Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1847-03-31
From the N. 7. Spirit Of the Times.
Chapter On Proposals.

Of ? full share of the ordinarily person
charms Of youth. Within . little Of Il
Chesterfield standard Of height Eve fe,
ten-with locks a. black rs the raven
wings, (alasl the drifting snow is not VIII
ter nowl) with fair complexion. cheel
glowing with the red tide Of youth an
health, and possessing what is considere
sufficient good sense and education for a
the practical purposes Of lite, it may b
| thought that my experience in matters q
the heart ought to prove an exception /
the rule that "tne course Of true love new
er did run smooth" But, alas not 20
1t was my misfortune 10 become acquainte,
with young lady possessed OF 80 man,
charms, mental. moral, and personal, an.
50 supereminent in each, that it was, in
deed, impossible for me to avoid falling
as did, desperately in love with her.
As far as glances of the eye, tremors O
the voice, end occasional inuendoes nigh
60, doubt not that l succeeded full vel
IN imparting to her knowledge of the
state Of my heart; and will moi pres ume
upon your patience 90 much as 10 detail
the ecstasy Of joy with which l first dis.
covered, through similar media, a recipro.
city Of feeling on the part Of the young
lady. lie, it suffice to say that this was
the case, and the lime came when it was
incumbent upon me TO make distinc.
avowsl Of my love. This, after long and
perplexing debate, resolved to do Nv let
ter; and after writing some forty epis,le.
on A. many sheets Of gilded satin paper,
! finally succeeded in brming letter,
amounting TO about six lines, containing,
as thought, the condemned quintessence
Of everything that could Or ought to be
said on the subject. Of this precious NOR
ceau | retain now but slight recollections.
That it sbounded with terms expressive
OF pure, warm, ardent, glowing, undying,
everlasting, and unprecedented affection,
l have not the least doubt.
But unfortunately, this little specimen
Of epistolary excellence was scarcely fin
Ished, when CHANGING 10 teruse some Of
the experience Of predecessor in the
path Of love, Tread that nothing was more
unwise and dangerous than making an Of
fer Of ohe's hand and hean by means Of
pen and paper. .-.
With the credulity of simple mind I
at once gave implicit credence 10 his doc
trine, and frightened at the fearful preci-
pice which had so narrowly avoided, l
destroyed my letter and re-
solved TO declare myself in person, with
my own lips and voice, and 10 hear with
my own ears the reply which was 10 seal
my destiny.
Never did an Alexander, Wallace, or
a Napolean, feel the inspiring effects Of
resolution more powerfully than felt the
influence of this. / had resolved. l would
execute! l walked the streets with proud
of the herosm of my reso-
luton; and in the height Of my pride, fair
ly feared lest, in the words Of the poet, l
should "strike the stars with my head"
But sensible of the imperfec,ion Of human
powers, and conscious that mine, in par
licular, were liable to fail on 50 delicate
an emergency, resolved at least to write
and commit TO memory my declaratory
speech. This undIgnifed and foolish thing
| did. Instead Of trusting to the warm
OF an ingenious heart, which
in some way at least would have managed
to make itself understood and felt, COM
nitled to memory cold formula OF words,
10 be delivered as the school boy rec'ses
his speech, Of which it is sufficient Tor the
purpose Of this little article to reco;ect
The following sentence: miss Adams, will
on allow me to offer you my hand and
hearth"
The fearful hour arrived. The evening
Of my wonted visit approached, and found
my self seated by the side Of my adored IN
the summer evening twilight.
The last rays Of the setting sun had
gradually disappeared from the rosy clouds
that fingered about the west. The full
moon rode high in the heaven, and one by
one the stars became visible:
':In such night
Stood Dido with willow in her hand.
Upon the wild sea banks, and waived her love
To come to Carthage"
The opened window by which we sat
looked out upon garden stored with
profusion of rich and rare flowers, from
which were exhaled and rose around us
delicious fragrance, forming " fit atn"s-
phere for such scene. The time. the
silence, the scenery, everything was ap-
propriate, and she, the beautiful, the al
mos, unear,hly, seemed by intuition, to
understand my thoughts and intention, as
with head bent down, she gazed earnest.
ly land with slight blush upon the fair
cheeks around which her auburn curls
were playing) upon moss rose which
she was earnestly engaged in pulling to
pieces. was employed in the equally
serious occupation Of opening and shut.
ting a small fancy snuf-box, which held
in my hand.
Alas! where now was the Alexander OF
Napoleon courage that had inspired me!
felt my valor oozing out Of the palms o.
my hauds! But at length, summonina
resolution, like man upon the sc'iiolt
who wishes to die with at least seeming
fortitudc, or, to use a more forcib!e illus
,ration, gathered together and concentrst
ing, as it were, all the energies OF my
mind, after the manner Of ore about Il
submit to that most inhuman Of all earthl!
tortures-the extraction Of tooth; say
with such energy rs this, l raised m,