Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-01-28

paper, and at once would be seen in it by
the different parties traces of the mind of
each of their favorites. They would have
known it to be his if they had seen it m the
moon, if they were by accident located in
that planet and had met with it there.
1t was in this Office that I made the &C
quaintance of the hero of my story-the
grown up apprentice-who bore the uneu-
phonious name of Jabez Bee He was .
spirited fellow, very intelligent, and as full
of mischief "as an egg is full of meat" to
use an expressive modernism. He was q
constant attendant upon the tavern, in all
his leisure moments, where, attracting
crowd of countrymen around him, he would
astonish them by the keenness of his wit
and the extent of his information, and many
marvellous story have his county friends
carried home "as latest news" that origi-
mated in the teeming brain of Jabez. Steam
boats were blown up and railroad accidents
were as common then, in this way, as now,
when the melancholy realities need no
draught upon the fancy, for incident.
But he gained character for wit at the
expense of his moral reputation, which is
too often the case, and at eighteen, though
everybody liked him and laughed with him,
he was set down as not likely "to turn out
very well'-a great phrase in Beanvile
People cautioned their sons and daughters
about going in his company, and ''evil COM
munications corrupt good manners was
was written as copy in every girls and
boys writing book in Beanville. But he
laughed at them all, and the boys joined
him, and the girls, who, somehow or other,
always seemed to set more by the wild and
mischievous than by the staid and prudent,
loved .Jabez very sisterly. He was bold
and generous-qualities which no true wo-
man can see in a man without admiring
them.
Far more discerning than older ones in
matters of soul, they had Disseminated
long ago between the mischief and wildness
! of Jabez, and his malice and wickedness.
and a large balance was set down in their
hearts for his good qualities They saw
sympathetic smile or tear where those who
decried him saw but levity and heartless-
ness. They smiled upon him for striving
to save the child's lamb from drowning in
the we'll, and rejoiced outright when he
threw the bully over the fence, who was
maltreating the widows son.
The most beautiful girl in Beanville was
Susan Bray. She was charming little
creature, with an eye as blue as violet in
. spring, voice as soft as the evening bird,
a cheek like the blush of the apple blossom,
and breath as sweet as its perfume,
breathed over the pearly purity of her
teeth. Her form was slight and graceful,
and as 1.-THE as the bending corn or the
wavy pliancy of the yielding grass. 1 am
not good at describing beauty in ladies;
, it's not my forte-but l am determined
hereafter to put myself under the hand Of
my friend Paul Creyton, or some other
master of art, and become better versed in
the science of drawing word portraits.
Enough it is for my purpose to say that
she was very beautiful, and that over her
beauty was thrown fascination of manner
and propriety that was peculiarly de-
ightfui. She gained for herself from her
admiring companions, the expressive SOU
briquet of s'the Lily of the Vale" and her
modesty and grace justified the title.