The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1868-08-08
stand up Polly, and say how dye do to

oiiy Tpse Will extreme clTcuulspectiOi
and executed the frigid mannuvre that sh
had been laboriously instructed to perforr
when gentleman was introduced, only sh
blushed with it, which was not in the dane
ing-school order. Bob brought his spurre
heels together with click, and initiated til
bow rcposterously,- the blush was beyon
him ; but Polly's eyes were downcast, am
she was spared the anguish of seeing he
grave airs made fun Of by this disrespectfl
person, whose mother admonshed him II
go away and make haste for dinner, it wa
late Bob obeyed, with comical grilnac
at Maggie, which she replied to with a half
laugh, rude, very rude but there wa
something about that queer little Polly, turn
ed precision, that provoked it, and her ute
unconciousness Of the effect she produce,
increased the humor of the joke.
When Bob came back to the parlor thu
servant was just announcing dinner, ant
the young gan stepped briskly across thu
room to Polly, snd, bonding unhevrssaril,
low, offered her his arm with an exaggera
ted affectation of courtesy that Weakened
Maggie's alarm and made her long to bon
his ears. But Polly took it with beautiful
ssrenity, and kept step with him composedly
until he placed her by himself at table in the
full light Of the lamp.-the loveliest little
thing that had ever sat there since he was
master, as he thought, glancing down at hei
with more serious approval. And it was
capital to hear her talk. How he had cx.
pccted 10 hear her talk, goodness knows
but when she used the right words about a
fox.hunt, and asked if they had had good
run to-day, if he was in at the death, and
who won the brush, it is impossible to say
whether he was most amazed or enchanted
by her woderful clcverness, all the more
wonderful in creature so bewideringly
pretty and sweet.
She was new too, quite new. Bob had
never seen anybody in the least like her.
Girls usually pretended to be shy of him,
partly from liking and desire to attract,
and partly from the reputation he had OF be.
ing wild. Polly knew nothing about wild
ness. His mother and sisters adored him,
the maid. servant smiled when he spoke, the
dogs lay at his feet and were happy. He
was no beauty, but he was fine manly young
fellow, and very popular in his neighbor
hood. TO Polly he seemed q rather mature
person,-he was not far from thirty,-and,
after the first blush, the sense of her highly
responsible position came to her aid, and
re established her in perfect calm. 1t was
delicious to Bob to be looked innocently in
the face by those soft brown eyes, and talked
to without any sham airs and graces. A
strain of jocuar compliment was all that
was usually required Of him when he had a
pretty girl at his elbow; but Polly was as
good as a lesson in manners; she did not
expect compliments and he had the wit to
see she would not like them. SO he adopt.
ed her tone of conversation with seriousness.
only relapsing into his original frame of
mind twice or thrice fora moment, when
her assumption ofsageness and duty became
100 much for his sense ofthe ridiculous.
The formality and pronriety .of. :, the inaHAr
Maggie got Polly into the parlor, she seized
Ter by the waist and whirled her round in II
No'tz "Don't, Maggie" said Polly, but
-.crcd into the spirit oft all the same
ud nore, when Fanny good naturedly
opened the piano, and offered to play for
hem, the music brought Bob, who com
)osed himselfin his arm chair, and looked
On, until Maggie popped her partner down
)reathless on the sofa and herself by her.
That will do; what a dust you have
made - said he, and Polly started and felt
.bashel at her inappropriate behavior
\ ct few minutes after Bob was making
lust himself, and learning the new step of
Polly, which he knew perfectly; if his sis
crs had not worshipped him with fear, they
would have told her that he was only doing
t to tease her and amuse himself He man
,gcd to be most ;illfully stupid dozen
lines, at least, d. Polly "put his feet in
he way of it," as she said, and dozen
lines did he fail to do it correctly. He
that perhaps, ifhe did it with her,
ne might succeed in keeping time; but Polly
said g No, let him try it with Maggie, she
vas a better height for him." He, however,
lid it worst of all with Maggie, and Polly
or the honor Of her teaching was prevailed
On to take him in hand herself
" But don't expect You will be able 10
10 it," said she, despairingly.
Fanny at the piano glanced over her shoul
Ter laughing, and even Mrs. Livingstone
watched with an amused smile while Bob
his character. He knew how to
hold his partner at all events, Polly thought
ut the start, and it was astonishing how fast
he improved with her to keep him in step
In fact, he caught it up directly, though,
when Polly wished him to try it again with
Maggie, his awkwardness was, if possible,
more conspicuous than before.
"This is very discouraging of course !
don't mean thaty you can help it," said Polly,
in the most admirable tone of patient
teacher dealing with dull but willing pu.
pill.
The inconvenicnt Maggie burst out in
long suppressed merry zeal of laughter:
&c O you dear little comical darling, Bob is
only making fun he can dance as well as
any of us - cried She
Polly gazed up for half minute with
blank dsmay at Bob, then joined in the
laugh against herself, and said "lfyou
are that sort Of person, shall take care
how give you a dancing-lesson again."
(To be CoHtinuod)
The Fashionable Young Girl.
BY 4 school GIRL.