Wisconsin herald, and Grant County advertiser. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1844-1845, 1845-04-26

wakefulness of her guest. The thing
was clear determined 10 retire, and
without delay, l arose with frmness,
Embossed my suspcnders,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 few yards from where she
was sitting. ! proceeded to uncase:
entrenching myself behind a chair the
while fondly imagining the position of.
fered some security. 1t is simply plain
to aman in his senses, that chair ofthe
fashion of the one ! had thrown be-
tween myself and 'the enemy as
military 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 poet would say,
sweeping one down by platoons. Then
| had dead open space of ten feet
between me and the bed; sort of
Bridge ofLodi passage which ! was fore
ed to make, exposed to cruel raking
fire fore and aft. Although say it.who
should not say it, an emergency never
arose from which had not resource.
| had one for this. The plan was the
work Of moment, / d.
"Ah! see. you stormed the battery
and s."
"Bah! don't interrupt me. No! l
attempted by bold ruSe de gueyve,
to throw her attention out of the win
dow, clear the pcrilous passage, and
fortify myself under the counterpane
before she recovered her surprise. The
plan failed You see am a 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, can
moi individually or collectively, set up
any very ostcntaiious prctensions. |
believe the young lady must have been
settling in her mind some philosophical
point on that head. Perhaps her sense
of justice wished to assure itself of per-
fectly fair distribution ofthe motives.
Perhaps she did not feel easy until she
knew that kind Providence had not
added TO general poverty individual
wrong. Certain it was she seemed
rather pleased with her spcculations;
for when arose from STOPPING posture
finally wholly discncumbcred of cloth,
| noticed mischiev Gus shadows playing
about the corners Of her mouth. 1t
was the moment had determined TO
direct her eye to some astonishing cir
cumstance out of the window. But
the young lady spoke at the critical
moment"
"Mr Douglass" she observed, "you
have got a mighty small chance. oflcgs
there
"AIen seldom have any notice of
their own powers. | never made any
professions to skill in ground and lofty
tumbling; but it is strictly true, l clear
cd at one bound the open space, plant
ed myself in tie centre of the bed, and
was buried in the blankets in a twink
ling"
81 congratulate you my boy" said l,
posing cube Of the crimson core of
the melon on Tie point Of my knife; "a
lucky escape truly! But was the
young lady modesto
"Modest, sir!-lhere is not in Hi
nois more modest, or more sensible
girl. It's habit-all habit. l think
nothing oft now. Why, its only last
week | was at fine wedding party. and
large and fine assembly of both sexes
lodged in the same room,with only three
feet or 50 Of neutral territory between
them"
"You astonish me, Mr.. Douglass"
"Fact, sir, upon my honor. You
see these people are the soul ofhospital-
ity. aud never allow a fine social party
TO turn out at twelve O'Clock at night
to 90 long distances home. All that
is more oleverly managed here. An
Illinois bed has power Of clongation
or expansion perfectly enigmatical to
strangers. One bed four feet wide,
will. on occasion flank one whole side
of the house, and is called a Geld-bed,
and large parties viii range themselves
on opposite sides of the house as econ
omically as candlcsin a box.
but, my dear fellow,this is drouthy
prose, introduce yourself TO that little