The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1851-01-22
Tom Triangle.
OR, LOVE AND GEOMETRY.

t,i''h 10 GIN ana joking. Often do
the merry hours that we spent toge.
ther como back and look me in the
face-not pale and gh,st.likc, but
fresh and breathing, With pleasant
and familiar smilcs-conc and dance
round mo with their ''quips and
cranks," and urroarioui daughters,
with the odor Of fragrant Hayannas,
floating in their yellow locks; and
now and then luridly shining through
clouds of smoke, the face of some
Tutor or Professor cleaning with
immortal Indignation.
But, memo sine tit;is there was
one exception to Toms good humor.
He would suffer no jokes upon his
name. Truly, it was an unfortunate
name; and, as Will Winston was wont
to say, "ncither looked we'll written,
nor sounded we'll spoken, besides be-
ing nearly as dangerous to alter as
those ninc-corncred Dutch oaths that
came so near choaAing William the
Testy!' Upon all other subjects, even
though at his cwn expense, his laugh
was free and hearty; but whenever
his name was the teSt,,.Tom growled
and looked wolGsh. 1t was evident
ly sore subject with him, but exact.
ly why none knew. He was so we'll
liked, that this singular humor was
generally respected; but, one day, a
classmato, more w.sgish than wise,
slapping him on tlp shoulder, said:
''Tom, Pve q problem for you"
estate it," said ny chun,.
eff tho three angessc a right-an-
gle triangle are eqtal to two right
angles, what arc thelngles Of q Tom
Triangle equal to22',s s
Sir, rcpligg' & s,3i$ = # + you
usV . I IN
beyond the books, ~ demonstrate
a Tom Triangle to you a.tcn paccs!"
"Hc did SO, and the curious stu.
dent sacrificed d finger tp the cause
Of science.
At remote and uncertain periods,
also, varying from one to two weeks.
Tom became gloomy and abstracted;
sighed, muttclcd indistinctly Of dcs.
tiny, and read Ocid ds arte de an,au.
di, Remcaio Amo,is, l suspected
him. lie said hard things Of wo.
men in general. ny suspicious
changed 70 conviction. The blind
archer had winged him, giving one
of those wounds that kill not, but
nc'cr heal" He Stunned women
it must then be an old natter. 1
determined to probe him.
"Tom," said l, one evening, as
he leaned back in his cas-, chair,
lazily watching smoke from hn cigar,
which, for a moment, lovingly cnye.
lopcd his nose, and then curlct slow
ly upwards in blue wrcaths u the
ceiling; "Ton, have you ever been
in love-"
Tom said nothing, but the nd of
his segar grew very red, and fierce
glance shot out from under his eye
5rows.
"My dear fellow" said 7, repeat,
ing the question, and not seeming to
notice these signs of a storm, shave
you ever been in love?"
eyes" Numbered he, starting UP
like shell from mortar, and up
setting a chair upoa my tcnjcrcst
corn.
".IIcavcns. What in the name OF
Euclid is the nearing of all this
ny worthy Triangle" exclaimed |
chucklng, in spite OF my agony, a,
the good shot | had made.
"Confound the SEX" said Tom,
striding across the floor.
"Calm yourself, my dear fellow
and let us know What secret black &
midnight has' has trcwcd this TEN
pest
"It's a villainous world" said Tom
"and woman hath made it such
"lIcaycn help you," replied l
"you are certainly losing your senses
and uttcring rank treason agains
beauty and loyclincss.
Without the smile from rarlnl beauty won,
Oh, what were MANA world without n sum
'Think of that, Tom, and repent
can nonsense" said my still cx
cited chum; GIVE, the first woman
put her foot into the fountain Of hu
man happiness, and stirred up sacf
dcuccd quantity of mud that i
hasn't run clear to this day; and i
every woman since has not done he
best to perpctuato the mischief, then
am a sbottcn herring"
"Quoting cha good sign, b.
Jove. 1t argues return of sanity
Tn,,o nv, Popno - co;1 I Ns;f law,