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

Il couldn't think of such a thing
Blu. you must. My happiness depends on it. Here,
put on the thingumbobs. AMI the what's its name
And my friend, Bob Styles, held up before my hest
tatine gaze a suit of feminine apparel.
His idea was that | should per>onate his lady love for
one day, to prevent anybody from suspecting the truth
namely, that she had joined him in a runaway-mar-
riage.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 q special grant u tue
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
had light hair, tolerably long, and a 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-rl river, to the
grove three miles below, from which the party was to
return in the evening, in carriages.
LACE, and should 60 on the boat with the sailing party,
while Maggie, after leaving her father, should slip OF
with Bob Styles, across the country.
At last l got dressed, and presented myself before
Maggie Lee, blushing a great deal, believe, feeling
very much pinched about the waist, and with an uncom-
Portable consciousness that y-my-shirt-sleeves were
too short, or wanting altogether.
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
we're already there, and they greeted my cavalier cor
daily, everybody knew Bob Styles,) asked if he was
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 I'm of. Mr.. Bimby, this is Miss Lee.
Mr.. 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 | was thus personating-a very fortunate
thing for the preservation of my disguise.
Mr.. Bimby, a tall, legal looking man. with a hook
nose, and e~ye-glass and fluffy hair, seemed to be pre-
possessed with my personeNe, and | overheard him whis-
Der to Bob Styles, as be went out =
sNice looking girl, that Miss Lee f..
yes answered Bob, with a mischievous glance at
me, 'she is a nice girl, though a little go-ahead some
lowering his voice-'Not a bad match tor you old tel
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 business IN
D., he left her there, merely saying that he would
send the carriage for her at eleven o'clock. She, like u
dutiful daughter, kissed him, bid him good bye, and be-
fore he had gone a hundred rods, took a seat in Bob
Stvles' light wagon, which had driven up to the back
door as Mr.. Lees carriage drove away from the front,
aud the old story of headstrcng love and prejudlced age
was enacted over again. r-a.
AS for US of the picnic excursion, we had a dei'gnt-
full sail down to the grove, but somehow, could not Gu
;oy it as much as l ought to have done. Wnen l var.
ed on board the boat, | felt awkward, as 1t everybody
was looking at me. l found Mr. Blmby, as l nao sus'
pected, a young and rising lawyer, mighty III BLACKSTONE
and his own opinion He insisted on paying tor my
ticket 1.-THE boat was IA regular excursion pacHe'') anu
purchasing enough oranges, pears, ana canoes' " Soup
a street staud. -Four or FIVE times | was on the point
of swearing ut his ~impudent oficiousness, but DIT my
topouc inst in time to prevent the exposure. But 1t Was
not with him that | found my rule the hardest to play
No: the young ladies were the difficult ones to de
ceive. For instance, there was one among them, a
beautiful girl of seventeen, just returned from boarding
school. who had not seen Maggie Lee for three years
OF course, she was delighted to see me, when she loano
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 q dozen times
n a manner that made my finger ends tingle for al
hour. 1t was all very nice, but if l had been in Prcpr'e
ne1.oua. I y would have liked it better. As it was, l tel
AZ if l were obtaining goods under false pretences'
and that lawyer Bimby might issue a warrant tor m!
arrest on that ground at any moment.
A whole knot Of crinoline then surrounded me, OF
the INNER deck of the boat, to the utter exclusion AM
CONSEQUENT disgust of Mr.. Bimby and the other gentle
men. kept very quiet, only speaking monosyliaoes
in a falsetto voice; but the others-Lord bless you
how they gabbled! Under q strict promise OF secrecy