The emigrant aid journal of Minnesota. [volume] (Nininger City, Minn. Terr. [i.e. Minn.]) 1856-1858, 1858-02-24
NM NOSE.
BY ELLA RODMAN.

una !"
Far away down in the days Of early childhood l re-
member being gased upon in a curious manner, and hear
ing the remark in a suppressed tone, Poor child she
has a nose y Whether it was expected of me to have
been born without this appendage I couldn't exactly un-
derstand; especially as, in looking around upon the cir
Gle of my friends and acquaintance, l saw that they
were all we'll provided in this respect.
Vague hints, and mysterious remarks upon this un-
fortunate feature threw a sort of shade over my early
years and the first modification that I ever experienced
arose from the same cause.
l was then at the sensitive age of eleven years and
at a child's party, a little boy, whom I had distinguish
ed by calling him up to extricate me from 'the WE'LL
imprinted a kiss upon one end OF my nose amid the tit
tering of his companions. A quick angry fash shot
through me and from that time forth the unpleasant
consciousness that l had indeed "a nose never left me
Why a machine for the compression Of extensive
noses should not be put in practical operation / was at
a loss to conceive and that it should, one of these days,
be attempted, l was fully determined. When, there.
fore, l read Miss Bremer's Home it was the disap-
pointing overthrow of a long-cherished plan. ! pursued
the history Of Petrea Frank, read the failure of her ad-
mirably arranged plan for reducing the size Of her nose,
and went off and cried myself to sleep in a paroxysm
of despair.
My nose was a never-ending source of amusement to
a family of cousins who gave me no peace Of my life.
There were five of them all girls, all handsome, and
full of life and spirits. l was very fond Of them, and
| believe they were of me; but they never would re-
strain their jokes at my expense. Poor things they
we're motherless, and if they sometimes lacked the re-
6nement and sensitiveness Of those more favored, I was
not disposed to be unforgiving.
Uncle Althorpe was a distinguished lawyer, and his
pretty daughters, when they arrived at young ~ladyhood,
were in a fair way of being spoiled with adulation.
They we're beautiful, those girls Celestine, the eldest,
was a perfect type Of Southern beauty. Slender, moon.
light face-a picture to be studied. Then came Anna,
who always Played Rowena' in all the tableaux a
toll ~ oooHrl h1ondo 9th nv 90 ouJ ~oouuov 81 I:s%;u
guished that on entering a room, at any assembly, there
was always a murmur Of, Who is she p Emma was
a piquant little thing, with the look of a ripe peach
her checks were so downy, with the rich color glowing
through olive tint.
Matilda was my special favorite and I, who have al.
ways been an ardensadmirer of beauty, would gaze upon
her in a sort of wistful rapture. Bright, laughing and
loving, she was seldom ever still for two consecutive
moments. l have watched her dip her head in a basin
of water, and the rich, dark hair, with a tinge of auburn,
would emerge a dripping mass Of curls, which she tossed
about with the quiet contempt of conscious beauty.
Those large, laughing brown eyes were always sparkling
with merriment, her mouth was the nearest approach to
a ripe cherry that l have ever yet seen, and her nose
was just sufficiently retroussc to give an expression of
~Iarchness to the face. Add to this the exquisitely fair
complexion that accompanies auburn hair-pale, except
when emotion called the color to her face, or a kiss
pressed on her cheek gave it the appearance Of a fresh
rose-leaf-and you have a lengthy, but truthful descrip.
ton of my cousin Matilda. 1 never saw any one half
so beautiful. E
Last Of all, there was lilly who, having been hand
ed over to an ancient aunt Of her fathers for a name,
was christened by that lady 'Hildegarde.' Hilly was
the baby, a perfect imp Of mischief, but with such q
way Of throwing herself on ones protection that she al
ways came off as the injured party. Very deep violet
eyes, with the reddest of red lips, and the brightest of
complications, and very brown hair, and my little cousin
Hildegarde.
Any one of those girls had sufficient attractions for
.Lo lf a. lo~o~ ~l:uo-- ko11~c .-l 49, ->. T -:AI
unfortunate nose, to do among Eve Of them Precisely
what l did feel like the beast to which they all played
the part of beauty, and wonder what was ever to be
done with my nose. 5
Uncle Althorpe lived at some distance from US and
one day, after l had left school, and considered myself
a young lady, received the following characteristic let.
ter from Matilda -
For goodness sake, Becky, Il had the name of Re.
becca added to my poae) do come right out here +! l
suppose you havnt the least idea where we have gone
for the summer? but you can't think how delightful
and romantic it is should scarcely be more surprised
if Noah's Ark had been discovered and fitted up for us