The Literary echo, and Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1854, 1854-02-09
Gclcltc0.
From the Ladies' Wreath.
THE VALENTINE PARTY.
BY HKLEN IRVING.

Miss Sophronia Arabella Brown was
determined to have Valentine PARTY
she had heard of them in distinguished
cities. Among {" charming coteries,' y
tn y were very popular and very delight
full, and she did not see why there should
not be Valentine Party in Appleville,
as well as in larger and more ambition.
places People of brains were not wholly
confined to cities, and if there were not
taste and intellect enough among hel
:" set' in Appleville to carry off such
an affair with eclat, she thought it was a
pity. A Valentine Party there nigh,
be, and Valentine Party there should
be, and so fully matured sprang this idea
from the brain OF Miss Sophronia, that
reserving only time to think to whom
she should first speak, she donned bon.
net and cloak and furs, and sailed ou,
into the keen frosty air Of a late Janua.
ry day, to " mention the subject" to her
friends.
She was fortunate enough in the
course of an hour or two, to see some
three or four of her female acquaintance,
and by dint of much talking and a great
display of enthusiasm on her part, she
managed to convince them that such an
affair was not only possible, but very
easy of accomplishment-and might be
made something quite distinguished
She even limited that most honorable
mention would be very likely to be
made of it in the Applcville Chronicle
the editor of which having great poetical
talent, was to be invited, although he
was not exactly young man. Miss
Sophronia invited these select friends
Of hers to drop in at her house the next
morning, and then and there the matter
was matured and finally decided, and all
ct ceteras arranged, even to what it
would be advisable to have for enter
tainment, they feeling sure that some
thing more substantial would be expect
ed than the nectar and ambrosia of the
poets.
The invitations for the l4th of Feb
ruary were duly given out, and it was
speedily understood by all the elite OF
Applcville, that a rare and distinguished
occasion was before them--aud all who
were supposed to have brains, and some
who had heretofore quite lived above
such suspicion, were busy connecting
" something good" for Miss Browns
Valentine party. H s
Every town had its poets and scrib-
blers, and Applcvllle had its full share,
so that Miss Browns hopes had very
good foundation of pens, ink and paper t.
rest upon Very many Of the invited
entered into the excitement with great
satisfaction, while others, | am sorry to
say, looked forward to what they were
pleased to call "sport" on that momen-
tous occasion
Miss Sophronia, some people said,
but it must have been maliciously) had
long since turned that "last c,rner''
which entered her upon the list oi
spinister-hood, but the lady herself ap-
peared most sweeily and entirely igno-
rant Of the fact, aud ON all occasion.
wore the bloom aud grace of " twenty.
five,o to which age she blushingly con-
fessed. Miss Brown-shc modcstly
owned it was somewhat " blue" That
the verses, she had one. acknowledged
although she never composed for the
public eye" but she was most diffuse
reader, and she numbered among heI
out town acquaintance no lss than
two quite known literary gentlemen
Perhaps in the happy combination OF
Miss Sophrona's nature, little more
sentimentality may have been ming glec
than in those Of some who surrounded
her, but If it suficed to give her com
Portable self-satisfaction, and to throw
around the scenery and belongings Of th'
very ordinary manufacturing town o