The emigrant aid journal of Minnesota. [volume] (Nininger City, Minn. Terr. [i.e. Minn.]) 1856-1858, 1858-01-02
BY A MODEST NAN.

Il couldn't think OF such q thing
But you must. My happiness depends on it. Here,
put on the t~hingumbobs, ami the what's its name
And my friend, Bob Styles, held up before my hest
tating gaze a suit of feminine apparel.
His idea was that l should personate his lady love for
one day, to prevent anybody from suspecting the truth
namely, that she had joined him in a runaway-mar-
rage party-until it should be too late for interference /;
that is, until the minister should have tied a knot be-
tween them, that nothing but a special grant of the
Legislature could unite. =
This scheme was not actually so absurd as it appear
ed at first sight. Maggie Lee was a tall, queenly woman,
with an almost masculine air, and, at that time, | had a
very slight form-almost efeminate, so that, in fact,
there was really but little difference in that point. Then
l had light hair, tolerably long, and fresh complexion
Part my hair in the middle, and put on a bonnet on my
head, and few persons would have suspected but what |
was really one of the softer sex. These accessories also
gave me quite a decided resemblance to Maggie Lee,
especially when, as in this case, the disguise was her
own.
Then the day chosen for the runaway match was an
suspicious one. Maggie's father was to drive her to
D., a small village, near where she lived, and there
she was to join a sailing party down D." river, to the
grove three miles below, from which the party was to
return in the evening, in carriages.
lage, and should 60 on the boat with the sailing party,
while Maggie, after leaving her father, should slip off
with Bob Styles, across the country. "
At last l got dressed, and presented myself before
Maggie Lee, blushing a great deal, l believe, feeling
very much pinched about the waist, and with an uncom-
Portable consciousness that my-my-shirt-sleeve were
too short, or wanting altogether. -7
Everything finished, in the way of toilet, Bob Styles
took me into his light wagon, drove me over to D.,
by a secluded route, and left me at the hotel where the
sailing party were TO assemble. Several Of The pic-nicers
we're already there, and they greeted my cavalier cor
going with them, etc. He told them he was not.
Pressing business engagements you know, and all
that sort of thing. 1 bad just time. to bring Miss Lee
over, and now Pm of. Mr.. Bimby, this is Miss Lee.
MI. Withergall, Miss Lee and he ratified off a long
string of brief introductions, which convinced me that
but few of the company were acquainted with the young
lady whom l was thus personating-a very fortunate
thing for the preservation of my disguise. zz-..
Mr.. Bimby, a tall, legal looking man, with a hook
nose, and eyeglass and fluffy hair, seemed to be pre-.
possessed with my personeN, and I overheard him whis-
per to Bob Styles, as he went out -
mice looking girl, that Miss Lee
YES answered Bob, with a mischievous glance at
me, she is a nice girl, though a little goahead some.
times. Keep a little lookout on her, will you,'-then,
lowering his voice-'Not a bad match for you old fel-
low she is rich
is she p said Mr.. Bimby, his interest deepening.
'On my honor replied Bob. Forty thousand dol.
lars in her own right. Day, day. and he was gone.
Maggie Lee, artful creature that she was, had told her
father that the sailing party was to assemble at another
hotel, thither he had taken her. Having bGsiness in
D., he left her there, merely saying that he would
send the carriage for her at eleven o'clock. She, like a
dutiful daughter, kissed him, bid him good bye, and be-
fore he had gone a hundred rods, took q seat in Bob
STYLES light wagon, which had driven up to the back
door as Mr.. Lees carriage drove away from the front,
and The old story OF headstrcDg love and prejudiced age
was enacted over again. ai' ',:4 - -
As for US of the picnic excursion, we had . delight
full sail down to the grove, but somehow, could not en-
;ov it ~ much as l ought to have done. When 1 walk
ed on board the boat, l felt awkward, as If everybody
was looking at me. 1 found Mr.. Binby, as | had sus'
pected, a young and rising lawyer, mighty in Blackstone
and his own opinion He insisted on paying for my
ticket (the boat was a regular excursion packe',) aud
purchasing enough oranges, pears, and candies, to set UP
a street stand. Four or Eve times l was on the point
of swearing at his i~npudent. o8icioasness, but bit my
tongue lust in time to prevent the exposure. But 1t was
not with him that | found my rule the hardest to play
Mo-; the young ladies were the difficult ones to DE-
ceive. For Instance, there was one among them, q
beautiful girl Of seventeen, just retained from boarding
school, who had not seen Maggie Ice for three years
OF course, she was delighted to see me, when she found
out that | was Maggie, which by the way, did not occur
until we had started. She. threw herself into my arms
nulled the veil aside, and kissed me half a dozen times
in = manner that made my finger ends tingle for an
hour. 1t was all very nice, but if 1 had been in proprao
Der,oua. I would have liked it better As it was, l felt
"a if l were obtaining goods under false pretenccs,
and that lawyer Bimby might issue e warrant tor. ny
arrest on that ground at any moment.
A whole knot of crinoline then surrounded me, or
the upper deck of the boat, to the utter exclusion ano
consequent disgust Of MIR. Bimby and the other gentle
men. kept very quiet, only speaking mcnosyilaoles
n a falsetto voice but the others--Lord bless you
how they ~gabbled! Under . strict promise OF secrecy