The pilot and transcript. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1840-1841, 1840-08-22
From the Constellauon'
EXTRACT FROM THE DIARY OF A
BACHELOR.
"There's many 4 slip,
,Twixt the cup and the lip"

9lWlAL uie cup anu hC mp
Mr.. Nathaniel Doolittle was a grocer In the
upper part of the city His shop stood on the cor
ner If two streets The sign over his shop door
doubled the corner. Nathaniel was on one street:
Doolittle on the other. The ceiling was hung
round with punches of onions, festoons OF sausa-
ses and tassels of candles. The counter was &C.
cupied by beer-pump, at which the workmen In
the neighbourhood were wont to regale them
selves. The shelves were well stocked with
sugars and hies-capers and cobwebs, and other
articles of merchandise. One would have Judged
from an inspection of the premises, that Nathaniel
drove but small Observation-Disclosures barely to
support a bachelor of moderate pretensions. But
appearances are frequently deceitful-the door
that led out of the shop, opened into as pretty a
parlour as any in Broadway On one side were
a mirror and pier-opposite, reclined sofa,
flanked by couple of rocking chairs; on third
side. stood an upright piano of the latest fashion
Now if you were particularly intimate with
Mr. Nathaniel Doolittle, so as to be admitted into
the parlour aforesaid you might see there another
piece of workmanship, still more fashionable
This was Miss Dorothy Doolittle, only daughter
of Nathaniel Doolittle, aged about sweet sixteen.
She attended a select boarding house as a day
scholar. and took private lessons at home on the
piano. Dorothy was an only child, and therefore
a spoilt child. That is, she was not very vicious,
neither did she romp in the streets, as the Jew
fanilylthat lived opposite. She was fond of Dress
and Nathaniel INDUCED this fendness to the
utmost extent Still she was quite pretty look
ing girl, in spite of false hair, false shoulder,
and glass eye.
remember the first time saw her--it was in
the summer of the last yellow fever. The upper
part Of the city was at that time quite ashiona-
bleresideAce; Dorothy made many new acquaint-
ances, and was of the number.
Our acquaintance was accidental. | was re-
turning home from business, thinking of the
yellow fever and the profit and loss account, look
ed up, and before me perceived a young lady
walking with very interesting gait. My atten-
ton was, of course, arrested kept following en-
and looking at her; the profit and loss account
and the yellow fever slipt through my fingers; /
forgot every thing else IN watching the interest
ing object before me. fancied that she knew
this for occasionally she turned round to look at
me ! quickened my step, in order to gain better
view other She did not quicken hers, but on
the contrary thought slackened it. She was
turning corner-her foot slipped-she fell
ran to her assistance--she rose-took my arm, and
accompanied her home. 5aa
Now. reader, you may expect that shall relate
what passed at this Observation-Disclosures Miss
Dorothy blushed or her voice trembled, when she
announced me to her papa as 'sthe young gentle
man that picked her up''-but shall not, for this
principal reason-I have forgotten all about it.
Were writing a love story for an annual or a
magazine, might make very pretty affair of it;
but abiure fiction in every thing, especially in
matters of facts Novel writers work up fact and
fiction 50 together, it is difficult to distinguish
them; historical fctions worse than fictitious
histories But this history ne fiction, therefore
shall not garnish it set it off after the fashion
OF novelists. My visit was protracted to late
hour-it was nine and half o'clock when took
nv hat and cane ia deDarf { had spolxen MANY
agreeable things in the course Of the EVENING"
knew they were agreeable to Dorothy-her eyes
told me so; Mr.. Nathaniel Doolittle himself
seemed pleased; he laughed heartily at my jokes;
| knew he was pleased, or his queue never would
have Jumped up and down so briskly as it did II