Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1845-03-12
CARROLLTON

arose with firmness, Embossed my suspen-
ders, and in voice not altogether steady
said:
!" Miss Serena, | think will retire."
"Certainly, sir" she quietly observed,
you will lodge there, sir" inclining her
beautiful head towards a bed standing a
few yards from where she was sitting. /
proceeded to uncase; entrenching myself
behind chair, the while fondly imagining
the position offered some security. 1t is
simply plain to man in his senses, that a
chair of the fashion of the one had thrown
between myself and ''the enemy" as mi
litaly man would say, offered almost no
security at all. No more, in fact, than
standing up behind ladder--nothing in
the way of the artillery of bright eyes, as
a poet would say, sweeping one down by
platoons. Then I had dead open space
of ten feet between me and the bed; sort
of Bridge of Lodi passage which l was
forced to make, exposed to a cruel raking
fire fore and aft. Although say it, who
should not say it, an emergency never
arose for which | had not resource.
had one for this. The plan was the work
of a moment, / de-"
"Ah see, you stormed the battery,
and"
"Bah! don't interrupt me. No! de-
termined by bold ruse de guerre to throw
her attention out of the window, clear the
perillous passage, and fortify myself under
the Counterpart before she recovered her
surprise. The plan failed. You see am
small man physically speaking. Body,
limbs, and head, setting up business on
one hundred and seven and half pounds,
all told, of flesh, blood and bones, cannot,
Individually or collectively, set up any We
ry DESTINATIONS pretensions. believe the
young lady must have been settling in her
mind some philosophical point on that head.
Perhaps her sense of justice wished to as
sure itself of a perfectly fair distribution
of the respective motives. Perhaps she
did not feel easy until she knew that a
kind Providence had not added to general
poverty individual wrong. Certain it was,
she seemed rather pleased with her specu-
lations: for when | arose from stoop-
ing posture finally, wholly disencumbered,
noticed mischievous shadows playing
about the corners of her mouth. 1t was
the moment had determined to direct
her eve to some astonishing circumstance
out of the window. But the young lady
spoke at the critical moment.
"Mr. Douglass" she observed, "you
have got mighty small chance of legs
there.o
Men seldom have any idea of their own
powers. never made any pretensions to
skill in ground and lofty tumblng; but it
is strictly true, cleared, at one bound, the
open space, planted myself on the centre
of the bed, and was buried in the blankets
in twinkling.
81 congratulate you,'' said I, /" a lucky
escape, truly! But was the young lady
modest"
"Modest, sir!--there is not in Illinoi:
a more modest or more sensible girl. IT.:
habit, all habit. think nothing of it now
Why, it's only last week was at fine
wedding party, and large and fine assem-
bly, of both sexes lodged in the same apart
ment with only three feet or SO of neutra
territory between Them"
/" You astonish me, Mr.. Douglass"
"Fact, sir, upon my honor. You SEE
the people are the soul of hospitality, ant
never allow fine social party to turn GU
at twelve O'Clock at night to go long dis
tances home. ALI that is more cleverly
managed here. An Illinois bed has pow
er of elongation or expansion perfectly
enigmatical to stranger; and large par
ties will range themselves on opposite
sides of the house as economically as can
dies in box"