The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-05-12

provements. But il was perfectly legal trans
action and why should his conscience be troub-
ledf Having kept an eye on the poor mans
movements, and having bought the land just
one day before Mike could get a pre-emption
right which he was striving to do, aggravated
the inhumanity Of the matter not little; but
it was legally done
1t might have been imagination ON my part,
but | thought WI bever Mike Rankin came
up before him. Mt. Piper felt somewhat dis
satisfied with himself He seemed DESTROYS of
doing something to divert his mind, and said
to his wife-"l wish AIDA would keep awake
till come home. | always want to see her
when get through with my work.
She went to sleep early tonight remark
ed the mother. She has been very busy to-
day with her new tea-set"
Then the father stole softly into the nur-
sery, and for a moment laid his cheek against
Adda's "Sweet cherub1 whispered he
No guile, no error, in thy life yet God grant
there never may be! Did Towser Brighten ia.
TIERS pet today"
"Come here,p said Mira pyper, as he re.cn.
tered the parlor; let me tell you about Mrs
Fay's party
{" Did she do up the honors splendidly 2"
asked he
Yes indeed. was 30 sorry that you were
not present. You know we shall have TO give
party in less than month, and wanted you
to see how perfectly elegant everything was
there; for | thought you would not be out
donen
"Pshsw, Florence have no pride of that
kind
"Well, have The Fays shall not Guido
US even if they have just come from New
York. They thought, suppose, that they were
would astonish all the natives with their eplea.
dor. But they will learn that although our
Michigan people preceded them few years in
coming West, that did not make savages of us
all. | did not spend all my early life in the
vicinity of Boston, without knowing something
of the world. Aside from merit being O rela.
tive Of Judge was always sufficient to
insure reception into any society might wish
to enter" and Mrs. Pyper tossed her pretty
head, and appeared almost incapable of sus.
tanning the full weight of family honors
III do not think, >" returned Mr.. Piper, that
the Fays put on any airs because Of coming
from New York. They seem to me ike very
sensible and excellent people,
Well, kno,0 they do" said Mrs Piper
quite emphatically; "Mrs. Fay told Mrs Cort.
land that she thought we were all very hea.
thenish, till she came here. She thought she
should be the most cultivated woman in all
these parts but she said she found out her
mistake the first half day. She found ladies
who knew quite as much as she"
"Well, Florence, that is decidedly in her
favor. She has sense enough to see that there
is intelligence here, and to appreciate it, She
appears to me perfectly ingenious, full Of fun
and ready to enjoy any society that is enjoy.
able. certainly was quite charmed with her
and | thought, that of all the ladies in c.
she was next to my pretty wife,
This compliment had very soothing effect
Mrs. Piper was quite willing to acknowledge
the merit of Mrs. Fay and others, provided
her own ambition for superiority were graft
fed at the same. time In reply, she only said
When shall we give party! If you will
be at home, would like to have it three weeks
from tonight"
ave may as well have il then, as ever; but,
added he, dis il necessary for e to give one =
Necessary" cried the Astonished wife
"indeed it is"
81 am afraid it will cost too much,n replied
Mr.. Piper, quite gravely
1t will not cost much more than our par
ties usually do. We'had champagne last year
and this will be larger party but | shoul'
think twelve baskets would be enough w
must have music from Detroit-the came ban,
that the Fays had. believe it cost them onl,
fifty dollars"
| Twelve baskets OF champagne" though
| MIR. Piper; "that will cost about one hundred
and fifty dollars. Music from the city ther
| there are the turkeys and quails, and cake, anc
fruit and other fxings. The party will cos
two hundred and fifty dollars. had better
tell her at once that canno. afford it,"
But her face was all animation, and be did
not like to mar her enjoyment. He could not
reveal to her now the dubious prospects before
him still he veptured to demonstrate on one
point.
Let us do without the champagne, Flor.
ence; liquor parties are too expensive"
"Oh no! | could not think of it. There are
the Lees, and Blanchards, and Cortlands. and
scores of Others who drink wine; and | do
not want them to call my party dry one, as
they did Mrs. Harper's" Mrs, Piper insisted
upon having champagne, and champagne they
had. Before the party came of, Mrs Pyper
insisted upon having few bottles Of brandy
in addition, because the Fays had it; and Mr..
Piper, in great meekness, yielded to the re-
quest.
Three weeks were spent in active preparation
for the great event. Mrs. Piper must appear in
a new brocade, that would beft the dignity of
a hostess. The zeal and fidelity displayed in
preparing the delicaoies, the costly and sump-
tuous dishes, were worthy Of a holy cause
They would have been sufficient, if directed
Alright to canonize both mistress and maids
Dancing was provided for by the removal of
the carpet and some other furniture, from the
parlors. Mrs Pyper's reception room was
spacious apartment, fitted up with great taste.
Seldom, in any part Of our country, will you
find more attention paid to the conventional
rules of society than in the little town Of G..
Everything was in perfect order, and in the
latest style.
--latest stylelp some exquisite from the
great metropolis may exclaim. The idea of
finding the latest fashions in Michigan is pre-
posterous." Not so, my reader. When there
was no communication between the Esst and
the West save by mud roads, and it took eight
or ten days TO get through the Maumee
swamp there was great incongruity in fashion
the capricious goddess would alter the cut of
dress and the tie Of cravat half n dozen
times, before the first change should travel
west of the Lakes. But in these days OF rail-
road and telegraph, the case is far different.
Fashion decides upon a certain color, and that
color is adopted throughout the Union in
fortnight. The jewellers on the rocky shores
Of tho Atlantic, and those in the sweet valley
of the "Great Father of Floods" are now in
close proximity, and they are ~ much alike
in dress and manners and convcntionalities, Us
though they had always lived in the same
IL - L.. ,tu IF ttnaa
who have settled in the West, and engaged in
active business have little less mental refine
ment than those who have always fingered
around tho old homestead and sat within the
shadows Of Yale and Harvard still, he who
goes West expecting to find want OF intelli-
gence, will be - much disappointed as Mrs.
Fay processes herself to have been
The party was q brilliant one, displaying
wealth, beauty, and fashion. The music was
fine, the dancing graceful. Everybody was
happy Mrr Pyper had peculiar faculty OF