The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1851-01-22

the statutes of his religious neigh.
bors. went frequently to his house,
and spent the eyening-drank his
cider, praised his pippins, discussed
tho weather, neighborhood quarrcls,
and tho last sermon, till he fell asleep;
and then talked, laughed, pulled can.
dy, and played 'Fox and Geese
with Lizzy, while
'Ahl Tom, played the fox in ano.
thcr game, while old Temple was
snoring-and got Jzo,ced CHI?
Ned, you're insufferablc! By the
immortal Jove! if you interrupt me
again, I'm off to our club, and YOU
may fill up the story at your leisure. >
I'm dumb
Il was in sad pickle. My pas,
sion for Lizzy, fed by daily sight of
her beauty, and girlish grace, swell.
ed like creek in a January thaw;
but it had no outlet. 1t would not
do to be known as teacher and lover.
had nothing to do but look and love.
and long-and keep my mouth shut.
0 Tantalus said I, with a tolera-
ble appreciation of his doom. o Tan
taius! victim Of eternal thirst! look
ing forever with parched mouth and
burning eyeballs, upon water--cool,
inviting, bubbling up to thy very lips,
which thou must not taste-here's a
felisW to match thee! Thou art mise
rabie. unquestionably; but just let the
gods take away this water, and put
Lizzy Temple in its place, with like
restrictions, and I reckon you would
not make much by its change! Hang
me, Ned, if I dom. think he would
have lost by it. Love is q trouble
some thing, when it gets into q fell
low and can't get out. If those un-
fortunate swine, into whom the de-
wills entered of old, felt half as bad
as | did, I don't wonder they cut for
the sea. | believe the only thing
that saved me from a strait jacket,
was the certainty that, d few months
sssioall close tho infernallsch5ol, and
give s..tnce y ws,tashss {, as the
shrine Of this beaatiEr EEsusIle. -
"That time came at last said
Tom, with o most luxurious express
sion, in which, the pathetic, the dis
NAL and the reckless were curiously
blended. ssThe term closed, and I
was happy, Ned, as a French prison
er. breaking from the old Bastile in
to sunlight and liberty. No sooner
had the last scholar disappeared
through the door, with his green
satchel slung over his sh 3ulder, than
l leaped to the door, and broke into
q hornpipc, that would have beaten
the witches in sAlloway's auld haunt
ed Kirk The sweet hope of win
ming Lizzy, so long repressed, acted
upon me like q draught Of exhilating
gas; and faith, and 1 am inclined to
think it was about the same thing.
Two evenings afterwards, l took a
walk with Lizzie. We sauntered
through the village, and into the
park; and there, beneath the stars
and the moonlight, l told her my
earncst-passionate love. / forge,
exactly what l said, but it was ten
der, | assure you--and worse than
that, it was truthful; for I loved hcl
rs warmly as Abclard his Hcloisc.--
At that time I never expected te
smile again, if she said NO Wei
Ned, | told her all--and then ventur
ed the ugly question:
Here Toms voice grow husky, ant
beads Of perspiration began to appear
on his forehead. There was q con
vulsive twiching about his eyes and
the corners of his mouth, when, after
looking q minute or so, in profound
silence, at his boots, he turned to me
and asked:
what do you think her reply was
Ned?'
Couldn't guess, Tom; probably she
mtimated that she was too young t.
marry--or perhaps, that she would
like to examine a few more goods be
fore she made selection!
mo, you could not guess it Ned
no man could guess it! Twas a,
outragc--.a peace ofunwomanly cru
city. She'---Tom was becoming We
ry much excited--'she said, with
heartless laugh that rings in my ear
yet, that she never liked Geometry
and thought it would he exceedingl,
dull to be all ones lifc--demoast:,a
ting Iriaagles"
'Thc next morning found mysel
in bed, but when / went or how
came there, ! never knew. Their
was panel out of the door, brok
en- chair in the middle of the room
and my best broad cloth coat wa
hanging on the candle as ali extn
guisher. Threo months afterward