The Portland daily press., 1879-07-26
CLIPPINGS
From the August Magazines.
THE AMERICAN "rnErrx GIRL

THE AMERICAN PRETTY GIRL"
She was simply the American pretty girl,
whom he had seen thousand times 1t was
numerous sisterhood, pervaded by strong
family likeness. This young lady had charm
ing eyes (of the color of Gordon's cravats),
which looked everywhere at once and
yet found time to linger in some places, where
Longueville's own eyes frequently met them.
She had soft brown hair with a silky brown
golden thread in it, beautifully arranged, and
crowned by smart little hat that savored of
Paris. She had also slender little figure, neat
ly rounded, and delicate, narrow hands, prettily
gloved. She moved about great deal in her
place, twisted her little flexible body and tossed
her head, fingered her hair and examined the
ornaments of her dress She had great deal of
conversation, and she expressed herself with
extreme frankness and decision. He asked her
to begin with, if she had been long at Baden
but the impetus of this question was all she re-
qulred. Turning her charming conscious, Co
quettish little face upon him, she instantly be-
gan to chatter
II have been here about four weeks 1 don't
know whether you call that long. 1t doesn't
seem long to me, L have had such lovely
time. have met ever so many people know
every day some one turns up. Now YOU have
turned up to-day
"Ah, but you don't know me-" said Ionone-
vile, laughing.
We'll, have heard a great deal about
you! cried the young girl, with pretty little
stare OF contradiction. 81 think YOU know a
great friend of mine, Miss Ella Maclane of
Baltimore. She's travelling in Europe now"
Longueville's memory did not instantly re-
spond to this signal, but he expressed that
rapturous assent which the occasion demanded,
and even risked the observation that the young
iady 1rom Baltimore was very pretty. "She's
far too lovely" his companion went on. "I
have often heard her speak of you. think
you know her sister rather better than
you know her. She is just as interesting as
she can be. Her hair comes down to her feet
Shes travelling in Norway. She has been
everywhere you can think of and she's going
to finish off with Finland. You can't go far.
ther than that, can you? That's one comfort:
she'll have to turn round and come back
want her dreadfully to come to Baden-Baden."
wish she would" said Longueville. "Is
she travelling alone?'
oh, no. They've got some Englishman
They say he's devoted to Ella. Every one
seems to have an Englishman now We've
got one here, Captain Lovelock-Captain
Augustus Lovelock. Well, they're awfully
handsome. Ella Maclane is diving to come to
Baden-Baden. Her father and mother have
got some idea in their heads; they think
It's lmproper-what do you call it?-im-
moral. wish you'd write to her and tell
ian would come to place that's immoral Mrs.
Vivian says she would take her in q moment;
she's only too kind. You know I'm in Mrs
Vivian's care. My mothers gone to Franzens-
bad. She would let me go with Mrs. Vivian
anywhere, on account of the influence-she
thinks so much of Mrs. Vivian's influence. /
have always heard great deal about it, haven't
you! L must say it's lovely; It's had a won
derful effect upon me. don't want to praise
myself, but it has. You ask Mrs. Vivian m
haven't bpau OOad II hava hao,
as can be. I've been so peaceful, I've lust
sat here this way. Do you call this immoral?
You're not obliged to gamble if you don't want
to- Ella Mclane's father seems to think you
get drawn in. I'm sure haven't been drawn
m Know what you are going to say-you're
going to say I've been drawn out Well, 1
have tonight. We just sit here so quietly
there's nothing to do but to talk " make a
little party by ourselves-are you going to be-
long to our party? Two of us are missing
Miss Vivian and Captain Lovelock. Captain
Lovelock has gone with her into the rooms to
explain the gambling-Miss Vivian always
wants everything explained. 1 am sure un-
derstood it the first time looked at the tables
Have you ever seen Miss Vivian? She's yery
much admired. She's very unusual Black
hairs so uncommon-I see you've got it too
but mean for young ladies. / am sure one
sees everything here. There's a woman that
comes to the tables-a Portuguese countess
who has hair that is positively blue can't
say admire it when it comes to that shade.
Blues my favorite color, but prefer it in the
eyes," continued Longueville's companion,
resting upon him her own two brilliant little
specimens of the tint.
He listened with that expression of clear
amusement which is not always an indication
of high esteem, but which even pretty chat
terers, who are not the reverse of estimable.
oIten prefer to masculine inattenton; and
while he listened Bernard, according to his
won't made his reflections, He said to HIM
self that there were two kinds of pretty girls
the acutely conscious and the finely uncon-
sclous. Mrs Vivian's protegee was member
OF the former category; she belonged to the
genus coquette. We all have our conception
of the indispensable, and the indispensable, to
this young lady, was a spectator; almost any
male biped would serve the purpose. To her
spectator she addressed for the moment, the
whole volume of her being-addressed it in her
glances, her attitudes, her exclamations, in
hundred little experiments of tone and gesture
and position. And these rustling articles
were so innocent and obvious that the direct
ness of her desire to be we'll with her observer
became in itself grace; it led Bernard after
ward to say to himself that the natural yoca-
ton and meter of little girls for whom exist
ence was but shimmering surface, was to
Prattle and rufie their plumage their view Of
l1e and its duties was as simple and superficial
as that of an Oriental bdyadere.-Henry James
in Scrbner.