The Literary echo, and Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1854, 1853-06-30
Gelelte0.
MANAGING A BLUE.
BY T. 8. ARTHU r.

BY T. s. ARTHUR.
Not long since, there arrived, in a
certain western village, young lady
from near Boston, who, not having been
thrown in the way Of better employment,
had spent nearly all of her time, for
years, in reading. Circumstances had
brought her into the society of intelli-
gent persons, and the conversation of
these gave her mind the habit of think
ing on subjects of more than ordinary
interest, and induced her to read works
of philosophical character Kant,
Carlyle, Degerando, Goethe, Schiller,
became her favorite authors, and she
read them until she had quotations
enough on her tongues end to frighten
away half the young men who approach
ed her.
Miss Phoebe Gray, (that was the
lady's name, was considered even at
home a decided blue. She had early in
life, so she said, been disappointed in
love, and from that time had felt no
more Of the tender passion. Why she
moved to the West was never clearly
understood Some were so malicious as
to hint that manageable young men
were more plenty in that region. But
this must make bold to question,
although some who knew her better,
seriously averred that she had no other
motive for going West.
Be that as it may, the advent of Miss
Gray into Floraville created good deal
of sensation. The young men at first
were very attentive to her, and warm in
praise of her beauty and intelligence,
while the ladies looked at her askance,
and could not be induced to say any
thing in her favor.
"She talks like book" said young
man to his friend, in speaking Of Miss
Gray short time after her arrival
Cor rather like ten books," replied
the friend. "She uses me right up to
nothing in no time with her Kant and
Carlyle, and what does she call it
Gurtr ?"-
Yes, that's it."
And the mischief knows what ALL
The fact of the case is, can't stand
her."
Nor I either"
"Do you think she knows what good
manners are :"
81 don't know. Why :"
"She made me feel bad last night.
Before the whole company she said
You have read Degerando, of course -
and then coolly waited for me to con-
fess my ignorance
"Did you do it :"
"I had never heard of Degerando
What could say 2"
"You could have pretended to be
very familiar with him"
Humph And been made to ex-
pose my ignorance still farther, for she
would have in the next breath asked if
l remembered this or that passage.
Has she ever served you so ?"
mot yet"
"Look out then. I've seen her cor
ner two or three, and worry their lives
half out of them"
"Perhaps they were particularly
green"
"Not more so than you or I. One
was young Purdy, the lawyer, who
knows good deal about books. She
Exposed him cruelty. lie was terribly
mortified. He tried his best to know all
about the authors whose names and
books she introduced, but she under
stood that it was all sham, and stripped
him bare in no time"
This is but specimen of the conver-
sation that became current among the
young men of Floraville, by whom Miss
Phoebe Gray soon become to be held in
fear. There we're three young physi-
clans and as many young lawyers in the
) village, besides score of young men
lwho were clerks or storekeepers. In
ibis profession or calling, each Of these