The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1857-08-05
Minnie

and stern visages. The whole country is ava
kening from its long trance Of puritancal acct
iclsm. Mirth, pleasure, gaiety, hilarity, have
burst the bounds under which bigotry and in
tolerance had SO long restrained them, and are
plunging into extravaganza and license. Lon
don is beside itself with new freedom. Like
boys fresh from school, the people rush into ab-
surd demonstrations of pleasure. Antics and
buffoonery are the fashion. Theatres spring
up everywhere. Music and the dance are in
every house. Jest and song awake the echoes
Of the night. Mad mirth is the rage. The
whole nation appears, to have gone into motley
manners, and shakesits cap and bells with aban-
doned glee.
Among many of the gentry who came up to
London after the restoration, was Sir Philip
Ardent, and his daughter Minnie
1t is not in N.Y. power to describe Minnie Ar
dent. only say she had two eyes, dark and
flashing, which danced a perpetual merry Jig,
and shot incessant glances Of wit and mirth;
brown masses Of curls, which fell down over
her white shoulders, and with every curl barb
ed arrow from Cupid's own bow, her cheeks
were rosy, and her lips were red, and upon
those lips there came and went smiles, radiant
as sunlight; her form, tall and finely moulded,
was crowned by a delicate grace. She was all
this and can enumerate her charms in mathe-
matical order-but still she will remain unde-
scribed
Can I paint the bloom upon the peach! Can
pen or pencil portray the fragrance of the rose?
fee for her charms, her bouyant spirits, her
merry wit, and the sly mischief that lurked in
the corner of her glorious eyes, | have no pow
er to depict.
Minnie was no sharp, shrewd, or hoydenish
maid. Her wit and her mirtb were delicate
and sparkling, not noisy and demonstrative,
while veins of tenderness and passion underlay
the laughing surface. A large soul was hers,
with wide sympathies, far reachings ,and strange
depths
Do not believe that your serious natures
have the richest soils and the sunniest fruits
Wit is the sharp edge which intellect gives to
sentiment
Did Minnie love? Love is the touch which
gives the complete fulness and last ripeness to
the charms of woman. Without love they are
fine porcelain, hollow, cold, pretty, and su per-
feciial.
But did Minnie love? There was one who
asked that question daily-who dreamed of it
at night-who lay for hours devising schemes
which should bring an answer to the momentous
question-who hung upon Minnie's lips daily,
with earnest hope, for such chance words of
comfort as he could gather up: who rallied
her, beseeched her, pleaded with her; did every
thing that lovers do, who perlinaciously tor
ment each other-and yet could not solve the
problem.
Remotely allied to her by kindred Minnie s
playmate in her childhood, her companion in
youth, her lover now-Edward Wiloughby
was handsome, agreeable fellow, who had wit
for her wit, banter for her banter-and love
for her love, whenever she would make the
exchange. ".
But Edward could neither coax nor force hel
into confession. Forty times day would he
declare that he loved her, and forty times &
day would she shoot mocking dart from hel
black eyes into his heart and run away iron
him laughing and bllshing.
| A poet has said that woman might do a
more foolish thing than to fall in love with 6
man-and wiser one than to tell him of it
Minnie Ardent very possibly may have felt the
principle, though do protest that she could
not have bee1pndebaed to the aforesaid poet fol
the idea inasmuch as he fourished hundred
years or SO after our heroine.
Edward and Minnie rode out together, walk
ed together, read together; and if ever unde,
the inspiration of the love star there was a
youth, fascinated, enchanted, bewildered, in
| toxicated, apture1-feeding on roses in one
breath, and upon sorns the next-playing 4
perpetual see-saw Of hopes up and hopes down
soaring upon the wings of ecstasy onl ly to be
suddenly clipped and hurled back to earth
again-such man was Edward Wiloughby
But Edward was shrewd enough not to show
all he felt He could effect Indifference, and
turn the point Of the keen taunt with polished
retort, and adroitly vex Minnie almost into a
betrayal of her ings-but never qsite
Scheme and devise, and play the actor, as at
times he would, Minnie was never enough of
her guard to betray the secret she possessed.
They had adventures together, too-the keen
est pleasures that love can know. He even
saved her life onse-plucked her from the
boiling eddles of a sorrent, and dragged her tc
the shore insensible, herself exhausted and fain-
ting. There upon the green bank, with hcl
white still face upon his knee, and no eyes up
on them, he snatcfed passionate kisses until a
glow began to tinge the parlor of her cheek
She awoke stared, staggered up, shot quick
inquiring, penetrating glance at him and burst
into laughter.
you were nigh unto DEATH" exclaimed he
angrily.
care you he?" was the quick retort.
"Your danger was desperate, Minnie. You
owe thanks-''
"To my valorous preserver. What thanks
shall l bestow? He is a brave knight and mod
est. He is the herald to his own glory"
Edward flushed and bit his lip.
You mistake
"Itwa not you that saved me then? You
are here to claim somebody else's honor?'
! cit is no honor"
"No?"
"Duty, madam, only would have saved a
beggar-''
"A great deal quicker, I've no doubt
Eyes, for a beggsr would have thanked me. D
cay, but with abeggar you would have not
taken reward unbdden.''
Edward flushed agan.
"You were sensible, then?'
81 knew nothing
ssThen-''
s.0h M.ster Edward I've ouick eve. and