Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-05-12
DoLLY vARDEN.


Written for the Union and American by Madame
Elbe.
Before telling what 1 know about the in
comparable Dolly, would simply say, let
no man cast stone at my authority. It
cannot be questioned, for Raven, Grip is
Us name, is perched upon my shoulder, a
wicked cynical fellow, it must be confessed.
How Grip became such fast friends is no
body's business, for though he may be (and
In my own mind, have no doubt but
what he is) What he so pertinaciously
avows himself, don't believe single one
of you will object to my narrative,
on account of its source. Grip is certainly
here, not hoary with age, but as youthful
as he was century ago, looking as black
and glossy as if he had been dipped in
Bachelors hair dye. Grip is either a
bachelor or widower, / forget which, and
the most conceited, insolent, ralzish, know
ing creature of either denomination that
ever my eyes rested on Sweet Dolly Var
den, murmured Grip, sisoto voice. and
here caught him oggling at himself in the
glass most abominably; plump, adorable
Dolly, and here he laid his claw on
his heart with a languishing air.
Grip, cried I, in severe tone,
trying to recall him to propriety. Delicious
Dolly again sighed the ineorrigible crea-
ture. Grip can't you be proper? cried, in
a climax of virtuous Indignation. But
Grip had no idea of having his gallant strain
interrupted. He gave no heed to my ad-
jurations, but went on with his adjectives.
Precious Dolly leaned back In despair.
Grip, cried /, suddenly, tell me where did
your precious Dolly live? She lived In
hor fcf 1a-
the reply. Good Grip, implored, do be
more precise. Grip gave me a glance
of mingled surprise and disgust. l think
it most probable that be had never heard
that adjective applied to himself, in the
whole course Of his rather. extended exist
ence. / have told you where she lived, and
now III tell ycu how she lived. l think
she ate. Dear, dear Grip, l interrupted,
the printers will never publish this nom
sense. And l expected to buy me Dolly
Warden with this very communication Of
yours. Oh, that's it, is it ? said Grip, look
ing a little softened. Well, then, write.
Dolly, my queen of coquettes, was the
daughter of - her father. Oh, Grip,
1 groaned. And of her mother also, added
he consolingly. Gabriel Warden was her
father; was an honest blacksmith,
man rather liked, said
Grip, ia meditative manner, though he
was not Of my order, a man open, true,
loyal and manly. 1t was in the year 1850
that my acquaintance with Gabriel Warden
commenced, and it was in the same year,
that what are known as the Gordon Riots
commenced. Lord George Gordon, mem
Der of Parliament and a representative of
one of the noblest families of Britain, with
an ancestry of which any man might well
be proud, was the third son Of the third
Duke of Gordon. This family combined
in its members, from generation to genera
ton, all the qualities which command,
attract and endear. The men all were
brave, the women all were pure; of I'M
swerving loyalty; passionately devoted to
the house of Stuart. 1t was not until the
! wear 1850 that a storm arose which threat
ened to shake the stately fabric of the Cor
don fortune efrom turret to foundation
stone." Lord George Gordon, from some
unexplained reason, got TO consider himself
| the bulwark of the Protestant faith, and by
/ his incendiary speeches so excited and in
( censed the populace against the unoffend-
1 ing Catholics, that The popular fury at length
burst out in the terrible riots, which have
! no parallel save in the French revolution.
I Gabriel Varden, always on the side of law
! and order, was the staunch upholder of the
4 stout old Hanoverian, King George IL, and
1 while he was breaking heads in behalf of
His Majesty, Dolly was breaking hearts in
i behalf of herself. Now Dolly, my precious
4 Dolly, had a lover whom she loved
\ better even than she loved her last new
hat, handsome, manly fellow, and if the
course of true love didn't run smooth with
j him and her, the reason was because Dolly
wouldn't let it. She coquetted so outra-
| geously, played him fast and loose
so successfully that the poor fell
I low convinced of her Indifference, en-
4 listed in regiment for the West Indies
Now everybody who did not know human
nature as well as do, mean female na.
ture, said Grip, sententiously, would sup
4 pose that the loss of man she really loved
would have cured the girl of her flirting,
Not she, indeed. A little crying, sObbing,an
signing, and she was back again at her ole
game of hearts. The way she wore pro
vokingly short skirts, dainty little boots, anC
jaunty hats was sin. Charming, exquisite
! Dolly, see thee now in my minds eye, {
vision of bloom and beauty. Again, and her,
Grip actually looked sentimental, again SCI
thee tripping past, the perfumed cherry rib
bons playing in the wind the crimson plume
waving over the left-shoulder, the dainty
| foot rce-Grip, broke in, can't you tel
me what became of the girl, and whethe
she married her Joe or not? Yes, he cam
back with only one arm, and the unaccount
able jade found that she loved him bette
with one arm than she had with two, an
now in comparing this Princess OF Coquette
with the modern fhts, The only difference
find is that while my Dolly was "for Joe
these latter day beauties all VOW and scream
they are "not for joe" But of this yoI
may be certain, said the graceless repro
bate, that if they are not for one "Joe
they are for another invariably. As sool
as l had recovered from this wicked insiI
uation, asked, "Did she live happy wit
her Joe, and is she dead or alive ?"
suppose she lived as happily as women eve
deserve to live, replied he coolly; as to ho7
she died, or whether she died at all or not
''The Dickens" only knows, for | don't