A VISIT TO THE CITY. 
339 
deVived of many novel and amusing scenes, highly 
interesting to young persons, by her cousin’s indolence 
and want of thought, but was, by the same culpable 
negligence, prevented from seeing many of the curiosi¬ 
ties of tnW place, from a view of which she had pro¬ 
mised herself much amusement, as her residence in 
the country Vtd hitherto precluded her from any thing 
of the kind; while Mr. and Mrs. Cleveland erroneously 
imagined that whatever was stale to them must neces¬ 
sarily be so to ouMieroine. Besides these sources of 
vexation, Clara haX one, which Mrs. Cleveland, ha¬ 
bitually careless in money matters, could not sympa¬ 
thize with more than \die did with her other annoy¬ 
ances, and this was tlnkstate of her purse, as Mrs. 
Cleveland, with characteristic thoughtlessness insisted 
upon Clara’s purchasing whatever was handsome or 
fashionable, without regard towxpense. 
In accordance with this hack, Mrs. Cleveland one 
morning addressed Clara in the following manner: 
“ At last, my dear cousin, we art* to have an excel¬ 
lent performance by the Thalian Association; and I 
have been anxious for you to see oneViver since you 
have been with us; you know there haA^ieen only one 
this winter, and then I could not go because the chil¬ 
dren were so cross, but the little rogues smdl not pre¬ 
vent our going this time. By the way, my dtter Clara, 
Mrs. Dawson has some elegant head-dresses, tpid we 
must go down this evening and get one for you. 
“But, Cousin Florence, you don’t recollect \jiat 
I have several already, and one that I have tie 
worn.” 
“ La, Clara, you wore that to Mrs. Armand’s party.’ 
“ But the wreath of white roses, cousin.” 
“ Oh, Clara, that is too simple altogether.” 
“ To tell you the truth, Cousin Florence, the suih of 
money mamma gave me when I left home Was, I 
thought, much more than I should need, buy I now 
find that it is nearly expended, and if I purchase these 
superfluities I must exceed that sum, and/you know 
that our circumstances are limited.” 
“ Pshaw, child, what of that? you 
want from your mother’s business 
Now, our heroine ought to have 
enough to have firmly declined making the unnecessary 
pureha-e, but it must be recollected that she was very 
young, and being always accustomed to depend on her 
mother in such matters, it wjtl not be wondeied at if 
she quietly gave up the poi/t. 
As soon as the head-dt^ss, which was a very hand¬ 
some one for six dollayt, was purchased Mrs. Cleve¬ 
land turned to a ribboirbox, and selecting a very pretty 
piece insisted upru( Clara’s purchasing it: “ Yes, 
Clara,” said she, l /\X is only four dollars.” 
“ Really, I do ifot think I need it, Cousin Florence,” 
replied our heipine. 
But Mrs. Cleveland would hear no objections, so the 
sash was purchased, and Clara with her cousin left 
the shop/ When they returned home the sash was 
much admired by every one; but Mrs. Cleveland dis- 
eover/u that it was too long, and cutting off the super¬ 
fluity saying that, “ it would make beautiful pin- 
etymons for the fair which Clara expected would 
tie place shortly after her return home.” 
n get all you 
JJ 
moral courage 
But Mrs. Cleveland might have spared herself the 
trouble of assigning any use to the ribbon, for Johnny 
having risen in haste from the dinner-table, his hand.- 
were in such a state as, after having possessed himsell 
of the ribbon, soon to render it unfit for pin cushions or 
any other purpose. “Johnny! you mischief,” ex¬ 
claimed his mother, “ Cousin Clara ’ll whip you ” 
She would have been mortified had she known that 
Clara felt very much inclined to do so. 
The evening at length arrived, which Clara hoped 
so much to enjoy; but here again our heroine was 
destined to disappointment, for immediately after tea, 
Mrs. Cleveland observed, 
“Really, my dear Clara, I am very sorry, but Mr. 
Cleveland has gone to the Odd Fellows Lodge, he ex¬ 
pressed his intention before 1 said any thing about the 
performance; and though he would willingly have 
staid and gone with qft, yet I did so much dislike to 
disconcert, even the/least of his arrangements, that I 
said nothing about it. Never mind, my love, there wil; 
be many more performances befoie you leave Savan¬ 
nah.” ' / 
Clara knew that she must shortly return home, and 
that it was .probable there would not be another per¬ 
formance before she. left town, and when she thought 
that she could not gratify her little brother and sister, 
as she, had promised, with an account of the many 
beauliful things which she expected to see there, and 
thought—shall we confess it—of her new sash and 
head-dress, she retired to her own room, and indulged 
in a girlish burst of tears. 
In a few moments a knock was heard at the door, 
d hastily drying her tears, she opened the door, 
when a servant entered and gave her a letter from her 
mother, which informed her that Mr. B—, an old 
frienct\of the family, would visit Savannah in the 
course hf a few days, and that if Clara felt disposed, it 
would be, an opportunity for her to return home; at 
the same tVie, she desired her to consult her own in¬ 
clinations on\he subject. Clara’s eyes sparkled at the 
thoughts of again being with the dear ones at Primrose 
Cottage, and shtkretired to rest, determined to accept 
Mr. B—’s protection home. 
On the following>morning, when Clara entered the 
breakfast-room, MrshCleveland exclaimed, “ My dear 
Clara, what do you thhak, Mrs. Wellwood’s ball, that 
has been so much talketkof, comes ofl next Wednes¬ 
day evening, and cards haap just been left for us; now 
I will tell you what we willNdo this very morning, we 
will go to Dawson’s, and yo\ shall get one of those 
beautiful robes, they are just twelve dollars, and how 
sweet you will look, for I will tell you, Clara, what I 
never did before, that there are fevs girls in Savannah 
with half your attractions. Now, wimt not be delight¬ 
ful.” Clara hesitated a moment, but\onsidered that 
the enjoyment of the ball would not be aW-quate to the 
expense, besides preventing her return ho\e with Mr. 
B—, she therefore replied : \ 
“In consequence of a letter I la*t night\eeeived 
from mamma. I shall find it necessary, my dearttpusin, 
to return home before that time.” \ 
“Oh, Clara!” exclaimed Mrs. Cleveland, “fflow 
can you leave the city for that dull place?” Ami 
