The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1851-09-20
Love and Mosquitoes.
B.Earre lrom a LlNelNnatl Faperl

Good night, dearest Emma-may angels
slumber7 be yours" was the parting bcnedictIun
Of Jazabel Godfrey Esq, as he arose from he so
IA, gently pressed lIly white hand, and boving
his graceful person into the two sides Of an equi-
lateral triangle, departed Mr. Godirey was by
profession a Cor!uthlan--wJh huge black Whis.
kcrs, and the manner, Of well.bred gentleman
He loved three distinct thnHgs--.ta-honubr
clothes, Miss Emmas fortune, aud himself. these
entirely filed Up the little cayerus of lis heart
that he found It impossible to love any other ob
Ject
The fair Emma was rot beauty, nor blue
nor belle--ncither Di Vernon nor Lucy
Brandon but a right down clever, feminine mis-.
chiovous pleasant little sprite as ever chased II
butterfly " broke heart The night to which
this narrative refers, one of those Interesting
hot ones which are not Of unfrcquent occurrence
m the latter part of June. The fiery sun had
sunk behind the western hills in il flaming glo.
rv, tnglng with II crimson and purple light the
white masses ui vapor which loered far 10 10
the depths uf the blue sky presenting one of the
most gorgeous sunsets for which this western
world is unriyaed, and which alike defy the
pencil Of the painter, and tie pen Of the poet
The moment OF temporary separation had come
aud conversation, ia which no doubt poetry and
pnssiun had been mingled was ended. Our gal.
LIANT knight invoking for Emma's pillow those
blis-fu slunbers Of which We have Just spoken,
took Lis departure.
Tie round full moon was now far up in the
day--a solitary light here and there twiuklcd
from a wiudow--the streets were deserted, ard
not a sound could be heard but the echo Of the
lovers footsteps, as he wandered lie knew not
whittier He was TOO happy to sleep--too 10.
mantle t. retire to his chan ber He walked
down TO the quay, and made suudry CALCULATIONS
to the noonbrams which were sleeping On the
v.,,lu-s b1.gIU vf u,r Chiu, IL, '.,.. .ff.I I'd,
Main street To- the canal and perambu.a,ed Ihe
tpwpah as fir as the lunatic asylum, thinking
alternately OF Emma and his whi-kcrs. At las,
be bethought him Of screnade. Tue he was
unable to discourse sweet music on the iu'c tlt
he could sing. and what his voice lacked in mel
udy he hoped 10 supply in palhos. Love j. al
ways imrulSvc, and "a few minutes MI Jaza-
bel Godfrey stood beneath the windows uf liz
Emma's chamber from which the dim light ui
7 her lamp was struggling with tue light moon.
beams Why, thought Mr. Godfrey has not that
l luish'.Lluomug Ccrcus sought her pillow! l.
she slerpiugf These were the thoughts tlat
came pleasantly and rrl,e-hinLiy upon hi, mind
even as the morning shower comes down upon the
Young corn iu the thirsty month Of June. iot
-unc little time after Emma and her lover had
separated, .hc remained ut the parlnr window
gazing on the stars, and thinking Of Mr Godfrey.
| Upon retiring, she found the chamber window
was open, the room alive with mosquitoes, and
that her maid had neglected to Put up the srrrcr
Which had that morning been taken To The luun.
dress, in whose wa~htub it was, pcradvcn'ure
still rcpuslug Here w,s uu awful state Of things
| for Emma had one Of those fair thin skins, OF
which all mstiIluus, gournnud mosquitoes are
/ particularly fond. She wa however, somewhat
tenacious 90 her beauty what lady i. not = and
/ the idea Of fhuyIug her face and h md. covered
with bites Of these little insects was horrbr--ab.
solu'cly shocking. What wa- now to be done
She must stand guard all night over her face or
di,lolge the enemy from her tent She resolved
upon the latter She remembered to have heard
It stated by one Of the lecturers in the Cincinnati
Lyceum, before the demise Of that ins,itu'inn,
! that the burning uf aromacs would Iuit,hhIy
! put to flight the most voracious army Of mo-qul-
toes, and she mentally thanked her stars that
love II the study of natural history had carried
her To the hall Of science.
She accordingly took her wash bowl, descend.
ed quietly to her parlor, empted dec0nter Of
old Mrnongahela whskey into it--then sought
the medicine chest in the store room. and added
eoodly portion Of essences, among which, by
mistake she poured few ounces OF castor oil,
and o phial of uncturc Of assaf,rtlda, She found
n bunch Of pennyroyal; and this the prudent
Emma Crumbcd between her taper hngers, and
dropped in the bowl Thus fortified, with com.
! pound worthy of liccatc, tOe valiant glrl thea
sought her chamber resoucly bent upon war
of cxtirmination against her blood.thir,ty crc.
mics She placed the bowl upon the waslstand
and touched the oeigmous mixture with lamp
Instantly n blue flame spread over the surfl3c ot
! the liquids, from which arose a wreathcd column
Of odorfcrous and nauseating smoke. Gradually
a Il