The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1871-04-07
MY FRIEND THE CAPTAIN.

"Kitty, let me look at that ring,
and in the name of oil that is non
sensical, what is it doing on your
j finger. You have known Mcdonald
just one week and are wearing his
ring already. It does seem to me
that you have reached an age now
when little more discretion might
be looked for.
Eighteen last month, Tom," was
my sisters saucy rejoinder; "too old
to play with dolls, you see, and not
quite old enough to take to parrots
and heavy teas. So what can / do
but flirt ? Indeed, how any one can
help flirting in such an atmosphere
as this" continued Kitty, stepping
out upon the fower-decked balcony,
sis marvel and mystery to me.
Why, the very flowers are coquetting
with the sun, and opening their bright
eyes in answer to his burning glance,
only to close them again as soon as
his rays are withdrawn. One ought
to be a bivalve or fossil to suit your
ideas, Tom.
We were waiting for breakfast, my
sister and I, in the salon Of our
charming apartment on the Kisselef-
Strasse, Homburg, at the season
when that fairest and wickedest of
watering places puts on her most be-
coming attire, and displays such
varying charms, and throws out such
tolls and nets to entrap unguarded
! youth, as must inevitably make one
IN love with wickedness forevermore.
We had been wintering in Rome,
and hal iourneyed slowly northwards,
after the mrch overrated festivities
of Easter week were fairly at an end,
until we reached Dresden, when /
had rather shabby turned my back
upon the family circle, and started
on pedestrian tour through the So
called Saxon Switzerland ard up to
Rhineland, with the underata 'dlng
that I was to resume my compllca'ed
role of protector, courier, and duenna
at Homburg, when my six weeks
"leave" should have expired.
needed the change and relaxa-
ton badly; for, truth to say, my fam
ily cares, consisting as they did of
maiden aunt, younger brother, and
very troublesome, pretty and CO.
quettish sister, had weighed heavily
upon my nerves and spirits during
the Roman campaign just ended.
She was the pride of my life and
the darling of my heart, this little
orphan sister, and had been voted
unanimously the sprightliest, wick
edest, most captivating girl who had
graced the Papal Court that winter;
and yet 1 never knew one hours
peace Of mind when / had Ler under
my care.
Bright, witty, thoroughly woil-bred
and self-possessed, and with cnpa-
bility for taking care of herself and
rigidly enforcing the law OF $50 far
shalt thou go and no further" which
is the saving clause of an American
giirs creed at the present day, Kitty
was yet possessed OF n demon OF
Irritation, which not all the saints in
Christendom could exercise.
knew that under all her froth and
folly, she kept hidden away, quite
out of anybody's sight, the warmest,
truest little heart that ever beat; and
still she would outrage decorum, end
trample on conventionalitiesin in way
that sent English spring chickens
shuddering to the maternal wing,
and my own poor Aunt Mary and
myself to the verge OF madness.
With figure so mignonne that it
would have been insignificant but for
its perfect symmetry and grace;
foot that the "heathen Chinee" would
fall down and worship, and head
SO daintily set upon her shoulders
that every turn of it was study,
Kitty went singing and dancing over
the rough places of existence, very
much after the fashion of the noun
tain brook, which makes all the noise
it pleases, and lures every passer-by
to listen to its voice In spite of the
grim precipices and oyerhanging
crags which have been frowning
sternly upon it since the beginning
of the world
Her lovers were as the sands of the
sea-shore for multitude, and it made
little difference to Kitty whether they
claimed nationality with England,
France, Spain, or Italy. She would
chatter to each in his own language,
and smile, coquet, and bedevil them
until they were made her abJect
slaves.
Just now she was deep in an "af-
fair with an intimate friend of my
own, young Scotchman, whom /
had met on my bachelor excursion,
and had presented TO Kitty, with n
malicious, and, as it turned out, most
mistaken confidence that he would
be proof against all her arts.
/ We bad met in a rickety "einsran-
ner." which had given me lift dur
i ING nv PROCESS through the Oden-
wald; and attracted by his easy, gen.
tlemanly ways, and familiarity with
the whole beautiful district through
which I was walking, we had soon
got upon intimate terms, and had
made the whole journey to Hombur9
/ together. ~
/ I learned from his own lips that he
was an officer in the Ninety-third
/ Highlanders, the regiment which had
become SO famous in poetry and ro-
| nance for its timely deliverance Of
the perishing garrison of Lucknow
during the Indian mutiny, and many
and narrowing were the tales that he
told me of the gbastlys massacre al
Cawnpore, and of the outrages COM
mitted there.
Altogether I had found him ge.