The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1877-03-15
MY COUSINS PLOT.

"You are big goose; there, noW!"
And my little cousin Jessie's face
glowed with an unwonted expression
of anger. say unwonted, because she
was generally one of the best natured
little creatures in the world.
"My dear COUSIN" said l, as blandly
as possible, and assuming, as l spoke,
highly philosophical air-"my dear
cousin, it is a pity you were not born
forty or fifty years earlier"
"And why so, pray?"
"Because then you might have had
children of your own to tyrannize over,
and l should have been spared your
more than grandmotherly advice and
espionage. | fancy that have arrived
at an age when no longer require the
parental, maternal, nor cousinal rule
to keep me from going astray, and l see
no reason, or rather no excuse, for the
interposition of your wisdom-mighty
as it undoubtedly is-in my private af-
fairs
81 don't care whether it is any of
my business or motif you marry that
girl, III never speak to you again"
"Won't you? I'm sorry to hear it )
Miss Idelia Vaughn is young lady of
great responsibility. Her family is I'M
questionable; her education is complete
"a great deal better than yours, my
dear-and she has some wealth. These
are worldly considerations, but they
should be satisfactory to nay friends.
For the rest she has an affectionate
disposition" .....
"An affectionate humbugin
ga sympathetic heart"
eyes; she carries her tears in her
pocket-handkerchief, and applies them
when required" ....
"She has beautiful countenance
"What an imagination you are gift
ed With"
GA fine figure
"Oh, oh, that is going little too
far! She is vertically bone-nothing
but bone; and must say, very i'll
shaped bone at that"
Miss Jessie, l protest against any
such abuse of person whom esteem.
l have told you that have offered my
self to her, and that l cherish a great
er regard for her than for any ether
young lady l ever saw. These facts
should insure her due degree of re-
spect from my friends and relatives
"Due degree of nonsense! l tell
you, cousin, you are a ninny, and that
girl-no, that spinster-is no more fit
to be your wife than she is to talk COM
nonsense" ..
81 have used my own Judgment in
proposing marriage to her, and shall
continue to do So"
=" You never shall marry her while 1
ive!"
You can't help it."
"You shall see."
And my little cousin Jessie shook her
flounces and ribbons like a small but
well feathereu bird, and sailed out of
the room in tempest of silk and Grim
oline.
l must, of course, tell my readers
what Miss Idelia Vaughn was like, after
introducing her as my intended bride.
To do so fairly I shall give both sides
OF the picture-my own and that of my
cousin Jessie.
My idea of Miss Vaughn was that she
was tall, elegant young lady, with a
severely classical face, rich, auburn
ringlets, graceful and dignifed car
riage and an expression of poetry and
refinement on her features.
My cousin Jessie said that she was
beaupoley, inelegant old maid, with
severely homely face, thin, molasses-
colored ringlets, mincing and affect
ed carriage and an expression of Laura
Matilda sentimentality on her features.
The reader will see that we differed.
Ibecame infatuated with Miss Vaughn
from reading three poems she published
IN country paper one of which, COM
mencing,
betrayed such depth of feeling and
sorrow that fell in love with the un-
known writer, and my desire to know,
sympathize with and console her, pro-
cured an interview, through the good
nature of the country editor, and made
such fine Byronic speeches to her that
she returned my affection almost as
Jersey jockeys swap horses-''onsight,
Onseen."
My little cousin Jessie and l were
confidants. We told each other every
thing. If l went to a supper and
brought away too much champagne
under my waistcoat, freely confessed 4
it to Jessie. If she had shown too much
preference to some smooth-tongued
stranger, and made her old friends jeal-
GUS, she told me of it. If fell in love
which did in those days about once
week-Jessie was the recipient of my
rhapsodies; and, if any one of the young
men OF the neighborhood succeeded in
getting his courage up to the point Of
proposing to Jessie-not very rare oc-
currence I was the first, and generally