Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1858-05-15

ART AND NATURE.
by MRS. HARRIET Eel srowK.

her eWproluefy, What 10 YOU mean ny 'na'
mamma u
"Now, that's iust like you, Fanny" said the
elder sister, laughing. you dear little simplicity
you never can understand anything unless it
10 stated rs definitely az the multiplication ia
be"
"Dut We need 10 warning in case Of cousin
George, I'm sure" said Fanny.
Cousin George, to be sure-do you hear the
little innocent ?" said Isabella, the second sister. =
| suppose, Fanny, you never heard that he has
been vieiting all the courts Of Europe, seeing all
the fine women-stone. picture and real, that are
to be found-such an amateur and connoisseur."
Besides having received q fortune Of a million
or So" said Emma. II dare cay now, Fanny, 20"
thought he was coming home to make d~andelion
chains, and play with button balls, as you used to
when lie was a boy"
Fanny will nevor take the world as it is"
said Mrs. Grey. / do believe she will be q child
as long as she lives"
Mrs. Grey said this as if che were signing over
some radical defect in tho mind Of her daughter,
and the delicate cheek Of Fanny showed u tint
somewhat deeper as che spoke, and she went on
with her embroidery in silence.
Mrs. Grey had been left by the death Of her
husband, sole guardian Of the three girls whose
names have appeared on this page. She was an
active, busy, ambitious woman, one of the sort for
whom nothing is ever finished enough without a
few touches, and emendations, and as such peo-
pie always make n mighty affair of education,
Mrs. Grey had made it u life's enterprise to order,
adj ust and settle the characters Of her daughters
and when we use the word character rs Mrs.
Grey understood it. we mean to include face, figure
dress, accomplishments, as well as those essential
items. mind and heart.
Mrs. Grey had determined that her daughters
should be something altogether out of the common
way, and accordingly she had conducted the train
ing Of the two eldest with such zeal and effect that
every traceof an original characterw as thoroughly
educated out of them. All Of their opinions, feel
Iing.. words and actions instead of gushing na,u'
rally from their hearts, were, according to the
most approved authority, diligently compared
and revised. Emma, the eldest, was An imposing
snowy girl, OF some considerable talent, and abe
had been assiduously trained to make u sensation
as a woman Of ability and intellect. Her mind
had been filled Will, information on all sorts OF
subjects, much faster than she had power to digest
or employ it and the standard which her ambi,
,ious mother had set for her, being rather above
the range of her abilities, there was Il constant
sensation CT effort in keeping up to it. In hear.
ing her talk you were constantly reminded, 81 am
q woman of intellect nm entirely above the Or
binary level of women :" and, on all subject she
was so anxiously and laboriously well and circum-
stantially informed that 1t was enough to make
ones head ache to hear her talk. Isabella, her
second daughter was par excellence, a beauty
a tall, sparkling, Cleopatra.luoking girl whose
rich color, dazzling eyes, and superb figure might
have bid defiance to art to furnish an extra charm,
nevertheless, each grace had been as indefatigably
drilled and maneuvered as the members of an
artillery company. Eyes, lips, eyeiashes-all had
their lesson and evrey molten Of her sculptured
limbs, every information os her silvery vuice had
been studied, considered and corrected, till even
her fastidious mother could discern nothing that
was wanted. Then were added all the graces OF
bellies lettres-all the improved rules of being de-
Lighted with music. painting and last OF all came
the tour Of the continent. travelling being consid-
cred n sort of pummice stone for rubbing down the
varnish and giving the very last touch to charac
ter.
n IT.. II -. -
Miss Fanny, whom we now declare our heroine,
has been growing up in the quietude of her moth
ers country seat, ana growing, as girls are apt,
TO-, very much faster than their mother i%magiued.
She was a. fair. slender girl, with IL charming sim.
plicity of Appearance, which. if it be not in itself
a beauty. had all the best effect of beauty, and an
interesting and engaging heart.
She looked not 80 much beautiful as lovable.-
Her character was in precise correspondence with
her appearance its first and chief element WAS
feeling ; and to this add fancy, fervor. taste, eni
thusiasm, almost up to the point Of genius and
Just common sense enough to keep oil in order,
and you will have a good idea Of the mind OF
Fanny Gray.
Delightfully."- passed the days with Fanny during
the absence Of her mother--while without though,
of rule or compass she sang her old songs, painted
flowers and sketched landscapes from nature, visit
ed socially all over the village, where she wat 9
great favorite, ran about through the fields, ovel
fences, or in the woods. with her little cottage
bonnet, and above oil, built her own castles in ,h,
air without anybody to help pull them down
which we think about the ~happiest circumstance o
her situation.
Mrs. Gray with her daughters, retuncd from Eu
rope, asfull of foreign tastes and notions as peo
pie Of artificial character and make generally d.
return.
Poor Fanny was deluged with a torrent Of ney
ideas she heard OF styles of appearance, AM
Al n G hAa.N, al IL -
conversation-this and that and the other air
a general effect and particular effect, and of fou
hundred and fifty ways of production and impre,
IT, ion in short it seemed to her. that people ough
Of to be of wonderful consequence to have 50 man
things to think and TO say about the how and tn
why Of every action. ..
Mrs. Gray, who had no manner Of doubt of he
own ability to make a character, undertook III
10. point with FannY as systematically as one woul
ee undertake to make over an old dress. Poor Fam
Of who had m unconquerable aversion to tr,iog o
Nv dresses. and settling points in millinery, wen
as through with most exemplary meekness an entir
Transformation as to all externals but when Mr.,
nd Gray set herself at work upon her mind aud taste,
he and opinions. the matter became somewhat more 81
ne rious-for the buoyant feelings and fanciful ell,
a ments of her character were as incapable of bein
he arranged, according to rule. az the sparklin
ca water drops are OF being strung into necklaces xn
I'D earrings. or the gay clouds Of being made int
ge arti fetal flowers. Sumes warm natural desire q
ft, taste OF ner own was forever interfering with he
a mothers regime, some obstinate little 'Fannyisn
.es would always put up its head in defiance Of n
ne, ceived custom, and, her mother and sisters pathe
nd ically remarked, do what you would with her. sh
a always came out herself after ALL
Aitor trying laboriOusly to conform to the pa
tern which was daily set before her, she came d
last to the conclusion that ome natural inferiorit
nd must forever prevent her from aspiring to accom-
W pl;sh anything in that way.
re, 'If | can't be what my mother wishes, I'll {
rm least be myself" said she one day to her sister,
as for if ! try TO alter. | shall neither be myself q
"a. anybody else" and her mother and sisters cam
ne to the came conclusion. And on the whole he
a mother and sisters found it a very convenient thin
he to have one in the family who was not study vim
es effect, or aspiring to be anything in particular.
lc. 1t was very agreeable to Mrs. Gray to have
,e. daughter 60 sit with her when she had the sic
is. headache, while ,he other girls we're entertainin
a. Iaon, ta N y in the dra ui u.rnnna haIru