Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1827-08-23

bic and pretty than boys. Soon this
affection became sincere. My sister
was better loved than all my kin; 10
her ! flew TO roar away my grief.
when my father took out Henry and
left me at home, or when nc threatened
to sell my poney, or give him to my
play fellow, Richard Howard, whom
/ hated ever after. In her | reposed
all my confidence, and in her gentle
bosom deposited my tutors seventies
aud my brothers. wrongs-l was IN
truth, "a most pathetic nlc.'
But at ten, % what a change was
therep No chrysalis metalnophasis
was ever SO great. | had grown ac'
custon,ed to my breecbes, and no long.
er them in any consideration. was
impudent to my sister, contradlcted
my father, fought my own battles with
my brother ,and played iruan. with my
tutor, till he made a solemn complaint
| of my manifold denominations scram-
bled over the country and came back
| with scarcely a rag to my back, and
what were left me were SO delaced BY
| mud or dust, as the weather would
have it, that their QUALIFY could be bare
ly discovered. Ny mother wept, my
| father swore, my tutor said the devil
was in me. was up to all sorts of
%vliiany. / stuffed a goose with gun
powder in the absence of the cook who
was preparing 10 put it down TO the
pit, ana | felt no sort OF compunc
lion for her intense fear and agony,
when, on applying the lighted paper
to singe IL, it blew into ten thousand
pieces and nearly knocked her eyes
out. | had thrashed my brother into
respect for me; and my piaymates
consoied themselves for not being a
BILE to master me, by bestowing on
me the very expressive cognonen of
Galloway AT length | tired them
out; my tutor gave in, and my mother
acquiesced with my father that school
alone could preserve me. Sotoa pub
lie school | went, 10 learn decorum
and obedience. In four years more
there was no traces Of young Gallows,
but I came home a monk ey still. only
melancholy instead OF mlschievous-
my early enthusiasm returned, and
my intense love of the beautiful, undi
rected by reason, exhibited itself III
the most ridiculous forms. l read
novels and the pathetic stories in the
magazines. I contemplated the set
ting sup-fell in love with the moon,
and made verses to every little star
that twinkled behind the clouds uud
before the clouds. would not have
read or written any thing lively for
the world. I should have thought fun
an insult to my ieelings; and under
standing I was a slender boy, with
long arms and legs of an active, light
figure, but delicate constltution-every
body said I should be tall had
looked in the glass and observing a
pale dark face, inclining to sallow;
masses Of black curling hair, and IA
somewhat serious look, | concluded
that | should be a tall, thin, pale, pen
sive young man, and acted up to the
character accordingly. | loved to be
thought an invalid, and frightened my
mother 10 death BY affectation OF a
hectic cough, which ! pretended to
consider as a warning that ! should
die early OF a decline. ! wrote a long
string OF verses called the Dying Boy
in which | lameDteI my early doom,
expressed my resignation, and took a
tender and pathetic farewell of the
trees and flowers. Ii brough, tears into
my W eyes TO read it, q have since
learned it had the same effect upon o.
Tiers, but from very opposite emo
tion)-I sent them to one of the most
pitiful magazines, where they were
God knows wby) inserted OH
how proud was IL was a scholar and
a poet!
There was wanting but one thing
to complete me- should fall in love
and so l did, but the affair was
more serious than I could have ina
gined-more of real feeling mingled
with The thing than l supposed The
passion of a boy of Ia has something
desperate in it always; and that mine
had an uncommon portion OF sinceri
ty was obvious from the character OF the
object of nv choice. She was a beauti