the grape-leaves, with tall red
hollyhock nodding before me, and hedge of
corn behind that, quite fencing me in, could
call up no other thought but this" Dear me,
it was too bad wish | could help laughing
SOL"
leaned my head against the trellis and sat
looking into the sky for my first sentence
"He-he-he !" Uttered queer little voice at
my ear, starting me from my revery. looked
about me in wonderment, but could not see
anything, and began to think must have been
dreaming. "Te-he! cle-gle-e!" chuckled
the voice again, and the tip of the hollyhock
brushed almost against my forehead A little
| figure, covered with what seemed kind of
green gauze armor darted upright in the top
most blossom, and stood pointing long wand
broken from a wheat-ear, ut me, with grin
as broad as his small mis-shapen face was
capable Of wearing. He looked more like one
! of those gutta percha images given to children
by Santa Claus that resemble nothing on the
face of the earth but themselves, than like any
image had formed of fairy, such as old
story-books tell us about So rubbed my
eyes, and said, rather contempt lously-
"What sort of creature are you, coming
here to disturb me 2"
"Hu-hu he-he-e! Not so grand my
little lady, or I'll try the virtue of this wheat
spear on your lips again Gl-gl! he-he !"
and he shook the hollyhock violently
@lf you are anything but fool stop laugh
ing, and tell me what you came for, and who
you are
"Ha-ha! So you won't own an old ac-
quaintance Don't know me? Oh--ho"
al hope not wish you would take your
self off out of my sight J"
"Wait bit Ha-har You got nightly
yexed with me this morning, and I've just come
to make up. He-he-he!"
"Who are you, then 7 " | exclaimed Selling
the stem of the hollyhock, and holding it still
so that might look more closely at him.
! HIM he exclaimed with Iaost mis-
chieyous smirk. "They call me the Gigglng
Genius at your ladyshipis service Te-he J"
vice, = said |, pushing the bush as far from me
as ! could "What business had you in the
recitation room this morning."
"Only to make you q morning call dear
You see you're one Of my favorites He--he !
And Eve better manners than to neglect you y
put out my hand impatently to catch him
and punish him, but he lodged it most skilful-
ly, redoubling his peals of provoking laughter
"Ho-ho-o! Better give it up! haven't I
fancy for being caught and Gagged yet I've
o mighty empire of subjects to attend upon !"
! 81 should think some of the boys in our
school might know you well enough ! said
leaning back rather resentfully.
"Ah--ha let me alone for that Rich
| fun among school-boys and schoolgirls, too
Eh-hehf Just let me rasp the end Of this
file against the tip Of fellows nose when he
il leaning his elbows on the dog sears Of his
geography-wont he shake his ribs, though
Then to see the teacher turn about so soberly
to find out what the matter is and meanwhile,
tickle the back Of little girls neck, and she
suddenly thinks it outrageously funny to see
the school-ma'am staring about, and chuckles
out before she knows it Then up she goes on
the dunce-block, and puts up her apron to cry.
He--he-he there's rich harvest for me
then! Don't buzz about the room in a trice
patting the eye-lids and cheeks Of dozen or
two And then the winks and the filters. and
the states that 90 up to hide them The
teacher gets puzzled, and goes about rapping
for order, while everything is in fine confusion
Ha-ha ~
"You are saucy creature, and ought to be
knocked out Of society :" | exclaimed
"Eh, you don't know half my tantrums yet
Rare fun had last Sunday. First, drove of
young men came stalking in before service
began | was busy among them, poking my
,rnn1 into thar aara and hnzzinr nll sorts Of