New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1857-08-03

| have unknown to yourself, gazed upon you several
4 times and now desire most earnestly to make you,
ACQUAINTANCE. / have sscertained your name and
residence, but, alas! have not been able TO find
| friend who could bless me with an Introduction
am q young man Of respectablity, that neither you
your family could object 70 upon
to you some of these pleasant evenings while You are
sitting at your door, and that you will let me Know,
BY smile or otherwise, whether it will be worth my
not discover myself to you until know whether you
will permit such holiness Assuring you that my
! feelings are perfectly sincere and honorable, beg
the favor of an answer through the postotice. am
\ yours, most deV0tedy, GEORGE SPARKS"
"WeI, Jennie, what do you think Of it 2" asked
Lizzie, who had watched her intenty while reading
| the letter. 9If
| 81 think it's funny way for man to introduce
himself" replied Jennie, but then such things have
| been done before. What do you intend to do about
| it ?' s-aa r-rt4l 81 gEe Efl
81 don't know, Jennie-what would you d. if you
got such letter?'
Jennie considered awhile. I" think would an
swer it, Lizzie. I'd have look at the fellow, any
how The letter looks and reads as if written by a
gentleman, and be can't take any advantage Of you
if you conduct yourself properly. There can be no
harm in letting him show himself Yes, Lizzie, I'd
| answer i"
4 " But, la me, Jennie, wouldn't know what to say
| It's such funny piece Of business! Suppose You
write an answer and let me copy twill you 2"
Il think you'd better do it yourself, Lizzie still,
| if you want me to, I'll show you the kind Of an
answer I'd send. Come round to my room, and we'll
fix it up. Hurrah for you, Lizzie! Another beau
caught! Now, Lizzie, if you lose this one, hope
you'll not blame me for it !"
| "No, won't, Jennie but haven't got him yeti"
'Never fear that, Lizzie!"
The two girls were soon in Jenne's room and after
any quantity of foolery, and scrbbling slate, and
arguing, and rubbing out, and scribblng again, the
following was agreed upon as the proper answer to
send:
''Mr. Sparks-although I have not the remotest
idea who you are the tone of your letter assures me
that Lean have nothing to fear in permitting you to
introduce yourself as you propose. But please bear
in mind that grant your request simply as favor
that if you should forget yourself and prove imper
tinent, have plenty of gentlemen friends to ,:ap-
peal to. Yours, E. G." 4
Lizzie copied it off carefully got Jennie to revise
the spelling enclosed it in dainty envelope; and
wrote George Sparks Esq.,, in most enticing hand
thereon.
"Well, now, this is rich business, isn't it p ex
claimed Lizzie, dropping the letter in her bosom and
huggng Jennie in the impusiveness of her feelings
eyes, it's rather funny, Lizzie-but then there's no
harm in it, and / hope you'll catch Mr.. Sparks, and
hold on to him. After what's passed between us,
Lizzie, it'll do my heart good to see you have good
beau p
And Lizzie ran around home. Any one who could
have heard Jennie tittering, and seen her dancing
about her room after Lizzie left, would have set her
down for merry devil Of the first water.
Next morning Lizzie stole to the postofice and left
her letter. On the morning following that she re-
ceived an answer. 1t had been pushed under the
front door during the night, and picked up by the
servant girl, who brought it to her. 1t read as
follows:
"Dear Miss Green-I am a thousand times obliged
to you for your kindness. 1 shall pass your house
about shutdown this evening" and if miss seeing you,
every pleasant evening until succeed. wear blue
figured vest and carry an ivOry-headed sword-cane
will also have the tip of white handkerchief stick
ing from the breast-pocket OF my coat. Dear young
lady, all anxiety and impotence to see you, for
/ feel assured that my suit will not be in vain.
Yours, most devotedly, GEORGE
Lizzie of course showed this reply to Jennie as soon
as they met at school and great chatter they had
over it. Jennie gave her friend any quantity of ad
vice to how to how to prepare herself for the
plete conquest of the unknown and asked leave to
come around at shutdown and sit at the door with her.
superior beauty would lure Sparks away from her as
it had lured her other beaux. But Jennie promised
to make herself look ugly; said she would wear her
hair plain, and put old calico, and forth, and
finally obtained permission to come around and 'see
the fun as she termed it.
Poor Lizzie! That evening she sat at the door in
the most seemingly accidental manner in the world
pretending to see nobody, but scanning every conner
L..
with her, playing the hypocrite usual, and
cling in ecstasy Of secret enjoyment. 1t shone to
some extent in her flushed cheek and tel-tale eye
but Lizzie was too much absorbed in tender expecta
ton to notice it..
Of course, no Sparks came along sundry young
gentlemen who passed, however, wondered at the
manner in which Lizzie glanced at them; not sus-
pecting that their canes caused it all for Lizzie was
in that state of mind that either cane blue fig
ured vest, or white handkerchief alone, was enough
to cause her heart to palptate much less all three
together. Lizzie went to bed rather down hearted
that night. The next day being fair, she made
sure that the enamored Sparks would show himself
and with the advice and consent of her confidant,
Jennie, fixed herself up with extra care, and embe
ished the doorstep in the evening Jennie being with
her, of course, and luxurating upon her suspense.
| = ltS StrduSe ne uOHb GOMEZ SAID Lizzie, as S[e
walked round home with Jennie after dark. Jennie
consoled her with all sorts of probabilities and, after
good, long sober talk, Lizzie went home
Next morning she hurried round to Jenne's room
in order to have good chat with her before starting
to school. She had had wonderful dream, that she
wanted Jennie to interpret for her. Running up
stairs to Jennies room, unheralded she had often
done before she found it vacant but ennies writing
desk lay open and glancing over its outspread
tents, few girls, under the CIRCUMSTANCES could have
helped doing discovered the very letter she had writ
tento George Sparks and q copy of the answer she
had received from him And another letter begun,
in Sparks hand, beginning with Dear Miss Green, .
and apoogizng for not coming by her house accord
ing to promise, with positive promise not to miss
| the next tme!!!
| Oh what treachery! Indignant, Inundated, and
feeling guilty, she fled lightly down stairs, hearing
Jennies voice in the yard. As no one had seen her
enter she stole out ran round home and got too sick
to go to school that day. Her first spasm of grief and
humiliation over, she began conjuring plans of re-
venge. By getting mad publicly at Jennie and blow
ing her up, she would only let the story out, and
expose herself to general ridicule. That wouldn't
do. She would pay her in her own coin that was
the idea. But how? So she set her wits to work.
Jennie, missing her at school, went round to see
her in the evening" and played the hypoerite better
than ever. There was change in Lzzie's manner
1