--'"`.41:, : 7 • • •• 4- ~,,,, c; . : v .. :' ~-_,..-%:? ~ , -...." $ / II ilf, ''V ninfll4(o tj n ' ' .4'ilY - - 13Y JAS. CLARK. LYDIA. LITTLE'S LOVERS, Or the Rival's Hi a fix. BY PAUL CREYTON One of the prettiest lasses that ever braced a country dance, or turned the head of a lo'fer, *as Lydia Little the subject of the follotVitib Sketch. Nobody could deny it ; she was very twetty.—Even her rivals allowed that she was quite fascinating, and her bit ierest enemies declared that after all she was a beauty. Although Lydia Little was really handsome, it was a very unfortunate r cum stance that the was conscious of ihe fact. It is no injtity to be a pretty girl; If she dusen't kilo* ft I but Lydia had quite as perfect a knowledge of her charms as even her wartnest admirers, and the consequence was, she became one of the most vain, shrewd and heart less coquettes that ever made a bon-fire of tr ue . hearts in order to laugh at the flame. Lydia had ardent admirers, far and near, for her beauty was famous in all the villages within twenty miles of the town in which her father, a rich old farmer, resided. Although Lydia Little smiled on all, there were only two who were known to possess vety great importance to her eyes, and who seemed to cast all other lovers in the shade. One of these young men Were named White and the other Brown. These it Was said, were Lydia's favorite colors, and it only remained for her to choose between them. indeed it was a matter of debate in the village, whether it would be better to become a little white or a little brown. Messrs. White and Brown both lived nt a distance from their mistress, but White had the advantage ober his Hirai for he lived the nearest.—These two young gentlemen had heard of each oth er, although they had not the pleasure of a personal acquaintance. White was afraid of Brown, and Brown was afraid of White, so that Lydia out of pure kindness, was very careful that they should never meet at her house. if the rivals feared each other, they feared Lydia's father still more. He had tried to put a stop to her innocent flirtations, and had repeatedly threaten= ed to shoot her suitors if they did'nt keep aloof. Besides that his name was LITTLE, and he was a little man ; but little as he was, he was a little fierce and the beaus were not a little afraid of his resentment. One day when Lydites father was gone frDin home and was not expected back until late at night, she determined to send for one of her suitors to come and keep company during the evening: But which should she choose Here was a dilemma, indeed. She reflected that Brown was with her last, and feel ing that it would be unjust not to allow White to come in his turn, she resolved that White should be the man. So she dropped a line to White { and had every thing prepared for his reception in the evening. Lydia felt confident that her dear White would fly to meet her, that she Would have been willing to stake her life that he would be there at the ap pointed hour. White was very punctu al, and she felt that he loved tier too well to allow anything whatever to interfere with the interview. However as the time passed, and he did not arrive at the moment, she be gan to change her mind, and to wonder how she ever permitted NV bite to occu py her heart with such a noble fellow as Brown. "Brown would't have failed—ilk Would hot, 1 know—" . . . Such thoughts were running in her tnind; when there was a rap at the door. She knew White was there, and forget ing her resentment, flew to admit him. What was her surprise on finding that it was not White but Brown ! _ . "Don't be surprised," panted the delighted lover, " I should'nt have dared to come—'fraid of the old man—but I Paw him—middle of the afternoon—he told me—(l'in so out of breath I can't hardly speak) —he was'nt coming home till midnight." " So you took an opportunity of visit. ing me during his absence, eh !" Lydia smiled on him first, but then the looked thoughtful and finally appear ed quite perplexed. She was consider ing what a FIX she would be in if White should be coming along about that time. " You must not stop," said she, ner- Vously. Father'll be home—l expect him every minute—and if he should find you—" ..Pshaw! there's no danger," said Brown.--" He wont be home yet awhile. And if he comes, I can slip into the kitchen and get out at the back door.'' Finding she could not send her lover away, Lydia resolved to make the most of him while he stayed. . . . . " Oh," said Brown, " I've a rich joke to tell you-" bo let me hear it: 4 ' " As 4 was coming this. may to-night who do you think I marl" "Who 1" "Your particular friend—Mr. White." " My particular friend !" sneered pret ty Lydia, " Yes— tut never mind that—l ain't irrAid of him—" " But how did you knoW him 1" " Oh, 1 had caught a glimpse of him before.—But he did not know me, and that's the cream of the joke:" " How so 1" . '‘ Why, you see we fell In with each other, and he was coming this way, we got to talking about the folks in these diggins. Says I, old squire Little lives somewhere here, don't he l"Yes,' says he, grinning-- for the moon shone, and I could see him—' do you knoW hig daughter heard of her,' said I; 'she's pretty they say." Well, she isn't any thing else , ' says White; and he looked at me just as if he was pulling the wool oVer my eyes completely. 'She has plenty of beam., I hear,' says L 'Yes,' says he, laughing, 'there's a low by the name of Brown trying to come in there. I suppose you know. 'Oh yes,' says 1, 'but he can't '1 looked very closely at him, and saw he did'nt mistrust that I was Brown, and could hardly keep from laughing right out. 'He can't come in,' says 1. 'There's a fellow by the name of White that's going to cut him out I hear.' Yes,' say? he, 'White stands a pretty good chance, I guess. 1 know White.' 110 you though 1' says 1. 'Cant you intro duce me some time 'l In return, I'll do you the favor to introduce you to Brown em intimately acquainted with. Brown's a pretty nice kind of a fellow, although he may be unfortunate in love affairs, He's a good natured fellow ; and 1 presume if he were in my place now, and you were White himself, he'd sooner joke with you than quarrel with you.' 'That's Just the way with White,' says he. 'He would'nt quarrel with you if you were Brown.' 'I talked with the fellow in this way for sonic time, and kept my countenance so well that he'll be surprised, I reckon when ho learns that I'm Brown himself. Wasn't it a rich joke, Lydia 1' 'Ah, very,' replied the girl, laughing heartily. 'But what noise is that 'There are footsteps—' 'Oh, it is father !' exclaimed Lydia not a little flustrated. 'Quick—quick you must be gone—' Brown did hot wait for cerenionyi but dodged into the kitchen in hot haste. Ile would have hatAcried from the House in an instant, but he heard a voice which sounded so strangely that he had a cu riosity to know if it was indeed Mr. Little that had just come. He crept slowly back to the door by which he had made his ocit, dropped on his knees and applied his ear to the key hole. At that moment he heard a noise that sounded so much like a hearty kiss that it made his heart come up in his mouth as large as a pumpkin. He looked—and Oh, the faithlessness and fickleness of women l—there was Lydia, blushing and smiling in the arms of his rival—of his new acquaintance— White: Brown's first impulse was to break through the door and eat up his rival, but he soon thought better of it, and de termined to giVe him a few minutes re ryr.ieve before he demolished him entire 'There, stop,' cried Lydia. 'You shunt kiss me again to-night.' 'Why not 1' asked White. 'Because you did'nt come to see me at the time I appointed. It's all of twen ty minutes later, That's why.' 'You dont imagine what a good ex cuse I've got,' said White laughing; 'What is it 1' met a chap who bothered me.' 'That was me thought Brown, still looking through the keyhole. did bother him, and bluffed him oft nicely too. I wish I had wrung his neck for 'You can't guess sshd it was, Lydia,' said White laughing. 'Do you knov 1' 'To be sure I do—though he did'nt mistrust I knew him. It was my re doubtable rival, Mr. Brown." 'The plague!' muttered the listner ner, biting his lips in perplexity. 'Did you see that fellow V said Ly dia. 'Oh, I wash you knew how much fun I've had with him ! Why the great fool flatters himself that I sin ninny enough to love him.' 'Highly complimentary,' tho't Brown, grinding his teeth and looking harmless daggers through the key-hole. HUNT INGDON, PA., TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1860. 'You'd been amused, to have heard me talk with him, and lay on the soft solder. I got the wool over his eyes nicely. He did not know me, and I chatted with him about you, and myself and hint find it *eat don like a pill taken in apple sauce.' Lydia laughed heartily to think how the rivals had fooled each other, each believing all the time that the game was all on his own side, and White laughed too at the thought of having played such a game on Brown. Brown was the only one that did not laugh.—The thought of having been made such a fool of, didn't, by any means, inspire him into a merry mood. can't stand this,' thought he, scowl ing at the key-hole, '1 must have my turn now. White may take my place here in the dark if he likes, and I will step into the sitting room.' He stole cautiously out the back door and proceeded around the house. A moment after, Lydia and her dear White, who were having a fine time of it, heard the sound of footsteps approach ing towards the door. "It's father cried Lydia, believing the old gentleman had really come.— "You must'nt be seen, White. Run in there and get out of the house as soon as possible !" She pushed White into the kitchen, and hastened to the front door. Having made up her mouth to give her dear father a sweet kiss as soon as he entered, she stood ready to throw her arms around his neck—when, to her as tonishment, who should appear but Brown. I need scarcely inform the reader that White, impelled by the same laudable curiosity which led Brown to make the discovery we have seen already, had his eye at the key-hole. " What ! you again !" said Lydia, be stowing upon Brown the kiss she had reserved for her venerable parent. "How glad I am you came back. But it is rash in you--—" . . Love makes the heart bold," said Brown, giving Lydia an extra hug, for the express benefit of White, who he expected was at the key-hole. "I began to tlilak the old man hadn't come after all ; so 1 came back to bid you good bye more deliberately." "Ah ! you ars a good fellow said Lydia, "but f can't let you stop now. I really expect father every minute." " Well, I'll go pretty soon, but I must finish telling you bow I bluffed off your dear friend—White--" "My dear friend !" echoed Lydia, contemptuously; "1 wish you to know how I detest that fellow " I thought so ; and for that reason when I had the talk with him on the road as I was telling you, out of considera tion for your feelings, I determined he shouldn't visit you tonight. So 1 fol lowed him until he didn't dare to come any farther, for fear I Would mistrust he was coming to see you. Didn't I bluff him off, and wouldn't I laugh to see him enter now'?" " What a fool I finite been Making of myself," thought White, glaring through the key-hole. "Brown is a man Lydia loves after all; and instead of fooling him so completely as I thought I was doing, when we met, he was all the time playing off a contemptible trick on me ! I'll rush in and demolish him, and tell that laughing saucy jade just what I think of her." White was on the point or carrying this savage resolution into effect, when an unusual bustle in the parlor caused him to delay. lie heard Lydia whisper "father is coming," he heard the parting kiss, the front door opening—and the next moment Brown was thrust un cernnoniously into the kitchen whdre he he himself was concealed. If the reader imagines that the rivals on being shut up in the dark room to gether, flew at each other like two wild beasts ; 1 would beg to inform him that he is very much in error. 'rhe rivals did nothing of the sort, us we shall see. Brown heard a light footstep, and knew White was in the room. " My dear fellow,' he whi.pered. " What the deuce do you want 1" growled the irritated White. " What a rich joke! ha ha!" laugh ed Brown. "Lydia thinks she has been making fools of us, but I believe we both understand her now perfectly." "Little doubt about that," said White bitterly. "There is no use feeling softy dhout the matter," observed the philcisophical Brown. "Our acquaintance has com menced under peculiar circumstances, and I think it is our duty to cultivate it• overheard your conversation with Lydia, looking through the key-hole, and as you witnessed my interview with her just now, we are even on that score. Give me your hand and let us be sworn friends in future." "1 am proud to make your acquain. trance," said White, feelling much conso led by his rival's philosophical harangue. " We are quits as far as the joke is con cerned ; and as for that girl—thdt heart.; less coquette " " We needn't quarrel about her;'' ob served drown, "for she is not worth a thought. 1 wonder a man of your pene tration never saw what she was before." If so shrewd a man as you were de ceived," replied White, 'what would be expected of me? But we both know her better now, and we can whistle her off without a pang,' What a sensible fellow you are !' ex claimed Brown, 'and what a pity it is I never made your acquaintance before.' The rivals shook hands, and became sworn friends on the spot. Hearing Lydia's father talking very loud to her in the parlor, they thought it a good time to make their escape, and glided out of the house unheard by ei ther the old gentlemen or daughter. On the following day, as Lydia was laugh ing heartily at her adventure on the pre caing night, a small neatly folded bil let was brought her by the postman. It's Brown's hand-writing,' she said to herself, as she broke open the letter with a smile of satisfied vanity. 'Let's see what lie says.' She reads as follows: To OUR DEAR LYDIA : As you are now, in all probitbility, la boring under the impression that you have !played a most'admirable trick off on us, we have fornied ourselves into a joint committee Of two, in order to devise means to set your mind at rest on the subject. The truth is, dear Lydia, we, the undersigned, understand ourselves and each other perfectly and see through your entire course of conduct better than you imagine. However, we have for med the wise resolution to allow you to retain your natural color through life, before we so far forget ourselves in this respect as to think of inducing you to become either White or Brouirt. Trusting that this official document contains such an explanation of our views as you will readily understand, we hereby bid you an affectionate adieu hoping you may have better success in your dttdrUpts on others. Signed, TIMOTHY BitowN, OLIVER WHITE, 'P. S.—(Not official.)—Messrs. Brown and White beg leave middly to suggest to their dear Lydia that in future, when she is in want of victims, she will stand a better chance of meeting with success, if, instead of atterripting such sterling colors as White and Brown, she should try something more nearly approaching Green.' Lydia read this important doctiment twice before she fully understood its im port; then in a fit of vexation and rage, she threw it on the floor and stamped upon it with her pretty little foot. When the first burst of rage had pas sed she reflected that she was no more then justly punished for het foolish, heartless flirtations. The event proved a salutary lesson to the pretty Lydia, for from that time she gave over practising anything like co quetry, and became a very sensible sort of a girl. A year after, Lydia married a respec table young farmer, and sent to her old friends, Brown and White, a polite and pressing invitation to attend the teed• ding. The moral Character of Wigs. Some folks accuse pigs of being filthy in their habits, and negligent in their personal appearance. But whether food is best eaten off the ground or from China plates, is, it see'ns to us, merely a matter of taste and convenience, about which pigs and men may honestly dif fer. They ought, then, to be judged charitably. At any rate, pigs are not fifthy enough to chew tobacco, nor to poison their breath by drinking whis key. And as to their personal appear ance you don't catch a pig playing the dandy, nor picking their way up the muddy streets, in kid slippers. Pigs haVe some excellent traits of character.—lf one chances to walloW little deeper in some mire hole than his fellows, and so carries off and comes in possession of more of the earth than his brethren, he never assumes an extra importance on that account ; neither are his brethren stupid enough to wor ship him for it. Their only question seems to be, is he still a hog 'I If he is they treat him as such. And when a hog has no merits dr his, own, he never puts on aristocratic airs, nor claims any particular respect on account of his family connections. They understand, full well, the common sense maxim, every tub must stand upon its own bottom."—Extract. 1:1?-lf you have contracted an injudi cious friendship, let it sink gently and gradually. 4 0 ottrno, r 4,10 Living and Nem! BY HORACE GREELEY. tine Of the Most mischievous phrases in which a rotten Morality, a radically false and vicious Public Sentiment; dis guise themselves, is that which charac terizes certain individuals as destitute of financial capacity. A "kind, amia ble, generous, good sort of a man," (so ruits the varnish) "but utterly unquali , fied for the management of his own fi nances"—" a mere child in everything relating to money," &c., &c. ;—meaning that with an income of $5OO a year, he persisted in spending 1,000 ; or with an income of $2,000 to 3,000; he regularly spent $5,000 to $B,OOO, according to his ability to run in debt or the credulity of others in trusting him: The victims of this inimoratity—debt ,or as well as creditor—are entitled to more faithful dealing at the hands of those not directly affected by the mis demeanors of the former. It is the du ty of the community to rebuke and re press these pernicious glosses, making the truth heard and felt that inordi nate expenditure is knavery and , crime. No man has a moral right thus to lavish on his own appetites money which he has not earned and does not really need. If Public Opinion were sound on this subject—if a man living beyond his means when his means were commensurate with his real needs, were' ' subjected to the reprehension he de serves—the evil would be instantly' checked and ultimately eradicated. The world is full of people who can't imagine Why they dont prosper like their neighbors, when the real obstacle is not in banks and tariffs, in bad public poll. cy and hard times, but in their own ex travagance and heedless ostentation. The young mechanic or clerk marries and takes a house, which he proceeds to furnish twice as expensively as he can afford, and then his wife, instead of ta king hold to help him earn a livelihood by doing her own work, must have a hired servant to help her spend her lim ited earning s . Ten years afterwardyou will find him struggling on under a load of double debts and children, won dering why the luck was always against him, while his friends regret his unhap py destitution of financial ability. Had they from the first been frank and hon est, he need not have been ad unlucky. Through every grade of sdciety this vice of inordinate expenditure insinu ates itself. The single man "hired out" in the country at ten to fifteen dollars per month, who contrives to dissolve his year's earnings in frolics and fine clothes ; the clerk who has three to five hundred dollars a year arid Melts doWri twenty to fifty of it in liquor and cigars, are paralleled by the young merchant who fills a spacious house with costly furniture, gives dinners and drives a fast horse on the strength of the profits he expects to realize when his goods are all sold and his notes all paid. Let a man have a genius for spending , and, whether his income is a dollar a day or a dollar a minute, it is equally certain to prove inadequate. If dining, wining and party-giving wont help him through with it, building, gaming and specula ting will be sure to. The bottonfless pocket will never fill, no matter how bounteous the stream pourinr , into it. The man who (being single) not save money on six dollars per Week, will not be apt to on sixty, and he who does not lay up something in his first year of independent exertion, will be pretty likely to wear a peer Man% hair in his grave:. No Man who has a natural use of his faculties and his mussles has any right to tax others with the cost of his sup. pert, as this Class of non-financial gen tlemen habitually do. It is their com mon mistake to fancy that if a debt only paid at last the obligation of the debtor is fulfilled, but the fact is not so. A man who sells property for another's promise to pay next week or next month, and is compelled to wear out a pair of boots in running after his due, which he finally gets in a year or two, is never really paid. Very often, he has lost half the lace of his demand by not hav ing the money when he needed it, be side the cost and vexation of running af ter it. There is just one way to pay an obligation in full, and that is to pay it when due. He who keeps up a running fight with bills and loans through life, is continually living on other men's means, is a serious burden and a detri ment to those who deal With him, altho' ' his estate should finally pay every dol lar of his legal obligations. Inordinate expenditure is the cause of a great share of the crime and conse quent misery which devastate the world. The Clerk who spends more than he earns is fastqualifying himself for a gam bler and a thief; the trader or mechan ic who over runs his income is very cer tain to become in time a trickster and a VOL. XV, NO. 6 cheat. Whenever you see a man spetiii , ing faster than he earns, there look out for villainy to be developed, though it be the farthest thing possible from his present thought. When the world shall haVe become wiser and its standard of morality mort lofty, it will perceive and affirm that profuse expenditure, even by one who can pecuniarily afford it, is pernicious and unjustifiable—that a man, however Wealthy, has no right to lavish on his own appetites, his tastes or his ostenta tion that which !night have raised hun• dreds from destitution and despair to comfort and usefullness. But that is an improvement in public sentiment which must be waited for, while the other is more ready and obvious. The meanness, the dishonesty, the indignity, of squandering thousands un learned and keeping others out of mon ey that is justly theirs, have rarely been urged and enforced as the should be. They need but be considered and un derstood to be universally loathed and detested. Female Temper. SENSIBLE REmmuts.--The Boston Ol ive Branch thus sensibly discourses of female temper: We like to see a woman of spirit and life ; for a dull, supine, prosy woman is a poor affair indeed. And we have no particular ohj,aet ion to seeing "the sparks fly occasionally," when something really stirring occurs. We like to see her joy ful and lively ; and if she has a spirit of waggery, we can put up with it very well ; nay, we like it all the better. But a cross, sour temper, we have no good opinion of, for a woman who can never look pleasant, but is always fretting and scolding, will make an unhappy home for all within her house. And we had as lief undertake to live in a barrel of vinegar in a thunderstorm as to live in the house with such a woman. Solomon was right when he said, "It is better to live in the corner of a house top than to dwell in a wide spread house with a brawling woman." • Let a woman wear sunshine on her countenance ; and it will drive the dark clouds from her husband's face, and joy will thrill through the hearts of her chila dren. Let a Woman's words be soothing and kind, and every thing is happy around her. Her influence will be pow erful, Others will catch her sweet tem per, and all will strive to see who can bd most like her: Sweetness of temper in a woman is more valuable than gold, and more to be prized than beauty. But may Heaven keep us from an untamed shrew whose looks are wormwood, and whose words are gall ! We had rather take Daniel's place with the lions, than think of living within gun-shot of such a termagant. If women knew their pow er and how to exert it, they would always show sweetness of temper, for then they are irresistible. RELIGION is a cheerful thing; so far from being always at cuffs with good humor; it is insepatiably united to it.— Nothing unpleasant belongs to it. A wise epicure would be teligious for the sake of pleasure ; good serrse is the foss datidn df bdtb, and he is h bungler who aitneth at true luxury, but where they are joined.—Sarige. Give NC/W.—Defer not thy deeds till the mantle of death has covered thy form. Ten dollars given to-day are bet ter than fifty left in thy will. It is not benevolence to give away what thou hast no further need of; and no legacies will purchase future felicity for the mean and avaricious heart. ERROR,—Error is the cause of mans misery, the corrupt principal that has produced evil in the world ; 'tis this which begets and cherishes in our souls all the evils that afflict us, and we can never expect a true and solid happiness, but Hy a sdrious endeavor to avoid Alalbranche. Q D.- A single stroke of an axe is of little consequence, yet by the continual application of that small power, proper , ly directed, what amazing effects arB produced ! The sturdy oak and lofty pine do not simply own its power, but whole forests lie before iti amt , the wil• derntss becorties a garden. Industry well directed, will giye a Mari competency in a few years. The great est industry misapplied is useles. Seest thou a man diligent in his business '!" says Solomon ; "he shall stand before kings," We have a strik ing illustration of this aphorism in the life of Dr: Franklin, who quoting the sentence hitnself, adds :--"This is true; I have stood in the presence of five kings and once had the honor of dining with one," All in consequence of his having been "diligent in business" from his earliest years. What a lesson is this for youth, and for us all