88 IN THE OLD WEST 



county, and truly spoken too ; always understand- 

 ing that the pumpkin is the fruit by which the 

 ne plus ultra of female perfection is expressed 

 amongst the figuratively-speaking westerns. 



Being an American woman, of course she was 

 tall, and straight and slim as a hickory sapling, 

 well formed withal, with rounded bust, and neck 

 white and slender as the swan's. Her features 

 were small, but finely chiselled: and in this, it may 

 be remarked, the lower orders of the American 

 woman differ from and far surpass the same class 

 in England, or elsewhere, where the features, al- 

 though far prettier, are more vulgar and common- 

 place. Mary Brand had the bright blue eye, thin 

 nose, and small but sweetly-formed mouth, the 

 too fair complexion and dark-brown hair, which 

 characterize the beauty of the Anglo-American, 

 the heavy masses (hardly curls) that fell over 

 her face and neck contrasting with her polished 

 whiteness. Such was Mary Brand; and when to 

 her good looks are added a sweet disposition and 

 all the best qualities of a thrifty housewife, it 

 must be allowed that she fully justified the eulo- 

 giums of the good people of Memphis. 



Well, to cut a love-story short, in doing which 

 not a little moral courage is shown, young La 

 Bonte fell desperately in love with the pretty 

 Mary, and she with him; and small blame to her, 

 for he was a proper lad of twenty — six feet in 

 his moccasins — the best hunter and rifle-shot in 



