The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1854-06-03
Grlertc0 Storm.
FLORA BLANCHARD:
OHe, DELICATE HEALTH.
CHAPTER III.
DELICATE ATTENTIONS.

|
DELICATE ATTENTIONS.
Flora at eighteen was certainly an elegant
grl-Shc was bcauty-Shc was Il belle. The
lovely infant, as we first saw her, had grown
to lovely girl She was blcst with no orlin-
airy share of natural intelligence, and her
reading, left to herself, had been such as the
topics of conversation suggested; and thus by
nature and by circumstances she was qualified
to shine with great conversational powers.
| When the cnnui of the morning and the fa-
| tigucs of of her dinner were over, and her eye
was lighted with lustre which the reader by
this time understands, her comments on the
last book or the last event; her salley and
ton even among cotcrie of brilliant women.
Her figure and her face was such as to arrest
attention and command admiration wherever
she movcd-only be 1t understood after that
time of day when girls take their hair out of
papers. A woman's character before that
time in the morning is of some consequence to
her hurband; but candidates for matrimony
seldom meet at so carly an hour, unless in
deed it be by appointment. In that case the
days work of disguise begins earlier, so that
nothing is gained on the one side, or lost on
the other
As Flora's father had the reputation of be-
ing wealthy, her charms were in no danger of
passing unnoticcd or unappreciated. Hosts
of admirers dangled about her, and very many
mercantile young men had great confidence
in her father BY the votes of the younger
portion of the frequentcrs of Change, Mr..
Blanchard was created one of the judges on
the Rialto. His acquaintance was cultivated
and his advice asked, and he was reaching
that age when active business operations on
his own account began to lose their charm,
he was never niggard of information when APP
piled to for it: and to do him justice, it was
always sound. He took sincere pleasure in
communicating his view to the young men
who appealed to him; and was never happier,
except in the very act of dining, than when
he had dozed offhis dinner, taken one cup of
tea, and seated himself in the centre of the
knot of three to six young men, who came
like academicians of yore to listen to the
maxms of this modern mercantile Socrates.
To be sure diversion of portion of his
auditory would generally be made to an adj
joining room, where Flora's piano, Flora s
paintings, Flora's conversation, or in word
Flora s self, for some one Or all of the attrac-
tons, was the magnet.
Fortunate were the young men who could
as authorized frequent calls, and ensured them
welcome at Mr.. Blanchard's house. AS he
grew older, this grew daily more difficult
Gout had begun to make attacks upon the
old gentleman at such frequent intervals, that
it was quite an event to see him expose HIM
self upon Change, through he rolled every
day down to his counting room in his car
riage. lie could not endure to stand three or
four hours per day in the street as had been
his wont; and when he did venture foran hour
or so to mix with his mercantile friends on
Change, the inference directly drawn by the
noters of signs was that seme important COM
mcrcial operation or revolution was in embryo.
The pres,n,e of Nicholas Biddle ESQ.,, himself
in the streets of our city could hardly give
rise to more surmiscs and hints.
The informal lcvces at the Blanchard house
occurred just at that hour in the twenty-four
when Flora liked best to be seen. In the
evening she was herself. Vivacious, cheerful,
and naturally and conventionally good-humor-
cd, she always, as before stated caused a de-
fiction among her fathers mercantile disci-
pies. This detection the old gentleman might
occasionally slightly rate them for-buti it was
only slightly. Were they not, in the atten-
ton shown to his daughter complimenting
him upon the accomplishments, for which he
flattered himself she was indebted to her faith
Err! He had paid the bills, unquestionably-
but it was doubtful whether for anything but
delicate health, Flora was under very heavy
obligations to her parents.