The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1854-04-06
The Scandal Monger;
OR, HINTS FOR HINTERS.

or how few they might be, for the circum
! stance which [ am going to narrate Nigh
have been equally likely to occur at an
time or at any place-being deprived o
the beloved home in which | had passet
my earlier years, | retired into a neigh
borhood with which | was wholly unac
quainted, and the inhabitants of which
were to me entire strangers. | am some
what of social turn, and also of a sang
uine temperament; and, as is natural to s
mind of that stamp, had formed many
very pleasant schemes for my future life
and having heard that there was circle
of very agreeable society in the place, tc
which had several satisfactory letters o.
introduction, not few of those schemes
were based on the valuable friendships
and pleasant acquaintance [ expected to
form. My comfortable cottage home was
situated in the outskirts of a populous
town; and, pending the delivery of the a.
foresaid letters. [ was very much interest
ed in speculating on the habits and char
acters of the people I met with in my
walks, and who | hoped would in time be
among those friends, concerning whom l
had been building so many castles in the
air. l am no gossip; indeed, l shrink
from the whole system of busy -bodying
and scandal-mongering, and feel it to be
very just remark that for every tale of
scandal that is told, at least three persons
are injured-namely, the speaker, the
listener, and the person spoken of. But
there is a difference between watching
ones neighbors with a view to find out
their private concerns for purposes of tat
tie, and that natural interest with which
we observe those who are to form our
future associates, and with whom our
home and social comforts are to be close
ly interviewer. 1t was with this latter
feeling, and with cordial desire to like
and approve, that [ was watching my fu-
ture friends and associates, and amusing
my rather speculative mind by ima agining
great deal about them, especially about
some few individuals whose appearance
was particularly attractive, when, to my
surprise, and no small pleasure, one
morning encountered an old schoolmate,
with whom, in early days, [ had been
closely intimate, although since that time
We had seen little or nothing of each 9th
er. Our pleasure in meeting was mutual,
each lady gave the other most affec
tionate greeting; and in the course of our
Walk-for We instantly joined company,
as in days of yore. and gave ourselves up
to chat-each communicated to the other
the outline of her history since we last
met. My friend, Mrs. Frazer, had mar
ried an officer in the army, and during
the time of her married life had lived
chiefly abroad, She was now widow,
and with a son and two grown-up daugh-
ters, had been for some years resident at
Morton, and was, in fact, one of my
nearest neighbors. A cordial invitation
to join her and her girls at their tea table
was given, and most willingly accepted;
dear young niece, who had just arrived
on visit to me, and had shared our ram
bic, being of course included in the inVi-
tation.
The lovely morning had turned off into
a pouring wet afternoon, but Lizzie and I
were not the least daunted, and with
clogs, cloaks, and umbrellas, sailed forth
just before dusk on our expedition. The
bright sea-coal fire, with fine cracking
log of wood on its summit, and the pleas
ant and cheerful aspect of everything a.
bout the abode of my friend, were most
cxhilerating after our dripping walk, and,
coupled with the warm and affectionate
welcome of Mrs. Frazer and her daugh-
ters, made me rejoice that | had not al
lowed the rain to prevent our visit. The
two girls-Agnes, who had been our
companion in our mornings walk, fine
and intelligent girl of about twenty; Grace,
whom | had not before seen, graceful
and lovely girl, a year or so younger
were SO attractive in their appearance,
and so warm in their reception of my Liz
zie, that l fell quite in love with them;
and when placed in luxurious easy chair
by the freside, and in close proximity to
a tea-table well spread with all those
pleasant accompaniments which belong
10 Luat lDSdl III uOuScS " ucIS IuC IuuldtCo
dine early. Ispeedily began to feel my
self quite at home, aud fell into a state of
high enjoyment, no doubt greatly en-
hanced by the circumstance of my hav-
ing for some previous weeks spent every
evening in solitude. AS usual, [ took the
first opportunity that was offered me by
a lively talk which was being carried on
by the young ones, of noticing those a.
round me- Mrs. Frazer was, at once
saw, a clever and shrewd woman, with
strong sense of the ludicrous, and cohsid-
erable quickness in detecting absurdity or
Inconsistency in others, with little dispo-
sition to reserve in exposing them. Agnes
fine high forehead, and the thoughtful ex-
preston of her clear, dark eyes, indica-
ted a mind of a high intellectual stamp;
and in sweet Grace, there seemed com
bination of the characters OF the mother
and sister, her lively blue eye catching
and rejecting with singular rapidity eve
rything of mirthful character; whilst at
t;pac whom otbar subjects arose | could