Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1856-04-16

he had been suddenly erected into Little
oracle, which was consulted by people of
all classes on all such abstruse subjects as
droughths, the 6ttest lunation for planting
vegetables and making soap, all of which
difficult problems Hans managed to solve
by purely mathematical calculations--(b bliss
ful days Of ignorance y On one occasion
in particular, by the rule of Single Posi-
ton in Dilworth' he predicted the exact
LAY, hour and minute of the appearance of
comet without tail which come true.
This greatly magnifed his fame and en-
haoced his merits iii the eyes Of the old
gentleman, Mr.. Claver, who declared that
Mr. Van Hunker was the most extraordi
nary person he had ever seen. And as
Mr.. Claver was the nabob of the nei9hbor-
hood, his opinion was the law Of the low
er classes Fortune seemed to smile upon
Hans perpetually. Alas the vanity of
castle-bmlding! In the short space of
derfuly advanced his pupils; he had given
them good idea of the dimensions, char
acteristics and peculiarites of the subluna
ry sphere and had enlightened them on va
rious suhjecls which were dark to them be-
fore. On the winged horses of magma
ton, with Pauline at his side, he had made
excursions among the stars and made sun
dry jaunts among the planets, in one of
which, he very nearly bumped his head
against the planet Saturn. and in another
had made a short acquaintance with the
man in the Moon On another occasion
they rode SO near the Great Bear that
their horses took fright at the animal, ran
away over the Celestial Plains with terrific
velocity trode upon the Scorpion, leaped
over the Lion, and ended by galloping SO
near the Sun, that Hans new homespun
vest aud coat were scorched and his new
cowskin boots were burnt to the consisten.
cy of a cracking. After this disaster,
the couple were more careful.
Since his first introduction to Miss Pau
line, Hans bad become sensitive to new
: feeling-a strange sensation which he could
not recollect to have experienced before
b Contrary to his former custom, he was fire.
r qucntly immersed in reveries and became
' addicted to fits Of musing aud star gazing,
r wherein he was as insenslble to extraneous
, impressions as if be were asleep. His one
i eye had become more visionary, and it was
additionally observed that his step was not
so elastic as it had once been, and that his
; check had become somewhat paler. Some
) how or other, q cannot tell how) the image
$ Of Pauline had become ifiseparable from
f his Imagination; insomuch that he found
: it impossible to drive her from his thoughts;
Y and her face always haunted him in his
), dreams And | believe it an unquestiona-
IL, f,nt hot w. Oc h,o
a unconsciously died off into one of the afore-
a said meSn1eric dreams, and on awaking,
|. found himself instead of delivering a
le learned pldtOnic on sines, cosines and TIM
,e gents, sentimentally descanting upon the
,e merits of golden hair, dark eyes and dim
n pied chins. Whenever Pauline entered
pt his presence, his heart futtered and beat a
ur double tattoo, and the blood coursed thro'
d. his veins with accelerated velocity and
ed if her soft, tender hand chanced to touch
n his on the atlas, something like an electric
III shock would thrill through bis whole frame
or and almost melt his heart,wires. Ofcourse,
xt Hans was not philosopher enough to ar
IS rive at the remote cause of these curiou;
Id phenomena, and ike most philosophical
nd gentlemen, left them to explain themselves
rat As regards klmira, she proved hateful
lat tease to Hans, and his sntipathy for her in
creased every day. She was continual,
IN laughing at his hump Or making fun Of hi
to nose, SO that her tutor would have gladl,
int embraced any expedient to get rid of her
,h He had tried several plans for that purpose
he bat in vain.
Ia, 1t was on delightful evening toward
a. IL ~ f,b &c A hot Do,
,es, line happened chow he could not tell) to b
sty seated i'll the lecture-room, in an antiqu
ber mahogany chair, near the window. Th
lit shades of evening had already deepene
nos into their gloomiest hue; the sun had Ion
He since descended behind the distant PIN
,ss. forests and left the world to darkness Tt
oks pale moonlight streamed in at the window
i'm fell full upon Pauline face glstening G
hat her golden ringlets and shone upon tt
ing pile of musty volumes on the floor. Pa,
his line was in musing attitude; she Icane
upon the window sill and rested her fac
re- on her hand; she was gazing out upon II
18th moonlit landscape, apparently in deep me
,out itation. Presently the sound of app,oac
SUP. ing footsteps caught her ear; she start,
NH from her reverie and looked towards Il
low door, just as Hans Van Hunker entered
suf- The lovely features of Pauline's EXPIRE,
red, i've face revealed surprise at his unexpect
eyes entrance. Hans, too, must have be
his equally surprised at finding her in the L
leas ture-room at that unusual hour; for scare
mas. ly had he crossed the threshold ere he car
into TO full stop for several seconds, duri
ump which, the huttering of his heart could
dc. distinctly heard all around the ROOM
ma He was soon disengaged, however, FRI
Iture his embarrassment, by Pauline's gen
Ians voice requesting him to be seated. II;
sters was not slow in complying with the invi
f the tion; he soon threw himself into an
tiers. arm chair few feet from Pauline, a
,nths rather agitatedly ventured a few rema
a re- on the beauty of the sight and kindred s.
Iun- ject. They both entered into conversat
aster with animation. From the mutual inv
er Of tigation of the qualities of moonshine 8
, six, the properties of starlight, by some IN
/ fair terious graduation they came to talk
as a books, authors, &c, aud descended to
lie of view of the merits of the different po
n OBJ. each had read. Pauline admired Ailt
all at and Hans Byron-both Chaucher. ?
some line was in love with RomeO-Hans v
as a Juliet At last our hero muttered
and low tone Be my Juliet, and I'll be y
elIed Romeop Miss Pauline looked at