Daily American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1852, 1852-09-13
RACE FOR AN HEIREss.

Sir Hercules Tuition was intent on his Chimes"
Lady Tufton played with piece of dry toast
and slipped her tea. Miss Tuition had finished
her breakfast, and was absorbed in Tennyson's,
last new poem, trying to admire it oil, but fail
ing now and then. A very little King Charles
spaniel, with the most orthodox snout of the
most diminutive size, lay on the hearth-rug,
drowsiness struggling with greedness for ascend
ancy over him for he one moment prcked up
his ears, and wagged his tail, as he saw fresh
mouthful Of toast being conveyed to Lady Tuf-
toms lips, and the next moment involuntarily
closed his eyes, overcome by the genial warmth
of the bright fire.
Lady Tuition hemmed once or twice in signif-
icant manner, and glanced towards the ''Times,"
behind which sat her lord. Lady Tuition had
evidently q communication to make, or a favor
to ask she was dying to speak, but she had been
married long enough to know that disturbing a
man over his paper is only less dangerous than
interfering with bear over his dinner, and very
similar to it in effect. Lady Tuition, therefore,
waited in anxious expectation, while her husband
calculated an occasional growl over "that vile
'Times,'" which was etcrnaly writing up free
trade, and running landlords; but which, in spite
Of its villainy, Sir Hercules still continued to pc
ruse day by day, though he might, like con-
sistent man, have had the " Morning Mlksop''
for the same money
Sir Hercules Tuition was baronet, with four
hundred years pedigree, and rent roll of twelve
thousand per annum. He was about ffty-two
years of age a handsome, healthy, good sort Of
man; hospitable to his friends and benevolent
to the poor proud of his good name, in every
sense Of the term proud of his daughter; proud
of his stud aiectionate to his wife; hearty
hatcr Of new tangled fashions, whether in poll
tics, religion, farming, or top-boots with just
enough brains TO make his friends pronounce him
a sound, sensible fellow, and with little enough
Of knowledge or talent of any kind to enable his
enemies TO abuse him "ponderous country
gentleman" pr excellence.
Lady Tuition was character less easily de-
scribed, and therefore will not attempt it Just
now but leave it to develope tself-that favortc
phrase for everything nowadays from Puseyism
to French revolutions-in the course Of these
pages.
Jessie Tuition, the daughter of this worthy cou
pie, was nineteen years of age, and as charming
n girl as this world of imperfections is likely to
behold Some thought her hair a shade too light
some declared that her nose was triie too aqui-
line; some objected to her mouth as rather too
large; in fact, she had plenty Of minor defects,
like every other woman whom it has been our lot
to behold; but most people, nay, all admitted
that u finer pair Of dark eyes, a more brilliant
and regular set of teeth, a more graceful figure,
or prettier hand and foot than Jessie Tufton's
seldom fell to the lot Of any one favored descend
ant OF mother Eve.
She was an heress too hciress to the Tufton
estates of twelve thousand u year Would she
not have been q goddess with onc-half of the
charms we have alluded to? As it was, beauty
and heiress she had suitors and admirers, secret
and declared without number. But she had
hitherto manifested little disposition to favor
any 1t is true that the specimens of the male
sex she had seen and met at her fathers table
we're by no means calculated to fascinate young
lady of taste; for Sir Hercules lived in the coun-
try and his intimate friends were chiefly neigh
boring saures, with souls devoted to turnips and
Southdowns and very clerical clergymen, with
ideas almost as contracted, though within differ
cnt sphere. Suffice it, however, that the few
who made direct advances received such very
unequivocal proofs of what would be their fate
if they persisted, that like prudent generals they
effected as orderly a retreat as possible.
Hitherto the Tuftons had lived entirely in the
country. This year, however, was their hrst
season in town, and Jessie had ''come out, or
made her debut, as it is more fashionably termed
of late. 1t was only now the very commence
mcnt of the London season, viz: early in the
month Of April, that most uncomfortable period, |
when fires and great-coats arc debatable ques
tions, and Rotten Row is impossible; when the
trees in Grosvenor Square thrust forth sickly- |
colored infantile leaves from their soot-begrmed
branches, and the sun dries up one hour the
damp which try-looking cloud had showered
on the pavement in the previous one; when the
Operas are open, but all the best singers have
the influenza; and when the relative attractions |
of an ice d la Vanah, or a glass OF marischino
puzzle the brains of many a loungcr at Oranges
or Verrcys.
A long yawn from Sir Hercules warned Lady |
Tufton that the baronet had finished the most in
teresting portion of his paper, and was yainly
endcayoring to find entertainment in some remote
corner of it. devoted to wonderful phenomenon
OF the new melodrama at the Surrey. She saw
that she might venture to speak.
Don't you think, dear, that Mr.. Pcrcival is
a very sensible young man? p she began, feeling
her way cautiously, and clcverly too, for this
same Mr. Percival had been agreeing most cor
daily the night before with all Sir Hercules's old
fashioned politics.
"Very" replied her husband. "What pack
Of Internal lies !" he continued, soto Uoce.
Lady Tuition started but found, on inquiry
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