New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-01-11
The Wife Of Blennerhassatt.

Ter OF ms companion. History affords but few
instances where SO much feminine beauty, phys
ical endurance, and many social virtues were
embodied with so brilliant mind, in the person
of female.
Her stature was above the ordinary height of
her sex; her form well proportioned and beau
tifully symmetrical her manners Of the most
captivating gracefulness, with sufficient digni- I
ty to repel familiarity and command respect |
Her dark blue eyes, beaming with love and affee
ton, and sparkling with life and intelligence
looked forth from beneath the long brown
lashes, which hung as curtains to conceal their
charms. Features of Grecian mold, embel-
lished by complexion whose carnation hue,
health, and the hand Of nature, had painted
Her hair, which was Of dark brown ctlor,
was usually concealed beneath a hcad-dress of
rich colored silk, worn after the manner of the
Turkish turban.
Her mind was not less polished than her
manners; and the fuency with which she wrote
and spoke the French and Italian languages
indicated a high degree of cultivation, which
few, even in this golden age of science and let
ters, have ever attained to. Her taste for dra-
matte composition led her to adopt, as a favorite
pastime, the rehearsal of Shakspeares PLAYS
These were usually executed with an effect
which would have done honor to more professed
connoisseurs, and exhibited talent which need
ed only cultivation to have won laurels of last
ing freshness in the theatrical world Her
familiarity with various French and English
authors rendered her an agreeable companion
for the man of letters, and proved valuable
assistant to her husband in recalling to mind
some opinion or expression of an author which
had escaped his memory 5@8.
She cultivated, to some extent, o taste for
poetry, and produced several pieces which are
still in existence. But it is only in the every
day affairs OF life that we can gain a perfect
knowledge of the true character of individuals
1t was in this peculiar sphere that Mrs. Blen-
nerhassett exhibited an uncommon degree of
excellence, and won the affection of all within
her influence She adapted her customs to the
society around her, and joined in their amuse-
ments and festivities with all the spirit of one
accustomed to frontier life from earliest infancy
Riding on horseback was delightful and
healthy exercise, in which she frequently par
ticipated. At such times she was usually hab-
tied in fine cloth dress, of scarlet color, richly
bespangled with gold and glittering buttons.
From her downy hat waved sc the graceful
plume of the ostrich," and the rich folds of her
drapery fell gayly over the hanks of her noble
steed Over hill and through dale, with the
heetness of the deer, she took her course, and
seldom did her attendant get a glimpse of his
sprightly charge until she checked her speed
to await his coming.
That she was capable of extraordinary phy-
| by the long and speedy walks she performed,
| whether on business or visiting some fayorite
| friend. She has been known to accomplish a
4 pedestrian tour, of from ten TO twenty miles,
with as much ease as other ladies would max,
their usual calls among city or village acquain.
tances Bounding over them with astonishing
agility, she carelessly pursued her way, as
though tracing the more familiar paths of tn,
wild woods.
Although she participated in the various
amusements through the country, and was thu
ruling spirit of every assembly, she never neg.
lected the ordinary duties of her household
every apartment received her personal atten.
tion, from the kitchen to the chambers, and
was duly cleansed and arranged according tc
her direction. By her were the daily tasks oi
the servants assigned, while she performed with
cheerfulness the duties devolying on herself.
| In short, like Shakspeare's Portia,
| ssShe was, indeed, rich -souled creature, in
| whom the first germs Of womanhood had BIOS
somed forth, without weed to check, or chill
to blight their growth"
| THE TYRANTS OF TEE HoUSEHoLD.-F his
| rule over his family, or for his conduct to his
wife and children--subjects over whom his
power is mon archal--any one who watches the
world must think with trembling sometimes ol
the account which many a man will have to
render. For in our society there is no law tc
control the king of the tireside. He is a master
of property, happiness, life almost. He is free
| to punish, to make happy or unhappy, to ruin
or to torture. He may kill wife, gradually
and be no more questioned than the Grand
| Senior who browns slave at midnight. Ht
may mike slaves or hypocrites Of his children
| or friends and freemen, or drive them into re
volt and enmity against the natural law of love
have often heard politicians and coffee-hous,
| wiseacres talking over the newspapers, and rail
| ing at the French King and the Emperor, ant
wondered how these (who are Monarchs, too, il
/ their own way,) govern their own dom inions n
home, where each man rules absolute Whel
the annals of each little reign are shown to th
Supreme Master, under whom we hold soyer
eighty, histories will be laid bare of householt
tyrants as cruel as Amarnth. and as reckles
and dissolute as Charles [Thackeray
@=-=-E=E=m-
i WHAT THEY WON'T OWN TO.-Punch says, il
his Pocket Book for 1854, s' there are severa
things which you never can by any acciden
get IL lady-be she young or old-to confes
to" Here are some Of them ss That she lace
tight. That her shoes are too small for her
That she is ever tired at ball That sh,
paints. Shat she is as old as she looks. Tha
she has been more than five minutes dressing
Thatshe kept you waiting. That she blushee
when certain persons name was mentioned
That she ever says thing she doesn't mean
That she is fond of scandal. That she cam
keep secret. That she--she is of all person.
in the worlds in love. That she doesn't wan
new bonnet. That she can do with one singh
thing less when she is about to travel Tha
she hasn't the disposition of an angel, or tn
temper of q saint--or how else could she g
through one half of what she does That sh
doesn't know better than every one else what
best for her That she is o frt or coquettt
That she is ever in the wrong
as @------
CoRPULENcE A CRIME. The ancient Sparta
paid as much attention to the rearing of mel
as the cattle breeders in modern England do
the breeding of cattle. They took charge of IL
frmness and looseness of mems flesh, and regr
, lated the degree Of fatness to which it was Law
full, in free State, for any citizen to exten
, his body. Those who dared to grow too fat
too soft for military exercise and the service
Sparta, were soundly whipped In one part
cular instance, that of Nauclis, the son of Poly
bus, the offender was brought before the Ephor
and q meeting of the whole people of Sparta, 9
, which his unlawful fatness was publicly exposed
9 and he was threatened with perpetual banist
f ment if he did not bring his body within the r.
\ gular Spartan compass, and give up his culpao
0 mode of living, which was declared to be mo-
worthy Of an Ionian than son OF Lacedamo
!, Bruce
t The Washington Star asserts that the Cal
forna Steamship Company positively refused to delay
departure of their steamer for day order
allow the Government opertunity to send out imp