The Middlebury galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1848-1850, 1848-09-26
MISCELLANY.
THE COUSINS KISS.
There's something in kiss
That never comes amiss."

cnIulSH gee 10 MY ineetlnS Will my d.
fectionate uncle and aunt.-Having fin
isked my profession, the fond reccollec-
tons of the past seemed to vie in afford
ing pure Joy to the present, and equally
to inspire me with emotions of delight.
| was an orphan, with neither brother or
sister but then had blooming cousin,
and that was pretty much the same thing,
for we had grown together from almost
infancy; and if she was not a sister,
was not then philosopher enough TO know
the difference.
During my travel homeward. ] tried to
picture to myself the scene so fondly
loved, from which | had so long been
separated; and whenever my imagination
reverted to my cousin, which | confess ii
frequently did, | saw the fancied transport
with which she would welcome me home.
Alas that we should be so vain.
was received with open arms and evil
dent pleasure by kind relatives, and when
| was kissed b. them all-uncle, aunt,
| nurse, down almost to the washerwoman
it was absolutely utrageous-postIvely
shocking that Harriet, my pretty, blushing
cousin, should alone refuse the kiss most
desired.
Such, then. was the termination all my
glowing dreams, and though her eyes did
sparkle with Joy, it was not exactly the
meeting had expected. But she was so
lovely, could not get angry; 1t would
have been ungallant i'll the extreme II
could, and | understood the female heart
well enough to know that resentment was
not the way to obtain the wished-ior kiss
That she who used to treat me with such
frank and artless familiarity, herself as
gentle, playful and innocent as fawn, and
whom found the same fair being as for
merly, with the exception that she was far
moro beautiful, and had a little less of the
girl about her; say that she should be
thus reserved and obstinate-why ! | de-
clare, it was really too bad How could
| win the coveted boon
Twas puzzled. My cousin was so pop
ular that all the beaux i'll the country were
in her train: and had but two months
to stay before commencing my profession ;
and yet, notwithstanding these difficulties,
| resolved to gain the kiss, a thousand
Times more valued, now that it was so
| p rtinaciously withheld. must try.
There was one of her suitors named
Sumner, whom she seemed TO like better
than all the rest and [ must say, that
during the first month of my visit, she
coquetted with him good deal at my tx
pense 1t used to give me touch of I'M
easness now and then, but consoled my
| self with the reflection that | was not in
| love, that there was no sense in being
| Jealous, and besides, Mr.. Summers favor
able reception had nothing TO do with my
object Of gaining kiss. So, l took to
teasing my pretty cousin about her favor
ito lover. This made great change in
her conduct as l soon perceived. She
denied the charge at first, and then grew
really worried that would nj believe her,
and finally showed me pretty marked
preference on every occaslon.-But was
only a cousin and nobody took any notice
of il. My walks and conversation were
all set down OH the score Of courtshlp,
but they were so delicious that had re-
! GREETED that the time had come for me 10
begin to think of departure, and wished
that ones cousin might be with one for>
ever, but [ was not worth copper dollar,
unless / could get some heiress to marry
me for pity, and saw no way of living
without roughing it through life. SO that
it vas necessary that should do some>
thing for myself l was too proud to tres
pass farther On the bounty of my uncle, or
rather | fell too keenly the sense of my
obligations TO him already, to be guilty of
4 still greater dependence on him; FIR ii
had been through his generosity that had
been placed at profession, and he had
declared his intention of aiding me still
farther in my professional career. must
therefore have been very ungrateful in
deed to have been long idle: so my visit
was nearly up. Happy, too happy, had
been those two short months, and Harriet
was the centre of it ALL She, sweet an
gel, like all the rest, charged it to courts
ship; but | at last began TO open my eyes,
and half suspected the truth, for had
noticed that my cousin, unconscious TO
herself, seemed very fond of my presence.
All this learned by close observation Of
her conduct and innumerabIe trihes many
monarch would have given his broad
lands, his greatest victories. or the finest
Jewels in his crown TO win such little to-
kens of affection from the one he loved
Well, the two months were up, and in all
this time had not got kiss from my
cousin.
1t was the night but one before l was
to go away. l determined to make last
effort. We were sitting by the window,
and the old folks were out, my poor
cousin looked pensiye, and doubtless felt
so. L was somewhat sentimental myself
1t was Just the time for melting tho'ts
and the moon shone tenderly upon the
river in the distance, pouring her silver
light like fairy verdure upon the distant
hills. Harriet sat by my side, and we were
talking of my approaching departure.