Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1851-05-19

er should not apologize and pretend that
she was not the lady for whom my visit
was intended. But then she was so beau
tiful. Angels and ministers! Nothing on
earth could have sent me down stairs,
unless had been kicked down!
MADAM" began, but my blood was in
turmoil, and have never been able to
recollect precisely what did say. Some
thing it was, however, about my late IA
ther and her husband. absence and the
East Indies, liver complaints and Life In
surance; with compliments, condolences,
pardon, perturbation and preter-plu-perfect
impertinence. The lady looked surprised,
broke my speech with two or three we'll
bred CALCULATIONS, and astonished me very
much by protesting that shehad never heard
her husband mention either my father or
his promising little heir-apparent William
Henry Thomas, in the whole course of
their union. "Ah, Madam" said /, "thc
omission is extremely natural! am sure
| ain not at all offended with your late
husband upon that score. He was an el-
derly. sickly sort of man. My father al
ways told him he could not last, but he
never thought he would have died so soon
after his marriage He had not time,
Madam, to make his friends happy by in
Producing them to you"
] believe upon the whole, | must have
behaved remarkably well, for the widow
could not quite make up her mind whether
to credit me or not, which, when we con
slider the very slender materials | had to
work upon Is saying great deal. At
length contrived to make the conversa-
ton glide away to Aud Robin Gray and
the drawing of Apollo, which | pro-
nounced to be chet.d'aurre. Permit
me, however" said /, "to suggest, that
the symmetry ofthe figure would not be
destroyed by little more of Hercules in
the shoulders, which would make his life
worth much longer purchase. A little
more amplitude in the chest, too, and a
trifile stronger on the legs, as they say at
the Insurance Oficel"
The widow looked comically at the re-
collections which ! brought to her mind;
her rosy lips began to disclose their treas
ures in a half smile; and this, in turn, ex-
panded into laugh like the laugh of
Euphrosyne. This was the very thing for
me. | was always rather dashed by beau
lyon the stills! but put us upon fair ground,
and lneversupposed that | could be other
wise than charming. Iran over all the
amusing topics of this day, expended
thousand admirable jokes, repeated touch
ing passages from new poem which she
had not read, laughed, sentimentalized,
cuddled the kitten, and forgot to 90 away
till | had sojourned full two hours
Euphrosyne quite lost sight Of any ques-
tlonable introduction, and chimeG in with
wit as brilliant as her beauty, nor did she
put on a single grave look when l volun-
teered to call the next day and read the
remainder ofthe poem.
1t is impossible to conceive how care
fully walked home. My head and heart
were full of the widow and the wager
and my life was more precious than the
Pigot Diamond. l kept my eye sedu-
lously upon the pavement, to be sure that
once crossed the street without looking
both ways, to calculate the dangers of be-
ing run over. When arrived | was pre-
sented with letter from my attorney, Civ
ing me the choice Of an ensigncy in reg
iment which was ordered to the West In
dies, or Of going missionary to New Zea-
land. wrote to him, in answer, that it
was perfectly immaterial to me whether
was cut off with the yellow fever or de-
voured by cannibals, but that had bust
ness which would prevent me from avail
ing myself Of either alternative for two
months, at least.
The next morning found me again at the
door of Euphrosyne, who gave me her lily
white hand, and received me with the
smile of an old acquaintance Affairs went
on pretty much the same as they did on
the proceeding day. The poem was long,
her singing exquisite, my anecdote of New
Zealand irresistible, and we again forgot
ourselves till it was necessary, in common
politeness, to ask me to dinner. Here
her sober attire, which for some months
had been piece of mere gratuitous re-
spect, was exchanged for low evening
dress, and my soul, which was brimming
before, was In an agony TO find room for
my increasing transports. Her spirits were
sportive as butterflies, and futered over
the flowers of her Imagination with a grace
that was quite miraculous. She ridiculed
the rapidity of our acquaintance, eulogis-
ed my modesty till it was well nigh burn
ing to cinder, and every now and then
sharpencd her wit by a delicate recur-
renee to Apollo and the shoulders of Her
cules.
The third and the fifth day, with twice
as many more, We're equally productive Of
excuses for calling. and reasons for re-
maining, till at last took upon me to call
and remain without troubling myself about
the one or the other. | was received with
progressive cordiality;ardatl last, ,witha mix
ture oftimidity which assured me Of the
anticipation Of a catastrophe which was, at
once, to decide the question with the In
surance Office, and determine the course
of my travels. One day l found the Peri
sitting rather pensively at work, and as
usual, | took my seat opposite to her.
81 have been thinking" said she "that
have been imposed upon"
"By whom!' inquired.
"By one Of whom you have the highest
opinion-by yourself"
"In what do you mistrust met"
Come now, will it please you to be-
come candid and tell me honestly that all
that exceedingly Ineligible story about
your father and the liver complaint, and
heaven knows what, was mere iabrica-
tion!'
"Will it please you to let me thread that
needle, for see that you are taking aim at
the wrong end of III"
Nonsense! Will you answer met"
Il think l could put the finishing touch
to that sprig. Do yoR not seel' l con-
tinued, jumping up an leaning over her.
sfVt ,l,rlI -, lopo eo and tbeu Wha,