The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-10-09

.'sNo turkey, thank you, - said she,
.Is q never take fowl--it's only &c for
'EiRyalids and babies; so iusipid I'll
take some roast beef rare. IL you
/ please -though I, prefer steak aud
onions.' And basprinkling the CORY
4 slice with an abundance of cayenne.
sauce, Miss Eastwood commenced
her repast, while. the squire turned
away his eyes, meeting those of Lena
Cameron, bis wife's niece, who had
been regarding these proceedings of
the "dashing" young lady, with an
expression akin to horror. Poor
child, she wasn't in the secret. But
the squire thought, as he looked at
her, how very delicate, and refined,
and lady-like, sho appeared.
Miss Dashwood declined sherry,
but accepted a little port instead
though expressing n preference for
French brandy and water. It was
quito The ''styie': now, she asserted,
for ladies to prefer brandy. Indeed,
some even professed par tiality for
Bourbon, though she herself con-
sidered it inferior to brandy in point
of taste and real refreshment; and
Squire Chester felt provoked at the
assiduity with which his son re-filled
the young lady's glass, and listened
admiringly to oil she said.
"Give us some music, Joe," said
Mrs. Page, when they were again in
the drawiDg-room. And the squire,
who was devoted to music, looked up
and frightened. It was one of his
favorite anticipations, that of his
sons wife playing to him, and sooth-
ing him in his after-dinner hours
with the melodies ne loved. And now
he came up to the piano and stood
expectant.
Miss Eastwood played q rattling
prelude, and then suddenly broke
into bravura, which caused one old
lady to vacate her seat near the in
strument. The squire, undaunted,
kept his post, until hunters song,
with all the accompaniment of thorn,
hound, and rider-halloo, overcame
even his courtesy, and he, too, re-
treated.
"Now, Lena, one of your favorite
songs" said her aunt, quietly; and
the girl sat down, and in q sweet,
low, and somewhat plaintive voice,
sang Bonnie Doom" and "Annie
Laurie"
""That is the music that I like"
remarked Squire Chester to his host
ess, soto roce. "Those charming old
songs are worth all the modern fall
de-rals that have ever been written"
And he looked thoughtfully at Miss
Dashwood, and then at Miss Came
ron. Likewise, he hearkened to the
discourse now going on between the
former and his son.
'I do so doat on horses" observed
the young lady. ''I couldn't be hap
py, under any circumstances, without
at least two of my own-a rider and
n hunter. delight in hunting, wher-
ever it is to be had, and generally,
on that account, pass my summers
among the mountains, though deer
are becoming very scarce, and wood
cock almost as much so. I wish we
had fox-hunting here, as in England.
L prefer novels in which foX-hunting
comes in-'Guy Livingston, for in
stance. What splendid fellow he
was! and what hume drum country
is ours, where there is hardly any
thing. to amuse one, except the thea
tres. If L had my own way, should
be an actress. I've always had an
inclination for the stage, and really
think I should make good actress.
Don't you think so, Mr.. Chester?"
Capital" responded that young
man, with emphasis, and q pleased,
half-amused, half-earnest look, which
didn't escape his watchful sire,
though he might not understand it.
"He's o ninny!" was the mental
reflection of the latter. "What sort
of a wife would such woman make ?"
was his~next involuntary thought,
until it suddenly occurred to him,
with something like a shock, that
this was really, after all, the woman
he had chosen for his sons wife, for
his daughter-in.law, for the mistress
of his house and household. And
again he looked ut atLena-very kindly
this time.
"You must see my Beelzebub, IRE
sumed Miss Dashwood, enthusiast
cally. ''Such charming creature!
full of spirit, yet so tractable and af-
fectionate, that I assure yon, sir, +"
| o16racoipo, tho cnuira ssba'll .yo l.