The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-07-30
pARKER'S SISTER.
{coNcLuDRp.)

Now, have already alluded to the oaIpai.e
fashion after which the students AT Iens.o,
House were disposed to treat the womankiho
Of the tribe-dealing in them and u'sposs "a, "
their hands and properties qu.'s s ~ hsdan
ties of trade Every boy in the scaoot haa APP
nronr,s,ad :, himself by right of purchase, or
AS an earning of battle, the hand OF some other
boys sister. Bienkinsop frimus nau Iaiiy az :
ranra5 sha he should marry the eldest Miss
DaSLins BIenkinsop Secundus had deter
mined upon going TO church hymenialiy with
The Youngest Miss Bradshaw. The ladies and
Gentlemen in either case had never met, but
sill the unions were to be regarded IA the
light of settled arrangements. The sisters on
other boys had been disposed OF III an e9aa.s
EASY and comfortable manner. III Dfcane
question. then, who was 10 marry il ...s
Eer's sister; IL was quite evident ina, SOM had
must am happy to say I'M ,' 60 thai when
nswkins announced himself as preessas 81 a.
the hand Of Miss Parker, IL was oangsgement
re mus 49,, ie.e t,rned with the second Miss
.IanSinson Now also had conceived ihteh-
lions in regard 10 Miss farkei, setS
muSn s,ories Besides, Parker had brought
= miniature of his sister TO school; This por-
trait--how far 1 was JUSTIFIED under the cir
cnmstances of my romantic attachment l
hardly know now-I had purchased of Parker.
lie was singuiarly partial TO tafty. In mo-
ment of unpecuniosity and acute longing for
ths, delicacy, i appeared before him with good
two penn'orth of 1T done up neatly in paper
A negotiation for The purchase of the portrait
ensued. Not TO be weariseme, may say that
1t ultimately became mine, in consideration OF
the tahy, three apples, mblet an egg plum,
81 peg.top, a broken corkscrew, twenty mar
bles, and 5 long piece of string. l became the
poor but delighted possessor OF the likeness OF
Miss Parker. / had given up nearly all my
worldly possessions TO purchase the miniature.
l doubt If any collector ever made greater sac
rifices to possess a picture; and little Parker's
sister became quite unconsctously little Par
ker's shield and safeguard. Was it likely that
they who loved her would permit of any insult
or injury to h,D1, who would, of course, some
day be a man and brother-in-law OF course
not.
Now, it was evident that there were chances
of collision between the rival claims of Daw-
kins aud myself 10 the hand of Miss Parker
Had we been enemies, we should have fought
for her; rs we were friends, it became neces
sary 10 ad Just the matter in II more amicable
fashion. We arranged TO toss for her. There
was difficulty even about this. l regret to
state that we had not even the essential coin
wherewthal to decide the chance so clasp
knife was thrown up. lit came down with
the mick" for opening the blade uppermost,
then Miss Parker was mine; II the mick was
underneath then she pertained TO DaW sns.--
The event was determined, then, by mick" OF
no nick" The knife came down mo nick."-
III Parker belonged to Dawkins.
| was forlorn and uncomfortable, but not
hopeless. possessed the portrait; secretly,
l resolved 10 possess the original also but
how Dawkins had right on his side. We had
fairly tossed, and he had become the lawful
possessor of Parker's sister; he could not be
compelled to resign her. But it was clear
that his heart was not nearly so much in the
business as was mine or perhaps L shonld
say that his stomach dominated over ms
heart. He was a boy of large appetite II was
his one weak point l pressed heavily upon
that; l charged as strongly IS L could upon
that and il gave way. l offered to purchase
OF him his right to Miss Parker The consid-
Grafton, perhaps, was a little consideration;
| assigned to Dawkins the whole OF my share
in the Lexicon House puddings throughout
one half-year. On these terms, he Withdrew
ali claim to Miss Parker. l was happy then.
Hungry and insolyentI might be, yet salts
fled and rich in the ownership of Miss Parker
aud her portrait.
Now, there are puddngs, and there are pud-
dings. There are grades IN that vlctuai, as IN
many other things there Is Inc prdaing
that is simply filling, and has nothing else to
recommend it; and the pudding that is filling
and delec table also; and there Is pudding
at least, there was such pudding at Lexicon
House-nauseous and horrible, Il hard, suffo-
eating pudding, looking like lengths OF organ
piping laid out in a dish-drab i'll color, with
a vanished surface, and spotted in the in
terror with yellow Jumps OF Transporter
material. Such buildings as these, known
among us as "suet holsters were frequent
articles of consumption at Or. Swabey's. l
presume they were cheap OF manufacture;
and they possessed the adj an tage, that the boy
who contrived to finish his portion, was 60 nil-
ed and fatigued DY the EFFORT that he was able
40 eat a little of the roast.mutto that always
followed the puddings-a result perhaps not
altogether uncontemplated by the doctor Al
ter my arrangement with Dawkins, l had to
4 double alIO%anCeOI suel DOlS leIS,
aud had also the pain, when any more paia-
table dish was presen ted for our repast, OF
hearing Dawkins, with an unctuous buzz In
my ear, announce II say, oid Fellow, III
take your pudding to-day, you know" My
only consolation was, that my sacrifice had
bought me an indisputable right 10 Parkers
sister.
Much as | adored her, had never yet had
The pleasure of seeing Miss Parker in the flesh.
of course, had heard all about her from lit
lie Parker. l knew precisely all about the
color of her eyes, hair, compleXion-kneWt that
she could play the piano and guitar, and sing
10 the accompaniment OF either instrument
that she could paint in water colors, and knit
purses the most marvellous and beautiful
complications of silk and steel beads that ever
were seen Ali this had wormed out of lit
Tie Parker-often purchasing from him long
conversations on the SUBJECT win apples ana
almond rock. Our meeting was yet TO come;
did she long for that great event as did 1t
could hardly be expected perhaps, as she mad
never even, 10 my knowledge, heard my name
We were all home for the Christmas holidays.
Lexicon House was empty We sometimes
wondered how the doctor managed to exist
during the holidays, having no one TO thrash,
and no ones lesson TO hear-thoSe duties APP
rearing to us to constitute the sole business
and pleasure of his life. II never occurred 10
us that he awaited himselfof our absence TO see
his friends, enjoy country walks, read his books,
take his port wine, and generally nave rather a
pleasant time Of il. l had received an invita-
ton from little Parker's mamma, ms tigated by
that Young gentleman. was ell treated 10 come
10 an evening party III DoTset Sq uaie TN conu-
dence may say, that it was called ajarehtte par
ty.) She of course would be there. should see
ID Parker; perhaps own my love perhaps
wiring from her a confession of hers per-
Haps-who knows bear her oil then and
there after the manner of the pirate captains
IN PaTker's stories. l accepted the invita-
toni should rather think l did. i counted
The days that must elapse before my meeting
with hi Parker; l thought of little else but
the party given ty little Parker's mamma. l
was permitted a new sait OF clothes Tor the
occasion; no expense was spared-white kid
gloves, new shiny pumps, ribbed silk stock
iIgs hover from COvent Garden for my
Jacket button Ii ole-the whole thing thor
oughly well done. My hair curled for the
occasion that, l admit, was failure; n little
too much grease smell of burning which
hoped was less pungent TO others than 1t was
To me and decided want OF harmony and
amalgamation between The straight ana the
curled locks-the same difference as between
flowers and their sticks--which was certainly
disastrous In effect. Still the intention was
Greditable.
1 drove to Dorset Square in a cab. In my
excitement gave the cabman all the money l
had about mean unWise action; Tor at the
conclusion of the entertainment was COM
PEELED TO walk home in the rain, and spoil my
pumps, being berett of the means Of procuring
Il conveyance. In the hall found Dawkins,
in high state of cleanliness and polish l
triumphed over him, however; for he had no
flower in his jacket; he had silk gloves not lid
lake NINE; and he had not had his hair curled
II had been bSushed to an extent that must
have been really painful; the skin of his scalp
was still quite crimson from the friction
Ills hair stuck down light as though with
glue, and freely vanished had been drawn
into plaits on either side of his head and then
deXterousiy pointed into his eyes. We met
upon friendly terms l think we had coffee
were greeted cordially by little Parker, blu sh.
ing much and looking extremely happy, and