Columbia gazette., 1853-12-03
MISCELLA NY,
: THE POOR LAWYER.

The s'Knickerbocker Magazine,' >
some years ago, contained Washington
Irving's "Early Experience of Ralph
Ringwood." This exciting story was
well termed by the editor "a species Of
Mountjoy of the West" for the lovers
Of Ralph Ringwood are scarcely less po-
etical than those of Mountioy HIM
self. Here is the first introduction to
the lovely maiden who was to have SO
great an influence on his after life:
| lad taken my breakfast and was
waiting for my horse, when, in passing
up and down the piazza, [ saw young
girl seated near the window evidently a
visitor. She was very pretty, with au-
burn hair and blue eyes and was dress
ed i'll white. l had seen nothing of the
kind since had left Richmond; at that
time [ was too much of boy to be
struck by female beauty She was so
delicate and dainty looking, so different
from the hale buxom brown girls of the
woods-and then her white dress! it was
50 dazzling! Never was poor youth
so taken by surprise, and suddenly be-
witched. My heart yearned to. know
her, but how was I to accost her?
had grown wild in the woods, and had
none of the habitudes of polite life
Had she been like Peggy Pugh, or
Sally Pigman, or any other of my leath-
ern dressed bellies of the pigeon-roost, l
should have approached her without
dread; nay, had she been as fair as
Shurt's daughters with their looking
glass lockets, l should not have hesita-
ted; but that white dress. and those au-
burn ringlets, and blue eyes and deli
cate looks, quite daunted while they fas-
cinated me. l don't know what put it
into my head, but 1 thought, all at once,
| would kiss her 1t would take a long
acquaintance to arrive at such boon,
but | might seize upon it by sheer rob-
berry. Nobody knew me here. I would
just step in and snatch kiss, mount my
horse and ride off. She would not be
the worse of it: and that kiss oh, 1
should die if did not get it.
gave no time for thaught to cool,
but entered the house and stepped light
ly into the room She was seated with
her back to the door, looking out of the
window, and did not hear my approach.
[ tapped her chair, and as she turned
and looked up, [ snatched as sweet
kiss as ever was stolen, and l vanished
in a twinkling. The next moment
wason horseback, galloping homcward,
my very heart tingling at what l had
done.
After a variety of amusing adven-
lures, Ringwood attempts the study of
law in an obscure settlement in Ken
lucky, where he delved night and day.
Ralph pursues his studies, occasionally
argues at debating society, and at
length becomes quite genius, and a
favorite in the eyes of the married la
dies of the village.
81 call to take tea one evening with
one of these ladies, when to my surprise,
and some what to my confusion, | found
with her the identical blue-eye beauty
whom had audaciously kissed. was
formally introduced to her, but neither
of us betrayed any sign of previous ac-
quaintance except by blushing to the
eyes. While tea was getting ready,
the lady of the house went out of the
room to give some directions and left us
alone Heavens and earth, what sit
uation! l would have given all the pit
tance | was worth to have been in the
deepest dell in the forest. l felt the
necessity of saying something in excuse
for my former rudeness; could not
conjure up an idea, nor utter a word.-
Every moment matters became worse.
[ felt at one time tempted to do as
had done when l had robbed her of the
kiss-bolt from the room and take flight;
but was chained to the spot, for real
ly longed to gain her good will.
AT length l plucked up courage on
seeing her equality confused with myself,
and walking desperately up to her, 1 ex-
claimed:
''I have been trying to muster up
something to say, but l cannot Ifeel
that am in horrible scrape. Do have
pity on me and help me out of it,"
| A smile dimpled about her mouth,
and played among the bushes of her
cheek. She looked up with shy but
arch glance of the eye, that expressed a
volume of comic recollections; we both
broke into a laugh, and from that mo-
ment all went on we'll.
Passing the delightful description
which succeeded, we proceed to the de-
nouncement of Ringwood's love affair
the marriage and the settlement.