The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1850-10-30
The Three Rash Vows.

which Hourlsillng institution mas glNep 10 lhe
town of b great deal more notoriety than
is usually possessed by collections of two
three thousand inhabitants. B had at that
time, very fair share IF pretty girls, and far
more than its share of old maids; the latter
having accumulated from the perpetual s'disap-
pointmcnts' which are sure to occur in village
where there is college.
There wars, of course, one belle, who was a
little hundsomcr than any of the others, and
who, another matter of course, was very
saucy, whimsical, independent, and tyrannical.
These were her faults but they the
special privileges of her position, it was admit
ted by ALL that they would disappear whenever
she would consent to leave her sphere of maid
eny triumphs, and become wife. She would
then be atectionate, noble hearted woman,
worthy Of the best husband the nation could at
ford. 1t is to be hoped, that this will not be
taken as any encouragement to the young ladies'
who have fallen into the above mentioned errors;
on the contrary, | wish it to be understood that
Miss Kate Mathews had so many good quail
ties that she was still admired by Of sense,
despite an array of faults which would have
left almost any other girl to the disagreeable al
tentative of marrying some fool, nobody at
all.
Among the new faces which made their ap-
pearance at the opening OF one fall and winter
session, there was certain young gentleman
who seemed doomed to be the object of more
rival. There are two classes of people who al
ways become notorious those who seek noto-
rlcty, without scruplc concerning the means,
and those who display too much anxiety to avoid
it. The young man belonged to the latter divi-
sion. He had come to the college to finish his
studcs and he showed a strong desire to do no.
thing but study. Now, for a youth of twenty
to take up his quarters i'll town, and display
no anxiety to become acquainted with the young
ladies', exemption from the common
weakness of humanity, that could not fail to
command the highest respect. He very
handsome, grave and melancholy in bis deport-
mcnt, and bore the romantic name of Fitzgerald.
1t is true that his first name was plain John but
nobody knew this at the time. In three weeks,
he was the C observed of all Observers.
1t was generally q matter Of difficulty for new
students to get into society, but Fitzgerald soon
found that he had the freedom Of the town.
lie was constantly receiving instructions from
the pen of his fellow students WHO could claim
| his acquaintance, that if he wished an introduce
ton to any of the " first families" he had moth
ing TO do but :'say the word This was fla
tering enough, but he declined all such offers,
r in respectful but decided manner. Two
months elapsed, and no lady in B had been
. favored with visit from the mysterious and
melancholy student, when large party
9 given by one Of the " first families, an nv
'ation TO which scducrd him from his books for
ihc time ; but, during the whole evening. he
was as reserved as good breeding would permit,
and, although he showed that his conversational
powers were not to be dcspiscd, he did not ap-
pear to have the slightest desire % display thcu.
Miss Kate Mathews not little pleased
with his appearance, and not little piqued that
he had violated the rule of falling in love with
her at first sight, and begging an introduction
Y But shewas too honest to yield to any l-natur-
cd feeling on tins account, and when one Of her
young friends asked her opinion of Mr.. Fltzger-
aid, she answered frankly:
g | think him the handsomcst man ever saw,
and if am any Judge Of physiognony, he pos.
sc&s:s more than ordinary talent.
& llo! ho here is culogy indeed Only lis
tpn,' cried the fair qurstioncr, turning to
group Of five six; & Kate says she thinks
Mr.. Fitzgerald the wiscst and handsomrst man
she ever saw
No, did not say that " returned Kate,
blu ing.
'lndecd YOU did ~ said a young lady who
= had been listening.
81 said he was the hantsonest man had
, ever seen, and that presumed
"Oh that is all the same thing, interrupted
one Of the group; "see how she is blushng >
" She never bestowed so much praise before
in aiI her life, said another.
6 think, remarked a sarcastic young gent
leman, with drawling voice, {" if VIC may
form any opinion from this extraordinary encon
l'lm and this extraordinary succession of blush
Fl cs, the queen Of hearts is subducd at last y
Ii the midst of these sales, which were
kept up with great glee, when it was found that
they had their effect upon their proverbiay self
possessed victim, young gentleman came
across the room, and interrupted them by say
ing
/ "Mss Mathews, MIR. Fitzgerald has been
limiting very strongly that he would like an in
PRODUCTION to you, and have come to ask your
permission
"Bravo brayissimo! ! cried the whole group.
Kate was excessively annoyed She did not
like the thought of having blushcd, for she
knew that most people attach an undue impor-
tance to such things. However, with her ris-
ing ill-humor she reganed her selt-possession,
and turning to the young man, she said in a cool,
mcthodcal voice
l "Did you tell Mr. Fitzgerald that you would
ask my consent to this introduction y
"No--for, as he du not get beyond mere
hint, | thought ii best to speak to you first
i "You are very discrete, indeed interrupted
Kate, with kind of patronizng tone which she
was fond of assuming " am much obliged to
you, and as | would rather avoid the introduc-
ton, shall be still more indebted, if you will
evade the subject should it be broacEed again.
Kate's tormentors saw it was time the joke
should cease, and, therefore, changed the sub
iect but she felt ont of humor the whole evening,
and, by way of relief to her pent up vexation,
she solcmnly vowed to herself that " that
young man should never be introduced to her.
AS for Mr. John Fitzgerald, there was no
mys,ycry in his case, save that which the idle
curiosity of the people had created. In mo-
ment of repentance for long fit OF ideness,
he had formed resolution, that when he en-
tered the college Of B, he would avoid all
kinds Of amusement, and endeavor to make up
for lost time. He had not been insensble to
the beauty of some of the fair faces he saw at
church, and other public places, but he recollec-
ted his vow, and determined not to seek their
society. Nor was lie an exception to the rule
in regard to Kate Mathews, for she won his un-
bounded admiration from the first moment he
saw her. He was great admirer of beauty,
when it served to adorn strongly intellectual
expression, and he thought Miss Kate came
nearer his ideal of perfection than any woman
he had ever seen He went to church very re-
gularly, in order to get glimpse Of her, and,
probably, the consciousness that he had debar-
red himself from a nearer approach by his vows