Butte record. (Bidwell, Butte County, Cal.) 1853-1858, 1857-04-25
THE sYLPH OF NY BOYHOOD.
BY LEOPOLD wRAY.

an etnefeaI Dcing. living Oh CLOUDS ana
feeding on the perfume of fowers-a
peri! At boyish nineteen, rouge and
white paint appear roses and lilies, and
the footlights at the theatre throw a
halo of poetry over those nymphs with
gossamer wings, till you fancy they are
the inhabitants of brighter spheres
come down to earth to enchant our
eyes. At least know 1 felt so, when
/ first saw the fascinating Zeph,rine
floating across lake, through hazy
atmosphere of white gauze meant to
represent dream. I don't recollect
whether she personated vile or
ni1y, still less bave l the least idea Of
the name of the ballet in which she ap-
peared, though preserve indistinct
notions of a Silesian prince or baron,
and some supernatural fair being whom
he wished to wed instead of his mortal
bride, and finally, did wed to his ruin.
All really remember is the poetry of
motion, and exquisite grace and beau
ty of this charming creature. She
was not enrolled in the corps de ballet
at the opera house, but simply belong
ed 10 one of the minor theatres, which
was lucky for me, as it allowed me 10
see her oftcner than my slender re-
sources would have permitted me in
those days, had she been attached 10 a
more ambiti ,us esta blishment.
l fell in love with Zephirine, and
bought the print that represented ber
standing on the tip OF one toe. Not
that the face was much like hers, nor
did 1 think it half so pretty as the
original, but the attitude and the dress
were happily caugha, and hung it up
in my bedroom, and placed sprig Of
laurel above it, like the bunch of con-
secrated box you see hung above a holy
print i'll some countries, and / gazed at
it, | am sure, as founly as ever devotee
gloated over sanity relic. Nor was
l content with this silent worship, but
when l ought to have been drawing
plan in the office of the architect to
whom [ vas articled, | was sketching
arabesques on the margin of my sheet,
In which the figure of my sylph was
reproduced in an endless variety Of at
titude, now peeping out of lunches of
flowers, now skimming the air, or pois.
ed on the eliminating point of some
fantastic scroll.
These symptoms soon betrayed my
secret to my comrades and through
them it got bruited abroad before l
was aware. The architect, one fatal
day, discovered my marginal annota-
t,ons, and looked stern, and cut off
the narrow strip of paper containing
the nnarchitectural arabesques, and
sent TO my father in the country, &C.
companied, of course, with his running
commentaries on the same. Was this
the way to emulate the Wrens and the
lingo Joneses of less frivolous peri
odi Was it respectable fer young
man belonging to my social position to
run after ballet girls at a minor thea
tire These and the like insinuations,
filling letter of three pages, hnrled
into the midst of quiet country fami-
ly, was very much like flinging light
ed match among heap of tow. My
mother was alarmed and looked grave,
sister cried fe! and my father got in
to a passion and determined to 60 up
to London at once, and give the yonng
scamp such lecture as he had never
had before.
The good folks at home, as is often
the case, nnder similar circumstances,
gallop faster than their horse. My
paren,s saw little imaginations.
My sister peeped at the drawings
and thought them very shocking, yet
Fanny determined to alter her muslin
dress, to make it like Zephrine's, think
ing it must be more fashionable.
Unaware of what was plotting against
my sylph and myself, was meanwhile
applauding her in a new ballet, and car
ried up TO the Einth beaven of delight
in seeing her fasten pair of skates on
her fairy feet, and executes all kinds
of flourishes on mimic ice in becom-
ing Polish costume, which served as a
prelude to several would be national
dances, the rest Polish part of the con
eern being a pair of red morocco boots,
which set of those little feet to mar
vclous advantage.
MY fathhr did not allow his anger to
cool, but started for town the very
next day. He first of all called at the
architects private residence, but not
finding Mr. Weston at home, he had
time to reflect on what he had best do
next. He did not wish to reveal his
presence in London to me, I'LL he had
seen Mr.. Weston. therefoae, instead Of
coming to our Office, he thought it pru-
dent to go and pay witt to my grand
father, whose advice he would any way
have been deslrous to solicit.
I Ibis grandfather of mine named
Travers was a shrewed old bachelor,
who had seen great, deal of the world
knew everybody about town, was rich
and eccentric, and said and did what
he liked, generally without contradict
ton, at least not from our family. My
parents had what is politely called 'ex-
pectations' from him un nv behalf
which, being freely interpreted, would
run thus: when you die, sir, we fully
expect that you are to leave our son
something handsome on which tacit