True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1855-01-04

ne IL sO noDle-SO renlOVeu If0ln tnc petty
vanities Of society
'He needn't think he's coming here to
astonish and bewilder us Yankee girls,
Blanche replied Mr.. Dunnoran, as they
were alone together.
She laughed. 4 hadn't any idea he
was such man; I imagined him more of
a coxcomb.'
you wouldn't have so much objection to
striving to win such man, eh?'
yes replied Blanche, stoutly, Twould
not strive to win any man. Ills not my
place
We'll, well see.'
Blanche came down after tea, dressed
for the evening, in a white india muslin,
its treble skirts flowing in soft, ample folds
around her delicate figure, and few nat
ural flowers in her hair and in the bosom
of her dress.
'How now, my pretty canary bird
What's this but striving to win, hey? all
this feecy muslin and choice flowers said
her father.
Now I know you are only teasing your
Blanche, papa; of course I want to please
that is natural for woman and RIGHT.
like to look pretty for every body, but
| wouldn't try to catch an emperor
Excuse me, Mr.. Dunnoran-the SER
want told me should find you here
Blanche blushed scarlet as she turned
and beheld Mr.. st. Clair. What would
he think Nbut he didn't seem to be con-
scious of anything she had said, and so
may be he had not heard her; and when
his sisters came in he greeted them with
'Fthe ssii yoffsfiy WARMTH Siich siie rad
admired before. Blanche, with her deli
cate womanly tact, strolled off with her
father, leaving them alone together; and
other guests dropping in, she sat down to
the piano, at their request, to sing. She
ran over the prelude of two or three, and
at length commenced her fathers favoritc,
THE Harp that once through Tara's halls.
As she begun the last verse deep, rich
voice struck in with mellow Softness. She
knew whose voice it must be, though she
could not see him; she only felt near pres
ence, and heard with a thrill those manly
cadences-
viii you come and tell ne whose draw
ings these are? he said, as some one tool;
her seat at the piano And Blanche went
with him to the centre liable, where lay Il
heap of her brothers sketches.
He took up view of the Coliseum
Your brother Arthur and were together
when he drew this
Blanche exclaimed in surprise:
why, Mr.. st. Clair, I thought you want
cd me to tell you who drew them?'
"Twas only trip to catch a'sunboam,
he said, with playful earnestness; and then
more seriously he wheeled a small tete-a.
tete from the light, and seating Blanche
and himself upon it, began:
Your brother has been my most intimate
friend while abroad; and though I may
seem, dear Miss Dunnoran, stranger to you
as Mr.. St. Clair, I may perhaps claim the
privilege of friendship as the Raphael Of
the last two years correspondence
} rs it possible, Mr.. St. Clair, that yor
are the Raphael whom Arthur deputizec
to answer his letters?'
The very same, dear Blanche. H,
changed my matter of fact Ralph to sui
the luxurious cline of romance.
Blanche laughed and blushed.
How very odd it all is. But why in til,
name of all that is wonderful, didn't you
sisters, Martha and Emma, say that it wa
: Ralph st. Clair who was their brother?'
; They are naturally taciturn, reserve,
girls, with good deal of plain Yankee
shrewdness, and perhaps preferred to trus
; their own simple merits, unaidcd by thei
brothers reputation, to your politeness
$ they seemed perfectly satisfied with tina
. politeness, and speak in the highest term
of my correspondent
Blanche blushed scarlet.
A Mr.. st. Clair, don'twant you to thin
better of me than what am. I won't b
=, a hypocrite.' And she aaire7y told hir
l her repugnance to theunfashionable attir
and her victory over herself. He didn'
seem disappointed, nor did he look grave
but leaned back and smiled good humol
d edly, and then said, as he glanced over q
d the two old moidish looking girls, and the