Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1856-09-06


backs OF two ohairs, and two glorious Havanas
sleystsd from orr lips, looking AROUND through
the cloud Of smoke, espied the evening paper
lying on the table, which Tom, in his usual quiet
manner, had deposited there without in the least
disturbing our dreamy cogitations. l picked it
up, and began languidly to doze over its columns,
which. Old bachelor like, felt quite enough in
terest in TO read aloud to my companions
ssTAKE THE Lor.--The young ladies of Aurora,
Illinois, have resolved that IL they didn't get
ried this year-leap year-somebody will be to
blame, the senior class in Williams College, have
sent q communication to the Aurora paper, offer
ing 70 take the lot. They say that now, having
been four years under college discipline, exiled
from almost all intercourse with the fac SMILES
of Adams rib, we think with Shakespeare, that
there is TIED in the affairs of men, and that
the time for that KNOT has come to us.''
No sooner had l finished, than Albert, with
merry chnckle-nobody else can chuckle like him
when he chuckles, be chuckles all over-tapped
me on the shoulder, and exclaimed:
sBy Jupiter! Seth, thereby hangs q tale!'
sAh, ha - said l.
sWould you like to hear it?'
sOf course, if there is any END to it, and any
POINT to the end.'
Well, there are both according to my way of
thinking. Anyhow, with permission, I'll tell the
yarn. OF course you know where Aurora is
lies Just below Geneva, on the Fox River, and is
in Kane county. Whether the county was named
after or for the North Pole Kane, and the town
called Aurora because the Aurora Bo-ealis shines
brighter at said Pole than anywhere else, is a
question that some nomenclators may discuss;
but one little item you may bet your life on, they
raise the prettiest girls there that ever made .
fellows mouth water
How do you know %
tHow do 1 know? Wasn't at Geneva this
last Winter one whole month on business and
was not out at Aurora every other day, to see
our old friend, Jack Spaulding, who has Just
hung out his single there, and gone into the
practice of the law-or, rather, intends to, when
he gets q case? OF course was and as Jack
is death among the women, he toted me all around.
All, Seth, you ought to go to Aurora-you
ought al aso
But the tale.' .a
sWhy, you see, one afternoon, when it was Just
cold enough out of doors to make it comfortable
by Jacks old Franklin, while he was doing away
over-sonebody, forgot who, no matter-on
Contracts, and engaged in my usual occupation,
reading Dickens, and smoking, suddenly there
came a tapping, as of some one gently rapping at
the Office door, Jack, while visions Of fair
client who wanted to get divorce or get rid of
tes!y guardian, filed his mind, cried, come in p
and in walked two special constables of Cupid
'One was noble looking girl--eyes as dark as
the future to q fellow who doesn't know where
his next meal is coming from, and cheeks deep
| ly red as a Cambridge professor. All, Seth, she
was perfect Goddess; the other-well, won't
say anything about the other, for she hasn't much
to do with my story
sBut how came they there?'
sWhy, up the stairs and through the door to be
sure but their object?
sYes--their object?
why, that was to invite us-yes, Jack and me,
n n laan -hol1- III
that
sYouo
Yes, me; and she of the black eyes, too, was
the identical one who would be very happy to
have the company on little sleigh ride to Gene
va, to wind up with little warm flip, hop at
IS, and a slide home by star light
.Did you go?'
Besides it isn't every day man gets such an Of
fer. Ats, P. NJ, we started-one of the merri-
est crews that ever went anywhere; thirty single
sleighs-they do not 60 in for your great double
arks there With a hip and a hurrah, off we speed,
end over the road we skinned, like comet dash
ing along the milky way. The girls were excel
lent whips. and my black-eyed Kate was sGenesee
Mills, extra super6ne.' She had selected her
steed with admirable taste
sAs well as her beau
'Get out His neck arched like the Thames
Tunnel, and his broad breast marked his noble
strength, while his slender legs told you volumes
for his swiftness which were backed up BY the
very example. We went by them alive did
and Kate led the procession, prouder, dare say,
than any julius ever was of any Roman triumph
what did you talk Of on the road %
1Of the weather, the delightful sleighing, the
differences in horses, &c. After supper came the
hOp-well, now it was o hop---n0ne of your
tame parlor dances, through which the parties
60 with the same regular precision that two old
chess players move, who have played draw games
for over half a century---no, sir! 1t was a reg
any further, you must do it yourself. words can't
express it---it was faction, action, sublime god
like action'---that's what it was. But, like every
thing else it had an end; and we were off on the
road again. s2gt.in NsS1ii ail
And here must confess that had been some
what coauettish during the evening, and had,
with no little satisfaction, seen those black eyes
still on me wherever moved, with whomsoeverI
danced. and on whOmsoever l smiled. Was l
wrong to enjoy it? How often had been served
the same way. And when it came to 60, of
course, couldn't find my over coat, and INV hat
was missing; so called to my aid half dozen
m sses, who sort Of half hunted for them and
half not, and under the shawl of one of whom
at last discovered the one, and under that of an
other the other-Kate all the while standing by,
and looking as demure as have done a thousand
times under similar circumstance. And then L
got into the wrong sleigh, of course, by acci-
dent, as you will, no doubt, when tell you 1
slapped the naughty girl who kissed me for being
where my room was better than my company, as
she laughingly said. Kate, meanwhile, quietly
standing with the ribbons in one hand, and ready
with the other to help men in.
But, as l said before, at last we were on tho
road again but what change had come over
the spirit of Kate On her way up, she was all
talk, mirth and FIRE; now she was all silence, abb
straction and gentleness. Her very steed caught
her sentiments, and, although he started off ahead,
the acknowledged leader Of the party, half mile
him, and far gone out OF sight. e..,.ss
On we went, upon slow trot, the reins swing
ing as loosely as clothes-li in gale of wind;
at last they dropped entirely from the hands Of
Kate, and hung trembling over the dashes. And
now, half asleep, half bewildered, l felt gentle
arm crawling stealthily around my waist, while
my hand was clasped BY tapering fingers, whose
pressure grew every moment more perceptible
and tsen came the gentle weight of glorious curls
upon my breast, and upturned eyes of strangest
beauty met my perplexed gaze. where was 2
Was it o dreain9 Or was suddenly bereft Of
reason? VAST Q voice heard pronounce, with
tremulous tone. yet strolg accent,
sAlbert, do you love re p
1t must have been a dream. To be sure. INV
hand was clssped in hers---her little arm was
around me---her eyes right opposite to mine---
but then she didn't speak. that was all nv inn
agination, and 20 made no answer, but merely
drew long breath, as one viii, you know, when
weary OF load lying upon his breast. The arm
was ciasped still tighter around me---mv hand
was fast growing beautifully less in width, and
more in length beneath its warm embrace
Rates black eyes were fast growing. blacker and