Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1856-06-04

The invitations for Miss Julia's party
were all seit out and the extensive prep
arations were proceeding most swim
mingly, when the very day before that
on which the party was TO be given, a
stage loaded with trunks drew up before
the door Of Mr.. Acton's elegant mansion.
From this in the first place alighted a
stout sunburnt young farmer, who was
Immediately followed by slender girl
of sixteen years of age, the latter being
none other than the much dreaded Yer
mont cousin.
"Well, if this isn't little to much!''
exclaimed Miss Julia, who had been
drawn to the window by the hustle; here
is clodhopper head Of man cousin
come too; this is rather more than we
bargained for, declare, she continued,
half crying with vexation, ''if that man
stays here, 1 will pretend l am sick and
countermand the invitations to my par
ty."
Cousin Arthur Holmes proved to be
a very difident youth, and one dinner
among such fine folks as the Actions,
was all he could stand. He was on his
way to Yale College, his uncle having
from his own observations, and from
what he had heard of the young man,
been convinced that, to keep him labor
ing upon the farm, without the advan-
tage of education, would be TO hide under
light, which if trimmed and fed, and
suffered to shed its beams, Inig ght shine
forth for the illumination of its own and
future generations. With this expecta-
tion he sought and obtained a willing
consent from the elder brother, to his
proposed plan of taking the education of
Arthur under his care.
As l said before, Arthur was not at all
at ease among his fine relatives, who
with the exception of his uncle, took no
pains to make him feel so, and therefore
to Miss Julia's great relief, he took his
departure that same evening for New
Haven.
Cousin Lucy-but am afraid you will
set her down as ugly, if simply describe
her features, and she is such favorite
of mine that 1 could wish her to make
favorable impression upon my readers
from the first. Now l cannot deny that
Lucy had bright auburn hair; Julia call
ed it red, bu5 Julia was not always good
natured, and did not always adhere so
closely TO the truth as she might. Lucy's
nose was slightly turned up at the point,
and her complexion was one Of those ex-
ceedingly fair ones which easily freckle;
but she had a pair of the loveliesi, laugh
ing deep blue eyes, and sweetest smile,
and ;he most brilliant teeth, and when
she spoke or smiled, (and she seldom
did one without the other) there was a
charm about her whole face, which made
you forget hair and nose and freckleS,
and made you look upon it as face.
True she had what Julia called Yam
kee twang. and she was not dressed in
the heighth of fashion, but in spite of
these drawbacks you loved her still, at
least some people did. There was a
great deal more about cousin Lucy, too,
to call for respect and admiration; but
this will come out in good time
As she was, she had came, and now
must appear at the party, and be intro
duced as the cousin CT the Misses Acton.
1t was mortifying-it was distressing,
but there was no help for it now.
The evening of the party proved clear
and bright, and as it was well known
that the entertainment at the Acton's
would be one of the most brilliant of the
none of the invited who could
get there remained absent. By ten
o'clock the brilliant lighted rooms were
well filled. Cousin Lucy simply aitired
in the white cambria, for she had Tejec-
ted the ornaments and other embellish-
ments with which the cousins for their
own sakes, would have adorned her, sat
alone in one corner of the sofa. She was
introduced to very few; she did moi
look in the least neglected, however, but
sat in affected enjoyment of the new and
brilliant scene.
An hour after the other guests were
all assembled, sauntered in leisurely as
if for a call, with hat under his arm, and
his slight little cane in his hand, an ex-
quisite of the first water, rejoicing in the
euphonious name of Mr.. Meredith Fitz
Henry. This is one of those brilliant
youths whose whole time during his day,
which begins perhaps at twelve o'clock,
IS spent in lounging in saloons, studying
he fashions, sauntering up and down
Broadway, and staring at the ladies, or
irving on The fashionable thoroughlares,
md in the evening dressing for the pub
ic entertainments, and attending them.
lie aims al being ''the glass of fashion
and the mould of form," and has no
higher ambition in life, than 10 be stud
ed and copied as the perfection of dress.
He fancies himself Beau Brummel as
@ manners, Count d'Orsay in point
'f beauty and grace. He may be hand