Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1846-12-23
THE LITTLE WIDOW - AGAIN.

A correspondent of the New York
Commercial Advertiser, under the non de
plume of 'Quis,' is writing a series of hu-
morous letters ''from Washington" for
that paper. For quiet, rich humour, we
have seen nothing lately like them. The
writer comes nearer 10 the Sterne and
Dickens school of graceful thinning with
the pen, than any other Of whom we know.
! Below we give an extract from one of his
| inimitabie sketches. Ii is well to prom.
Use that he boards with Young and .asci.
mating widow; tha' ne returns late at night
from a dinner party; that he h d inst lett
a Mr.. SweepIe who was himself widow
tortured-CandIelZ d--and who for a full
hour, had been impressinq Mr. Quis with
the inevitable misery entaied on all who
formed a matrImouiil alliance with widows.
1t was at such time, and il was under
such circumstances, that he meets his fair,
widowed hostess What followed, he best
explains himself, so we will allow him TO
tell it TO the reader in his own languages:
"Bless me! are you there at this time
of nIghl?" turned, and as live, there
was the little widow! How very ridicu-
lous," she said; "she did not know | was
there, and had Ist come TO put out
the light and see that the fire was Safe
She had Just thrown a shawl on, and 10 be
seen in her night-cap il was shock
ing. Good night; it was time that | was
in bed, must make haste so that she
could return and eXtinguish the lamp"
You will be astonished at my boIdness,
las was afterwards but as she was re.
firing from the room took the candle
stick from her hand, led her to a sofa, and
insisted upon relating all the adventures of
the day 10 her She showed very little
reuctlnce to comply, and sat down be-
side her.
"But, goodness gracious, cannot be sit.
ting alone with you at this hour"
| don't know why she sunk her voice
TO whisper, as she said this, but she did,
and her looks said as plainly as looks
could say-"Oh, do delaiu mel" "Why,"
replied this is the most quiet, delightful
hour of the twenty four the silence gives
kind of sacred propriety to it; besides it's
only |, there's no harm in sitting with me ~
"Well," she answered, "do let me take
off this odious cap. How could be caught
with this horrd cap on?" And she raised
her hands to unite the ribbons, but no that
horrid cap added new charm TO her
beautiful features. insisted upon its re-
naming. | was peremptorv-I clasped
her fingers TO prevent us removal, and she
desisted There was magic IN her fingers
that prevented me from releasing them.
Did you ever sit at midnight with a pref
! ~ woman, wearing pretty night-cap,
holding her hand? If so, you may ina
CINE my feelings. You know how her
touch thrills the blood, cold and quivering,
and how the heart leaps with a kind of
| tremulous exuItation, that almost takes
away the breath, and makes the throat
| feel dry and husky, and how the dsengag-
ed hand wiU be beating upon the back OF
the sofa in spite Of Yourself. This was
! how | ielt, who had never been ia such a
situation, and although | had detained the
young widow with an intention of giving
lively account of the days and nights
adventures, the power of speech sudden
| Is left me. SWELL" she SAID softly. show
did you enjoy your elf at the partyY
/ ENceH tnliN, Tepii1u we "0Ie We
ry merry" We were again silent for a
fall minute, and when our eyes met felt
actually embarrassed, although | was con-
scious of doing no wrong.
The widow was the first to speak again
she looked in my face aud with smile
whispered, Z" really think Mr.. SweepIe is
=" she nodded her head and smiled.
"He is" answered and beginning to
feel more at my ease. | telt my arm slide
gently down the sofa until il almost un.
consciously encircled her waist The WI