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Article THE BEAUTIFUL HAND. ← Page 3 of 8 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Beautiful Hand.
" I'll do it immediately , " said he ; and before his tongue sfopt , his pen began Avriting a note . "Ah ! " he ejaculated , " that will be better . Here ' s to day ' s paper ; amuse yourself for half a minute , and I'll be back . I'll just slep to a friend , close by , who lives in Mrs . Parker ' s street , and he shall give you a note of introduction to her . " In a feAv minutes I had the note in my hand , and not man } ' afterwards I placed it in the hand of Mrs . Parkerand Avas forthwith located in her house .
, As this house was one into Avhich no person could enter Avithout being particularly introduced , and then undergoing the scrutiny of Mrs Parker , AA'I IO Avas a lady-like Avoman , and Avhose duties had made her keen as Avell as given her considerable tact , all the boarders in her house , dined at the same table , and spent a part of every clay in the same sitting room . But people of every degree in this country seem very little afraid of casual intercourse Avith their felloAV beings " ;
ancl a foreigner is often astonished at the great lack of European carefulness in this particular . As the hour for dinner approached , my excitement increased to such a degree , that I really began to be afraid I should-make but a sorry figure before the fair object of my glittering hopes . I forced myself , therefore , to AA'histle , to hum , and to do forty ofher sill } ' things , by Avay of letting myself CIOAVII to something like " a gentlemanlike composure . While I stood Avitli my arms folded tiht
g OA-er my breast , compelling my eyes to rest upon the foliage of the trees ancl shrubbery in the garden , Avhich had changed its bright summer green to every imaginable tint , through dark green , yelloAv , red , crimson , doAVti to a Avarm deep brown , making its autumnal beauty surpass even that of the spring , ding cling , Avent the dinner bell , and I started like a culprit .
Men feel strange misgivings Avhen going into a battle ; ancl legislators , AA'hen clearing their throats to begin an oration ; so do women , AA'hen in their pure , bashful , maiden clays , they , in all the ornament of dress , first enter and are led through a large room of gazers ; but . I doubt very much Avhether any one , in any situation , ever felt more trepidation lhan 1 did as I entered this room , in which I Avas about to behold the lady Avith the beautiful hand . The truth is that I have now no distinct remembrance of any thing about me , until after being seated at the
table , I perceived that the beautiful hand Avas not there ; a discovery bringing with it as much relief as disappointment . I never Avas exactl y fitted to shine in general conversation , ancl on the present occasion I felt much more disposed to listen than to talk . Before Ave left ihe table , the duties of Avhich are dispatched with singular haste in this country , I discovered that no one had departed from the house that day ; and that a lady , Mrs . Woodward , an old gentleman , Mr . Todd , and his daughter , Miss Julia Todd , Avere dining out . I had , at least , made one step ; I now possessed her name , and , in the many fairy scenes which a young heart conjures up in the fancied future , I could repeat
lhat name endearingly . " Julia Todd "—The name itself Avas beautiful . After dinner , I rang for the servant to my room ; here with a most laAA-yer-like ingenuity , through the use of my tongue ancl purse , I extracted what Avas possible from the acute yankey ; Avho Avas Avonderfully unsatisfactory to one Avith my impatient curiosity—asking , in spite of me , more questions than he ansAvered . As there was no probability of Julia ' s return , at least for somehours , and finding it utterly impossible to employ myself within , I walked forth into the most crowded part of the town . In one of the streets , a child being run over by a gig , almost at my side , I felt called upon to aid in all the steps uecessarv for
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Beautiful Hand.
" I'll do it immediately , " said he ; and before his tongue sfopt , his pen began Avriting a note . "Ah ! " he ejaculated , " that will be better . Here ' s to day ' s paper ; amuse yourself for half a minute , and I'll be back . I'll just slep to a friend , close by , who lives in Mrs . Parker ' s street , and he shall give you a note of introduction to her . " In a feAv minutes I had the note in my hand , and not man } ' afterwards I placed it in the hand of Mrs . Parkerand Avas forthwith located in her house .
, As this house was one into Avhich no person could enter Avithout being particularly introduced , and then undergoing the scrutiny of Mrs Parker , AA'I IO Avas a lady-like Avoman , and Avhose duties had made her keen as Avell as given her considerable tact , all the boarders in her house , dined at the same table , and spent a part of every clay in the same sitting room . But people of every degree in this country seem very little afraid of casual intercourse Avith their felloAV beings " ;
ancl a foreigner is often astonished at the great lack of European carefulness in this particular . As the hour for dinner approached , my excitement increased to such a degree , that I really began to be afraid I should-make but a sorry figure before the fair object of my glittering hopes . I forced myself , therefore , to AA'histle , to hum , and to do forty ofher sill } ' things , by Avay of letting myself CIOAVII to something like " a gentlemanlike composure . While I stood Avitli my arms folded tiht
g OA-er my breast , compelling my eyes to rest upon the foliage of the trees ancl shrubbery in the garden , Avhich had changed its bright summer green to every imaginable tint , through dark green , yelloAv , red , crimson , doAVti to a Avarm deep brown , making its autumnal beauty surpass even that of the spring , ding cling , Avent the dinner bell , and I started like a culprit .
Men feel strange misgivings Avhen going into a battle ; ancl legislators , AA'hen clearing their throats to begin an oration ; so do women , AA'hen in their pure , bashful , maiden clays , they , in all the ornament of dress , first enter and are led through a large room of gazers ; but . I doubt very much Avhether any one , in any situation , ever felt more trepidation lhan 1 did as I entered this room , in which I Avas about to behold the lady Avith the beautiful hand . The truth is that I have now no distinct remembrance of any thing about me , until after being seated at the
table , I perceived that the beautiful hand Avas not there ; a discovery bringing with it as much relief as disappointment . I never Avas exactl y fitted to shine in general conversation , ancl on the present occasion I felt much more disposed to listen than to talk . Before Ave left ihe table , the duties of Avhich are dispatched with singular haste in this country , I discovered that no one had departed from the house that day ; and that a lady , Mrs . Woodward , an old gentleman , Mr . Todd , and his daughter , Miss Julia Todd , Avere dining out . I had , at least , made one step ; I now possessed her name , and , in the many fairy scenes which a young heart conjures up in the fancied future , I could repeat
lhat name endearingly . " Julia Todd "—The name itself Avas beautiful . After dinner , I rang for the servant to my room ; here with a most laAA-yer-like ingenuity , through the use of my tongue ancl purse , I extracted what Avas possible from the acute yankey ; Avho Avas Avonderfully unsatisfactory to one Avith my impatient curiosity—asking , in spite of me , more questions than he ansAvered . As there was no probability of Julia ' s return , at least for somehours , and finding it utterly impossible to employ myself within , I walked forth into the most crowded part of the town . In one of the streets , a child being run over by a gig , almost at my side , I felt called upon to aid in all the steps uecessarv for