Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1845-10-23

or come true. But had a pleasant vision
that morning, and recollecting the gossip's
tale, fondly believed it would be verified
Methought had ven,ured to pop the ques-
ton to my Dulcinea. and was accepted. ]
jumped out of bed in tremor. tYes,' |
cried, u sciu pop the question; ere this nigh,
cap again envelope this unhappy head, the
trial shall be maden and shaved, and brush
Ell me hair over the bald place on my crown,
and tied my cravat with Unprecedented care ;
ana made my appearance in the breakfast par
Tor Just as the servant maid had begun to dust
the chairs and tables.
Breakfast time at length arrived. But
shall pass over the blunders committed dur
ing ITS progress; how ! sailed Mary Roses
mufhn instead of my own poured thee into
the sugar basin, and took bite at the tea not
nd Pop the question: haunted me continu-
ally, and feared to speak, even on the most
ordinary topics, lest should in some way be-
tray myself. Pop. pop, pop! every thing
seemed 10 go off with pop; and when at
length MIR. Merton limited to Mary and her
mother that it was time for them to non on
their bonnets, thought he laid particular
stress on The horrible monosyl liable, and al
most expected HIM 10 accuse me of some sim
lister design upon his daughter. 1t passed off,
however, and we set out for The church. Mary
hose leaned upon my arm, and complained
now dull ! was. !, Of course, protested a.
gaInst II, and tried to rally vivacity indeed,
was one OF my characteristics, and was Just
beginning to make myself extremely agreea-
Ole, when little urchin in the thick gloom
oil dark entry, let off a popgun close to my
ear. The sound, simple as it may seem, made
me start as if ghost had stood before me,
and when Mary observed that was svery
nervous this morning,' fell! as if could have
throttled the lad, and inwardly cursed the in
ventor of popguns, and denounced him to the
lowest pit OF Acheron.
strove against my fate, however, and
made several observations. sLook,' cried
Mary Rose, as we gained the end of street.
'what beautiful childn
turned my head to the window, when the
hrst OBJECT mat met my eyes was square blue
paper, edged with yellow, on which was writ
ten IN too, ZOO legible characters. 'Pop' | be.
iieVe was surprised into an exclamation
stronger than the occasion would seem to
warrant, and the poor child came in for
share OF my anathema. ] didn't intend il.
however, Tor am very fond of children but
IL served Mary Rose to scold me about till
we came 10 the church door, and if possible,
oewlldered me more than ever. We had now
arrived in the middle aisle when my fair COM
panIon whispered me,'-sMy dear Mr.,
won't you lake off your hat Z; This was
only prelude to still greater blunders. ]
posted myself at the head of the seat, sang
part OF the hundreth psalm while the organ
was playing the symphony, sat down when
| should have Stood up, knelt when ought to
nave been standing, and just at the end of nv
creed found myself pointed due west, the gaze
ahc wonder OF the whole congregation.
Inc sermon at length commenced and
the quletness that ensued, broken only by the
perambnlallons of the beadle and sub-scbool
master, and the collision ever and anon of their
Official wands with the heads of refractory
students, guilty of the enormous crime of
| gaping or twirling their thumbs, gave me on
PorlunIty OF collecting my scattered Thoughts.
Just as The rest of the congregation were 90
ing to SLEEP, began to awake from nv mem
tai lethargy, and by the time the worthy pre-
late had discussed three or four heads of his
text, ielt myself competent to make speech
III Parliament just at this moment, too a
thought struck me, as beautiful as it was sud-
den-a plan by which might make the de-
sired tender, of my person, and display ali
| abundant sbare of wi. into the bargain.
| To this end 1sezed Mary Roses PRAYER
book, and turning over the pages till came
to matrlmony, marked the passage, sWilt thou
have this man 10 be thy welded husband !?
with two emphatic dashes; and pointing sig
nlficantly and confidently to myself handed
I it TO her with a bow. She took il!-she read
1t! !-she smiled!!! Was it a smile of as.
sent o how my heart beat in my bosom at
that nstant-so loud, that | feard the people
around us might hear its paIpitations and
looked at them 10 see if they noticed me-
She turned over few leayes-she took nv
pencil, which mad purposy enclosed in the
book-and she marked passage Owe gods
and demigods what were my sensations at
that moment not Jove himself, when he
went swan hopping to the lovely Leda; nor
Pluto, when he perpetrated the abduction of
| the beautiful Proserpine, could have expert
enced greater turmoil Of passions shan at
that moment fell the score-felt it as if il
had been made across my very heart and !
grasped the book, and squeezed the hand
that presented it: and, opening .he page
lrembingly, and holding the volume close to
my eyes, tor the type was small, and nv
sight not quite so good as i; useo to be,) /
| read-O Mary Rose o Mary Rose that |
should live TO relate it!----"A woman NAV moi
marry her grandfather"