The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1853-07-28
~ From the Illustrated Family Friend.
ABRIDEGRoOM's PROBATION.
THE HAPPY EscAPE.


A young Englishman, from gaming,
lore-afairs, and other such gold-scatter-
ing enjoyments, had SO nearly reached
the dregs Of his grcat-grandfather's here
ditary portion, that he could calculate the
departing hour of his last guinea. AS
one evening he was returning home from
one of those haunts of dissipation which
he habitually frequented, feeble in body
as in mind, and, for the first time in his
life, casting firm look upon the ruin of
his fortune, he could not we'll determine,
whether he should end his troubles by
drawing trigger, or throwing himself in
the Thames.
While he thus wavered between fire and
water, the very profound idea occurred to
him not to lay violent hands upon him
self to be conducted out of the labrinth
of poverty by the fair hand of some veal
thy bride. With this consoling thought
he went to bed and already in his noctur-
nal visions the rapid races few, the fair
girls frisked around him, both of which
hcwas happy in thinking he migAt main
tain in future upon the dowry of his
wife.
On the following morning he reflected
anew upon his plan, and found itunexcep-
tionable in every point excepting the very
slight circumstances of not knowing when
or where he was to find the rich heiress
he wanted. In London, where all the
world regarded him as a spendthrift, it
was not one to be thought of; he saw
that for the future lie must throw his
nets elsewhere.
After much cogitation and searching,
he at last hit upon an old rich colonel,
living upon his own estate, about twenty
miles from the capital, who fortunately
had no acquaintance in London, and was
the father Of an only daughter.
Into the house of this gentleman, by
means of friend, to whom he promised
half the booty, he got himself introduc-
ed and received. The daughter of the
colonel was an awkward country girl,
with round chubby cheeks like Ruben's
cherubins, and looked particularly odd
in the hand-me-down attire of her saint
ed mother, which did not at all fit he1
and was of course not of the most fash
ionable cut. Her mind; to; was as at
tractive as her attire; she could only talk
of hens and geese: and when any other
topic come above-board; her conversation
was limited to yes, yes, or a mo, no,
all beyond this seemed to her sinfnl.
This wooden puppetwas indeed amigh.
ty contrast to the sprightly, gay, and live
ly nymphs with whom the young Britor
had, until this period, been toying: but he
carefully confined to the solitude Of hi:
own bosom the disagreeable feeling o
this heaven and earth distant difference
His fattering tongue called the girls sill
illness celestial innocence, and red, swool
len checks, he likened to the beauty o
the full-blown damask rose The end O
the song was, he turned to the father
and sued warmly for the daughter
hand.
The colonel, during his sixty years
career through the world, had collecte
this much knowledge of mankind, ths
however slyly the young man had mask
ed himself, he could, nevertheless, dis
cover the fortune-hunter peeping throug
the disguise. At first, therefore, h
thought of pcremptorily refusing hin
permission to woo bis isdaughter; but on tn
other hand, he thought the youth is fast
ionable, and perhaps, may be doing hi
injustice; he, as yet betrays no anxiety
bout the portion, and why should the CIR
who is marriageable, remain longer
home? His request shall be granted
but his apparent disinterestedness shs
stand decisive trial
The suitor was then informed that Il
father had no objections to the mate
provided that his daughter would gi,
her consent; and she poor thing, replis
as in duty bound-'My fathers will
mine Indeed could any thing else
expected?