Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1851-11-27

self the highest good in the world
under the image Of "my wife,"
Having duly considered the vari
Gus forms ol love proposals, ] wen
one very fine day to Greendale, car
rying with me, and near to my
heart, a moss-rose in a garden-pot
The roads were execreble, and | wa.
weIl-nigh shaken TO pieces; but the
smile Of my beautiful Rose would,
was we'll assured, reward me for all
trouble. In imagination | heard my
self constantly asseverating 81 love
youl' and heard her as constantly
replying, 81 love youl" As regarded
our domestic establishment, had
not as yet thought as much about il
as one of our favorite bards, who,
before he married, provided himself
with a cask of flour, coffee- pot, and
a frying-pan. thought only of ga
cottage and heart" ] saw around
my cottage multitude Of roses, and
within it, my Rose and myself. As
for every thing else, all would be
provided for by nv excellent father.
As soon as | arrived at Greendale,
| found there two other gentlemen
quite as much enchanted by the fas-
cinating young lady, as was. |
pitied the unfortunate youths, be-
cause they had infatuated themselves
with the hope of a happiness which
no one, believed, should aspire to
but myself. We were all old ac-
quaintances; and, as it is not ouI
habit 10 put our light under bushel,
was determined TO give my rivals a
little hint Of my advantageous pros
poets.
! raised, therefore, somewhat the
veil which had concealed my modest
confidence. Nv rivals, animated by
nv example, lifted likewise the veil
from their respective prospects; and.
behold, we all three stood in precise
ly the same position. We all sighed;
we all hoped; we all had souvenirs
that we kissed in secret; and all
were, as it were, serpents, and bit
their own tails.
At these unexpected revelations
we all exclaimed, ."Ahr' and left
Greendale together, each going his
own way. Ny father was little
surprised TO see me return so soon.
any dear Constantine" said he,
81 thought you intended to stay al
GreendaIe a much longer timele
''Yes," | replied with pensive
air, taking at the same moment, a
large mouihluI of bread-and- hutter;
"yes; but altered my mind when |
got there"
With this the conversation ended,
and The charm was broken, once
and forever. But with il was also
broken one link out Of the rosy time
of my life. ! began 10 regard all
roses whether real or typi6ed, with
angry and suspicious looks, and TO
speak Of the "iIiusions Of life," and
OF "giving them up," &c, &c. /
made n solemn vow with myself
that The next object of my affections,
the next choice | would make for
''my wife," should, in all respects,
be the very reverse Of the fascina-
ting but traitorous Rose. | had
been deceived, as imagined, by the
poetry Of life; now I,would keep to
the sober prose. sr ..a
All! in what a noble form did my
new ideal present herself 10 my eyes
as one evening | entered The hospita
Bile saloon of Mrs. A., the wife OF
the celebrated judge. Abba, her
stood ready to officiate at
the tea-table; her features, her figure,
her manners were dignified and full
of propriety. She looked like per-
sonifed Truth, in contra-distinction
to the fantastical bewitching Rose.
Instantly fell in love with this
beautiful image of Minerva, and
thought Of "my WIFE,"
Alba, however, seemed only to
think of the tea, and looked neither
to the left nor the right. When tea
was poured into all the cups. she
slowly turned her splendid head,
and / heard, a. the same moment, a
bass.voice exclaim, "SundholmI"
All, Heavensl was that her voicel
Was it not rather the Angle Of
Judgment, who, in the middle of
Mrs. AS evening party, summoned
the sinner SundEolm TO bear his final.
doomi could have believed anv'
thing rather than that such voice
could issue from the beautiful lips. of
Alba. But, when l ~beheld Sund-
holm advance TO the tea-tabIe and
receive the tea-cups on bis ztray, ]
saw that the resounding bassoon-
voice belonged to no other than the
sweet lady whom l had jusi adored,
and whom / had, in my heart, al
ready called "nay wile.'a
1t required some little time before
could reconcile my mind on this