The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-07-01
CHAPTER j.
IOung America.

1Ouiy America
obi profanun vulgus ct arc co. Horace
or all things under heaven that make merry,
T. makes me merriest 10 see a boy b. \
That 10 be man. Philip Van A1treIds.
Mrs. Mydass gave bah. Some If her new
acquaintance who were hidden went to It; and
some of her cid acquaintance, who were not,
improved the opportunity which their enforced
secluson afforded, to mediate and comment
upon the wholesome text, Pride goeth before
a fall "-evincing thereby in themselves an ed
flying amount Of humility and charity.
Mrs Mydass, in the mean while, stood under
splendid chandelier, in very pretty little
bue-and silver boudoir-a handsome, naughty
she milliOndre-and she looked it, in a SNUG.
ged crimson velvet, trimmed with point lace,
fresh from Madame Hoses at Paris, and in
an attitude which would have been as fine as
her dress, if her nose had not been unfortunate
L. posed just an eighth Of an inch above its
proper altitude, which gave the expression of
an unsuccessful effort to smell of the roses in
what Mr.. Dickens says a lady calls her back
hair an effort to be condemned, not merely
the roses were not like those which her first
love used to put into it in the little back garden,
bat Of muslin, and probably smell accordingly.
A cordial pleasure tempered the terrors Of
her majesty as she welcomed her friends, l. a.,
those whom she wished to have for her friends,
leaders Of the ton, reigning bellies and beaus,
prominent politicians of the dominant party a
distinguished author, or artist, or two, and last,
not least, for she had been by nature warm
hearted creature, though now good deal spoil
ed and spelling, two or three of her early play.
fellows, who were respectable" enough to keep
sill within her sphere-whom she did love- and
rewarded her by calling her " charming" and
fascinating" which she certainly was when
She chose to be, or, if their tongues were tainted
with snobbishness, high bred" which she Ger
tany was not, unless it be high bred to be bred up
By ones graudmamma in the little parlor- kitch
en- behind her milliner's shop in Chsrlestown.
Towards all the rest of her visitors, however,
summoned to visit her, as they had been, by
notes in her own handwriting-notes which, if
she had had anything Of that spirit of generos
ity aud honor for which only, if at ell, is arts
tocraoy 10 be held ia high esteem, should have
served as their guaranty against the slightest an
noyance from which she could protect them while
under her roof-towards all these, am sorry
to say that she conducted heraelf as if she had
convened them to envy rather than share her
prosperity, and could find no better way to pro.
mote the cheerfulness of the occasion than ad
mnstering a moral cold shower. bath to them
on her very threshold. Equally sorry am to
say that they revenged themselves after it by
getting together in corners, and repeating, with
gloomy joy, a certain dark tradition, said to be
confirmed still by the memories of many Juniors
Of the Oldest inhabitant," to the effect that her
grandfather had often been seen riding through
the streets of the city in his cart, laden with the
dig,ecfa membra of the lesfy lords of the forest,
telled by his red right hand. This was true ;
and a very sturdy, jolly old fellow he was and
If his granddaughter respected husband, with
all his respectability," was half as honest-I
certainly don't mean to deny that he was, be-
cause know nothing to the contrary, except a
story that he failed in business in New York
before he came here, and has never paid his cred.
iors-why, then, have only to say that he was
one of the noblest works of God, whether he look
ed like it or not; one cannot always Judge by ap
pearances. Moreover. if the conjugal Mydass
had been half as good humored as the grand
paternal Frost, he would have been also one Of
most good-humored works of God; bat
regret to say that he was not, and that Mrs
Mydass herself could have borne witness to the
Tact, If it had not been contrary to all laws oil
courts or courtesy, that a wife should be re-
quired TO testify against her husband.
Calling imagination to the aid of history, afte,
custom established, if not authorized, by thu
example of most chroniclers of men and things
past and present, some of these outraged, not Il
say outrageous, iketai ephestioi,* even went q,
tar as to assert that one of their hostesss grand
mothers had been nursery.maid. This wa
false; she was only a housekeeper; but, falls
or true, what should all of these blood curdlip,
myths concerning the origin of Mrs. Mydass'
family go to prove, except its present nobility
They were not they could not be, one viii
more atrocious than the legends connected wit
the rise of many of the most illustrious house
in ancient Greece and medieval Europe. NJ
billy, in short, would seem to have nature
tendency to grow on. of ig-nohility, as flower
do from the refuse of the shsmbles. Yet, wins
young American would not be nobleman
We are commanded to repent of our own SIM
bu' not of those of our ENTHUSIASTICALLY, fc
We are often rather proud of them than othe
"lse-though they are visited upon us in NOR
ways that one; and, in the present case, Mr.
myoasS looked unconscious, and not at all r,
pentsnt
Revolving around her and each other. in thej
steel hoops, like double and triple stars of man
coiors, The little be.Aouneed, be.Aowered. An
De riOooned de6ntdntes, in pink, sky blue, whit,
ana yellow, went fitting and swaying throue
the crowded door-ways, to the dazzling drav;no
rooms, with their gilded walls half covered Nj,
large pictures, all supposed, by the un,rsvelled
10 be originals by foreign masters defnnc
several deserving to be such, and one reall
such. In these drawing1ooms, winter AN
summer seemed met to receive the nrett,
Sn'VeFlng, human butterflies, on & DORIS az whit
A' sno"'dfifts, and as cold to their tiny, whit.
sa'in feet, AID among masses and monnds ,
unfortunate N DON, -