Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1857-06-18

bye-thc-bye, always reminded MS OF herself
for they have the same way of bridling up
shaking their naughty little heads, and look
ing round in a knowing and consequential
manner. But of all created things, she hac
the greatest horror of lizard-the sight o.
one at ever so great distance would make
her tremble from head to foot; but though
she could not move box, or open drawer
without dislodging an earwig, roach, or spi
der, and being under the immediate neces
sity of performing dances, and emitting
screams which were, to say the least of them
unseemly in woman of her age; nor could
she walk, in her garden without finding her
self often face to face with what she called
some of them outdaoious devil horses" she
had never happened to come in actual con
tact with lizard, until one unlucky after
noon, wishing to gather boquet for visit
or from the country, who was about taking
her leave, she went in the garden; and en-
tering an arbour thickly covered with jessa
mine, and roses, she soon selected what she
wanted, and returned to the house. AS she
entered the parlor where there were several
persons, an old lady, who was as remarkable
for her slow, deliberate speech and action, as
was her hostess for the contrary, fixing hel
eyes on Mrs. Twitter's head, and pausing at
the first word to clear her throat, and at the
second to execute slight cough, she said
"Mrs. Twitter-did you know-that-there
-was-a lizard-(here Mrs. Twitter be-
came so fearfully agitated, that she frighten'
ed the slow speaker into finishing sentence
in hurry for once) on your cap?' "Oh,
lord! oh, lord oh, lord take it off take
it off !' screamed Mrs. Twitter, dancing
frantically round the room, while she tore
her cap frill, her eloquent bow, and even
the cap itself to pieces, and did serious dam
age to large lace cape which covered hel
skinny neck and shoulders, before the little
cause of the disturbance was seen scamper.
ing across the floor in the direction of Miss
Dorcas, who had at the first alarm mounted
chair under which he found unobstructed
passage. But not so under the next, in
which was seated Mis- Steeples, tall, slen-
der, precise old maid, who had Miss Dorcas'
passion for being genteel, while she had Mrs.
Twitter's determination to be religious, and
her claims to being the first, she thought at
tested on this occasion, by the placid, and
dignifed manner, and graceful position she
had maintained during the disturbance; and
to the last, by her earnest remonstrances
when some one tried to kill the lizard, and
her touching prayer that they "would not
hurt the poor little harmless thing, for it was
one of Gods creatures"
As she had deposited herfeet on the rounds
of the chair, she thought (though she could
not repress sudder as the retile ran towards
herr that she could safely retain her seat
while he passed under it. Butunfortunately,
her stifly starched dress, and the unyeildiug
under-skirts, (almost as bad as the hoops Of
the present day. rested on the floor, and the
little traveller, finding that he could not get
under, and not knowing what might happen
on the journey round so large space, un-
dertook to 60 over it; and running up the
lady's skirt, he was in her lap, and thence
to her neck in moment, but it proved the
last achievement of his life, for springing pp
with a loud scream, and an exolamtion Of
''good heavens | that oussed lizards on me p
the frightened and infuriated spinster grab.
bed him with her gloved hand, and squee,
zing him to death, dashed him on the
floor, and ferociously stamping on him, bid
him "lie there, for nasty, ugly, devil as he
was"
After the complete extinction of helizard,
quiet was restored, except to the breast of
Miss Steeples, who felt that she had dropped
her mask, and feared that even the obtuse
crowd in which she was had noticed it; but
she might have made herself easy on that
score, for very few people take advantage Of
the many opportunities which are offered for
the study of character.
1t is true that Miss Twitter did, after the
departure of Miss Steeples, make some com,
ments on her conduct.
She "wondered that sister Steeples got SO
mad with that lizard, and mashed it up So
when she begged so pitiful for it before; fol
her part much as she hated such things, and
much as she had been pestered by them, she
could say that she never did hurt dumb
creatur in her life" (Poor little woman
she was always too much afraid of them,
and then she went on to relate reminiscence
of her childhood, which she said she never
could forget to her dying day.
"Wheu was little GIRL" she continued
~ had cousin that l loved dearly; indeed
we were more like sisters-her mother wa
dead and she lived with us. We occupied
the same room, and like the most of cham
bers in big old houses, it was very large ane
gloomy, and I was always little afraid in il
after the lightwas blowed out. But my cous
in, who was three or four years older thar
me wasn't afraid of anything. One day
got present of kitten, the prettiest little
spotted thing ever did see. I though there
never was suoh kitten, and though I've
seen many one since, I think so yet
though when I tell Mr.. Twitter so, he only
laughs at me, and says that I looked at tina
with fresh, young eyes that saw beauty where
old worn-out ones can't. But let that be a!
it will, I dearly loved my kitten, and 1 usec
to take it up stairs every night to sleep with
me. Well, one night, I'll never forget it al