The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1845-02-21

correspondent ol the y. \. Evening Miro
in giving some sketches Of Judge Douglass, Q
Illinois, puts the following story in his mouth
Referring to his early career in the Stacker STATE
the question was asked
How do you adapt yourself to the peo
pie How did you naturaiice yourself
as it were?
oh, nothing easier; you see, like it
It's Democratic. But ii did come awk
ward at first. You know am, or rath
er acas, bashful to rather painful degree
Well, now, nine-tenths Of my constitu
ents despise luXuries, and have no such
thing as second room in their houses.
In beating up for votes live with nv
constituents, drink with them, pray with
them, laugh, hunt, dance and work " lh
them; eat their corn dodgers AMI fried
bacon, and sleep two in bed with them.
Among my first acquaintance were the
Is, down under the Bluffs. Fine
fellows the Is, by the way, | am
sure OF five votes there. Well, you per-
celve ! had to Hve thore-and | did live
there. But, sir, was frightened the first
time slept there. | own it; yes, sir,
acknowledge the corn. An ice bath in
August Is something; but | was done to
ali icicIe; had periodical chlls for fort
night. Did you ever see Venus in lin
woolsey'
'Nor
Then you should see Serena Is,
They call her the white Plovcr;' sew
enleen: plump as pigeon: and smooth
as persmmon. How the devil, said
to myself, solloquizing, the first night
slept Ihere-am to 90 to bed before this
young lady do believe my heart was
topsy-turvled, for the idea of pulling off
my boots before the girl. was death. And
as TO doniing my other fixtures, | would
sooner have had my leg taken off with a
wood-saw. The crisis was tremendous.
1t was nearly midnight, and the family
had been hours in bed. Miss Serena
alone remained. Bright as the sun, the
merry mink talked on. 1t was poren-
tousIy obvious TO me al last, that she was
determined to ouisIi me. BY repeated
spasmodlc efforts, my coat, waistcoat,
cravat, boots and socks were brough, off.
During the process, my beautiful neigh
Dor talked to me with unaverted eyes, and
with that peculiar kind OF placidily en-
ployed by painters to embody their idea
OF the virgin. ! dumped myself down in
a chair, in cold perspiralion. A dis
tressing thought occurred to me. Does
not the damsel stand on point Of local
etiquette! 1t may be the fashion of these
people to see people in bed before reti-
ling themselves. May not have KEEP,
those beautiful eyes open, from ignorance
of what these people deem good breed
ing! Neither the lady's eyes nor tongue
had indeed betrayed fatigue. Those large
jet eyes seemed to dilatc and grow bright
err as The blaze of the wood fire died
away but doubtless this was from kind
for the strange wakefuIress
of her guest. The thing was clear, de-
lermined TO retire, and without DELAY. !
arose with frmness, Embossed nv sus-
penders, and in voice not altogether
steady, said:
Miss Serena, think will retire.
certainly, sir, she quietly observed,
you will lodge there, SIR incining her
beautiful head towards bed standing
few yards from where she was sitting. |
proceeded to uncase; entrenching myself
behind chair, the while fondIy imagin-
ing the position offered some security.
1t is simply plain to man in his senses,
that chair of the fashion OF the one
had thrown between myself and 'the en-
envy as military man would say, offer.
ed 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 the poet would say, sweep
ing one down by platoons. Then had
A dead open space of ten feet between me
and the bed; sort Of bridge of Lodi pas.
sage which was forced to make, expo
;ed to cruel rakng fire fore and aft.
| say it, who should not say it,
an emergency never arose for which |
had not a resource. had one for this.
The plan was the work Of moment, |
de-
'Ah | see, you s!ormed the battery
and a.
Bah! don't interrupt me. No! de-
'ermined by bold ruse de guerre, to
throw her attention out of the window,
clear the perilous passage, and forlify
myself under the counterpart before she
recovered her surprise. The plan failed.
You see ! am small man, physically
speaking.
Rail-, l;nhe and ho,J satin. $3.50 L., !