The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1845-10-31
VOL. VINO. 10.

in the manners and customs of the
neighborhood where the events here
related, took place. Being remote
from all the corrupting influence Of
city life the people are incredibly
innocent, and unsuspicious Of course.
Every stronger is considered a de-
cent fellow until he proves himself
otherwise; whereas, in places where
human nature is better understood,
it is the Shrcwder and safer practice
TO hold every unknown individual as
a rascal until he gives some evidence
to the contrary. But taking it for
granted that every traveller who
comes among them is as virtuous
and respectable as knight arrant,
the inhabitants Of this district do not
stand on the ceremony of an intro
duction and so far from thinking
it rudeness or impudencc for man
to make himself acquainted in the
speediest way, that is, by introduce
ing himself, they lool, on this course
as the hight of good breeding. Fa-
miliar with these local particulari-
ties, | made no scruple of Offering
my attendance 10 the young lady
who had fascinated me and was
graciously accepted and entertained
by her in the capacity of beau.
In the course of five minutes, while
gallanting her homewards, was ac-
quainted with two particulars, viz:
that her name was Charity, and that
she resided at place called Mus
qucto Cove about two miles distant.
Her own name delighted me, espe-
cially as it seemed to express the
kindness of her disposition; but the
title affixed 10 herplace of residence
filed me with multitude of gloomy
forebodings. | had heard frightful
accounts Of that same Mosquito
Cove from various travellers. 1t is
a place Of great chronological celc-
I, brity.
As we proceeded, both classes of
sensations, the amatory and the Gu
taneous, or the scariiication of my
heart and that Of my skin became
more distressing. Possibly The in
! ternal inflammation would have reach
, cd a dangerous crisis, but for the
: plebotomizing operations Of the
mosquitoes, and the counter irrita-
ton they produced, which tended
to draw much of the heat to the sur
face. By the way, this will furnish
an agreeable hint for some of those
young ladies ana!,gcntlcmen who i'm
agine that there, is no cure for love
besides matrimopy or rope. The
incidents just narrated give us rea-
= son to believe that a proper vesicu-
lation Of the cuticle, or outer skin,
: by exposure to a few thousand raw
, enous mosquitoes, Cor in case this
be not convenient, extensive bis
, tiers of Spanish flies or cataplasms of
, ground mustard or cayenne pepper
f may be substituted, would be found
vastly beneficial in cases of love, as
-, well as in other inward ievers. But
this is speculation that may be left
r to the doctors of medicine if des-
pite their usual obstinacy, they will
attend to sensible suggestion
from one who does not belong TO
their fraternity.
, But to return. never had much
+ faith in love at first sight; but when
f in particular circumstances, we
. happen to see more of the amiable
object at the first interview, than in
4 ordinary cases, we could discover
in year that there may be such a
o thing as extemporaneous love. Be-
sides, reader, to make my story per-
q fectly Ineligible and credible, l
i was very young at the date of these
i adventures, and the sight Of ten
# lovely female toes was a novelty
that was likely enough to take my
- ulSClctioh IIilnohti' 'ooHic silil)lc
! poet has said that "The very shoe
= has powor TO wound :" but as to the
e efficacy of the weapon, there seems
. TO me to be as much difference be-
. tween foot in shoe and foot un-
q Shod, as between sword in scab-
g bard and Il sword unsheathed. As
# my heart and liver (the organs
G Which love is supposed 10 attack
@ most speciality became more and
o more inhamed, it seemed that the
,f insects, as if resolved not to be out
= done, even not by almighty love
, himself, assailed my outward man
+ with more desperate violence.
n "Yonder," said my enslaver,
e pointing to still, misty expanse OF
lie water, "yonder is Mosquito Cove,
i and that is my DWELLING" showing
l. me a neat white cottage in fearful
$. proximity to the said expanse OF wa
is ter.
!; Fixing my eyes on the Cove,
Is saw a dark cloud ftfully moving
c Ala. a