American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1876-01-22
FINE wEATHER ANDFAIR WOMEN


And hold in fec-simpie the whole.
-Harpers Weekly.
FINE WEATHER ANDFAIR WOMEN
ONE fine August morning saw a large
party assembled in the sunny breakfast
room at Leighton Court, in shire; the
finest place in the county, with the finest
park and the best croquet lawn IN the
neighborhOod-
A merry gathering. Mr.. Leighton and
his wife, surrounded by an unusually
numerous family party. still increased on
that occasion by several visitors. MIR
Leighton had been twice married, and two
Of his daughters by his first wife had been
mothers long enough to add fair opening
blossoms to the family wreath; while
some of the present Mrs. Leighton's
daughters were scarcely older than their
half-nieces.
Mrs. Leighton, herself an ex-b beauty but
little over forty, still bloomed amid her
rosebud garland of girls" But alas!
the group OF fair feminine blossoms was
almost entirely unshaded by the dark
foliage OF masculine attire. Two lads
from Eton and Harrow, not yet escaped
from the chrysalis stage of boyhood, and
old Mr.. Leighton, who had long passed
the butterfly period of existence, were
snc oniy AcPAcSSns01'cs "a INC s'Sinef
sex.
The rosebud garland was a full one.
Airy, fairy Lilians and stately Clara We're
de Veres mingled with little ones scarcely
out of the nursery. Fancy the clatter OF
musical voicesI The boys, sons of friend
in India, and old Dir. Leighton had not
q chance.
and my reader enter at critical mo-
ment with the toast and the letter-bag.
Every one seizes eagerly on his or her
share of literature. Those who are not
fortunate enough to have correspondents
take ~ the newspapers and periodicals,
and momentary pause ensues- 1t is
broken by Mr.. Leighton, who, looking up
from his letter, asks: "Isn't your croquet
meeting TO come off o-day ~
Ycs,n and yes" with $50 lucky
such a lovely day." being responded on
all sides. he adds: s'Then daresay you
won't be sorry 10 hear that an eligible
young man will be added to the number
Of your guests
Considering the circumstances above
stated, it will readily be believed that this
announcement caused general excitement
among the population of the sunny break
fnst-r0om and the babel of feminine voices
broke loose again. "Who is he ~
T" Where does he come FROM" "Who's
going to bring himy" "Can he play GRO
quetf" With the added comments of
We want men so dreadfully; always the
case down here; and worse than ever now
the Brook Thompsons are away and Capt.
Anderson can't come"
And truly there seemed reasonable cause
both for the rejoicings and the lamenta-
tons. One of the schoolboys, a pre-
cocious little man, attempted some as
sertion Of masculine dignity by remarking
that pretty girl would have been q still
more acceptable addition to the party; but
as this was taken as an insinuation that
none such were already present the SPEAK
er got properly snubbed for his pains.
Lady harchmont, the eldest of Mr..
Leighton's daughters, and mother of the
handsome twins of eighteen, Flora and
Frederick, more generally known by the
authorizations Flo and Fred, silenced the
hubbub by sign; and then inquired,
with ell-assumed indifference, "who,
after all, this eligible might be-"
Mr.. Leighton protested he had only
waited for : lulI in the storm to explain,
which would be best done by reading
aloud some portion of letter from Uncle
John, meant to serve as an Introduction to
the new arrival.
Uncle John writes to me-" continued
Mr.. Leighton, "that his long-delayed
choice Of q successor is at last made. A
nephew of his late wife, who has recently
returned from long foreign tour. is, It
appears, regularly installed at Oxenham
Hall rs heir apparent. He says-but here
/ may IS well read his own words: This
young man is all that I can desire; with
good looks and good parts, accomplished
and amiable, free alike from the vices of q
former generation and the follies of the
the present. I am satisfied that he will do
honor 10 our name, which / intend him
to take, and that he will uobly administer
the wealth of which 1 now feel that /,
from incidence, have made but selfish
USE And now, young ladies, comes the
gist OF the matter; SO lend me your ears
as somebody says in play. The letter
goes on: i feel that to you, my only near
relation, whose son or grandson, had you
had either, would have been my natural
heir, owe some explanation of my con-
duct, and'-but / will have pity on your
impotence and tell you, in fewer words
than Uncle John uses, that he proposes,
hopes and wishes that his heir may find q
wife among what he calls my numerous
female relatives and descendants Having
heard that we are all now assembled to-
getlIer, he sends him over TO make selec-
t:on-only regretting that the infirmities
Of age prevent his performing the intro
ductiOn in person"
What a blessingr screamed half
aO[ca sOitCSy oud LIZ quIcl. Hdll
dozen more; while Mr.. Leighton contin-
ued: . He will probably arrive by the two
O'Clock train to-day, in time for your
party. So now advise you all to combine
archery with croquet, and see who can
take the best aiRsai the hero's heart, hand
some, accomplished and amiable; and,
moreover, heir 10 Oxenham Hall and up
ward Of twenty thousand year. Think
Of that, and, let's see-is there anything
else in the letter. Oh, yes-his name is
smith; not very aristocratic, certainly,
but that doesn't matter, as he's TO take ours.
80 now, girls, get yourselves up in your
pest. Choose your colors, train for the
race, and good luck to the winnerl l
must go and look at old Marmion's legs"
80 saying, the old gentleman walked of
70 The stables as fast as govt would allow
him, in the highest possible spirits; the
question of Uncle Johns ultimate disposal
of the wealth, which was so entirely hi
own TO will away, being thus. as it seemed.
SO happily solved. The man must be
difficult to please. indeed, as he thought.
who could not fix on a wife among the
bevy of maidens that even to less partial
eyes must seem so fair.
The Squire departed, and left behind
him q scene of pleasurable excitement.
Besides the Marchmont twins, Mrs. Heath
cote. the youngest OF the first Mrs. Leigh
tons family, had one girl grown up, and
three of the present Mira Leighton's
daughters were supposed To be out. ALI
we've good-looking, in different styles
od-tempered, when not too much inter
fs.r. Il