Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1852-12-22
MISCELLA A N Y.
Old Times iua tl,e west.

One of our Western Judges tells the
following story of Venus in Linsey- wool-
sew, at whose fathers house he was unfor-
tanately compelled TO put up for the night,
on certain occasion, undressing himself
and going to bed before heri the same room.
The girl was seventeen, handsome, plump
as a pigeon and smooth as perslmmon.
How the mischief, said to myself, So
lloquizng the first night l slept there, am
| to go to bed before this young lady? |
do believe my heart was topSyturvied, for
the idea of pulling of my boots before the
Girl was death. And as tc dofing my 9TH
er fixtures, | would sooner have my leg
taken off with a woods saw. The crisis was
| tremendous.
ut was nearly midnight, and the family
had hcen hours in bed. Miss Serena alone
remained. Bright as. the sun, the merry
mink talked on. 1t was portentously obvi-
Gus to me at last, that she had determined
to outsit me. BY repeated spasmodic efforts,
my coat WaiStcoat, cravat, boots and socks
were brought off. During the process, my
beautiful neigbor talked to me with una
verted eyes, and with that peculiar kind of
placidity employed by painters to imbody
their idea of the virgin. ,'~
81 dumped myself down in chair in a
cold persplration. a distressing thought
occurred to me, Does not the damsel stand
on point of local etsq quettes 1t my be
the fashion of these people to see strangers
IN bed before retiring themselves? May |
not have kept those beautiful eyes open,
from ignorance of what these people deem
good breeding? Neither the lady S eyes
n nor tongue bad indeed betrayed fatigue.
"Those large jet teyes seemed to di!ate and
grow brighter as the blaze of the wood fire
died away but doubtless this was from
kind consideration for the strange wakeful-
ness of her guest. The thing was clear
! determined to retire, and without delay.
7 arose with frmness, unloosed my sus-
penders, and in voice not altogether steady
said:
".Miss Serena. think Iwill retire
".Ccrtainly, sir, she quietly observed,
you will lod 5e there, sir;' incllning her
beautiful head towards bed standing few
wards from where she was sitting. pro-
ceeded to uncase, entrenching myself be-
hind chair the while, fondly imagining
the position offered some security. 1t is
simpl ly plain 10 man in his senses, that a
chair Of the fashion of the one ] had thrown
between myself and the enemy as mil
itarv man would say, offered almost no
security at all. No more, in fact, than
standing up behind ladder--notbing in
the way of the artillery of bright eyes, as
poet would say. sweeping one down BY
P''Ynal Then / had dead open space P, of ten
feet between me and the bed; sort of
Bridge of Lodi passage wlch l was forced
to make, exposed to a cruel raking fire fore
and aft. Although !! say 1t, who shopld! not
say It, an emergency never arose for which
['had not resource. had one for this.
The plan was the work of moment, |
de-"
.Ah! see, yoa siormed the battery
and So
bah doE't Interrupt! me. No; / de-
termined,by bold ruse de gucrre,to throw
her attention out of the window, clear the
perilous passage, and fortify myself under
the counterpaine before she recovered her
surprise. The plan failed.
':You see am a small man, physically
speaking. Body, limbs, and head, setting
up business on one hundred and seven and
"a half pounds, al told, Of flesh, blood and