The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1847-11-06
POPPING THE QUESTION.
BY CHARLES j. PETERSON.

ever we meet, to tell her how the CUES
ton is popped. She is but fourteen, but
in these days, between neutrality-suspicious.
and balls, girls ofthat age are as knowing
as Observation-Disclosures were attwenty. We
suppose she wishes TO learn in time, SO
as to be ready for the first chance that
offers. Dear girl she little imagines
that the question usually pops itself.
Young folks require no aid in such pleas
ant cmergcncies-only give two lovers
fair play, and send your matchmaking
aunts and the children to Coventry
and our word for it, some evening, when
least expected, the question will pop out
like a cork from champagne bottle.
We would give our fair cousin some in
structon five could; but she would prob
ably forget them all, and find her heart
in her throat besides, when the question
came to be popped TO herself. So We
will content ourselves with a story,
which she may think true or not, as she
likes.
Kate Spencer was a WltChlng creature.
If Won could have seen her bounding a.
cross the lawn, or gathering wild flowers
to adorn her hair, Or heard her Warbling
some merry lay in the morning, you
would have worshipred her as you would
worship Rosalind, or an Ariel, for she
seemed a compound Of both. AT love
she laughed: at was trap for FOOLS"
she said. But people who make traps,
sometimes are the first to tall into them.
kat was III her eighteenth summer
when her bosom friend, Lucy Wharton
was married; and Kate was bridesmaid.
Her partner, Harry Neville, was fine,
dashing fellow, with a pretty estate, aud
a commission in the army. Heand Kate
were we'll matched. He cared no more
fer her raIllery than for Mexican bat
terry; and, in fact, her wit was to his, like
the trumpet to the War-horse. 1t did
one good to see passage ofarmS between
them, Eut being bridesmaid and grooms
man is dangerous recreation. Marry
inc, like the yellow fever, is an inlcc-
toua disease, and one never catches it SO
quickly as at anothcr's wedding, If
was a young bachelor, and wished to re-
main one, | would run to the worlds
end rather than wait on a pretty Girl.
You may picnic with a seraph, or sleigh
with a hour but be no groomsman with
a sensible girl like Kate Spencer was,
Harry Neville, however, was bomb-proof
to such things. at least he considered him
selfso, and had been hitherto. Besides, he
had been told Kate was firt, and be
was on his guard.
And how was it with Kate? Dear COZ,
have YOU ever seen Irritation begun IN
fun, and ended in earnest Kate was
BATTERED by having partner like Harry
/ Neville, and put forth all her powers of
pleasing, rrsolutc to bring the Irritation
( to a close before there was danger; bit
nirtations, like thorough breds, some
times run away with you, and so, at a
weeks end, what between the customary
attentions Of a groomSman, and some
thing peculiar to Harry, Kate began to
be interested in her companion more than
she chose to confess,
The wedding was held in the country
in the midst of rich district, and for
several weeks the young couple were In
VOWED in a round Of entertainments.
Give me country wedding after all!
There are the long rides, tde-a-tcfc, by
moonlight-the spending dull hours in
nirtations with your partner-the boat
ING parties, the rambles through the
woods, the summer evenings beneath the
arbor in the garden, and hundred other
things, which towniolks, who get mar
ried at dav-break, and then race over half
the States for a month, have no more
idea of than a lap-dog has of moonlight,
And so, insensibIy, love stole upon
Kate Neville was not a mere wit, any
more than herself, and often laying aside
his railcry, he would indulge the natu-
raj enthusiasm of his character, until he
paused finally at his own imprisoned
words. At such times Kate would sit,
long after going to her chamber, uncon-
sciously gazing up at the calm, still sky:
but her thoughts would be on Neville;
and these reveries usually ended with a
Sigh.
A woman in love, whether 0irt or not
is often blind; nor could Kate discover il
Neville loved her, or not. At times
there was that IN his tones that made her
heart thrill: but if the most ordinary &C,
quaintance would approach, Neville al
ways sauntcred away indlilcrentIy, with
gay remark. Kate chided her own weak
ness, but in vain: absence is the only cure
for such passion, and the wedding par
ties were not yet half over. She feared
Neville was a nirt, because she had beer
one herself; and many an unhappy hou1
she spent in secret, angry at herself, a
him. ana at all the world.
In such mood she was when called
on TO dress for ball at the house ofthei
entertainers. Kate entered the room OF