San Andreas independent., 1857-01-17
THE FATAL KISS.
BY B. P. SHILLABER.

sisters that attended the Sunday evening
class-meeting of our church, as we called il
at the boarding house, and was an object OF
much admiration from the devout and
those who were not SO hopeful pious among
the outsiders Her amen was the sweetest,
and her singing of the hymn was the d.
yinest that could be conceived, and
always believed that her living charms did
more towards keeping our church alive,
than all the material the preacher threw
into his sermons. 1t was a silent admi-
ration, however, as the loudest never dared
approach her shrined sanctity, deeming
that she might vanish, if ever spoken to
by profane humanity.
And so the summer wore away Along
towards the fall of the yearit was observed
that young, thick-headed member of the
class, coarse and uncouth, was peculiarly
and aggravatingly sweet upon her-fxing
her cricket for her to kneel upon, finding
the place in her hymn-book, responding
when she did, and going home with her at
the close of meeting (Which latter was
considered by ourside as being directin-
reference with theirrights. Noone knew
where she lived, though she had been seen
in the vicinity of Summer street, and it
was conjectured that her home was some
where in that vicinity.
About this time [ was in company with
a party of young female friends, one of the
best looking of whom-it was strange
how my young fancy took to good-looking
females; [ never could account for it on
any other ground than that they were good
looking-[ went home with. We went on
the rule that the farthest way round was
the nearest way home, for she led me
through streets that seemed to double upon
each other in a most labyrinthine manner.
Once we thought we had got lost, and
went away back, and then we found we
had been right all the while, and walked
the streets again. There were shadows
ON the path, and must confess to the
weakness of indulging in certain labial
sacrifices as we from WEAKNESS rested be-
meath shadows that were thickest. At the
turn of every corner [ found that the ten
dency of our steps was towards Summer
street, and passing down place that led
from that aristocratic thoroughfare, as it
then was, we arrived at large stone
building, and my fair companion informed
me that this was our destination, backing
the remark by a vigorous jerk at the bell
The summons was answered speedily, and
standing in the door with her hand shading
the light that revealed her own features
while it concealed those on the outside,
was Serena Lowell, the object of the dreams
of our circle of worshippers.
| readily accepted an invitation to call,
and the next evening found me at the
stone house, where | was most cordially
received and introduced to the fair Serena,
whom | found as sensible and kind as her
appearance had indicated She was
charming girl, with the most delightful
fund of fun, and sparkled with refined
and brilliant fancies, but she was only
nursery maid Our acquaintance grew to
a pleasant intimacy brohtherly and
sisterly sentiment, such as boys and girls
may indulge in with innocence and delight,
which no one but person of impure fancy
could imagine wrong-and without the
least shadow of sin in our intercourse, the
communion was intensely agreeable and
purely Platonic. The lover made his
weekly visit on Sunday night, which I
magnanimously y gave up to him, contenting
myself with majority of the other sex.
On one of these evenings [ was making
my call, and was seated in the little back
sitting-room enjoying a delightful tete-a-
She looked charmingly. 1t was in the
warmest part Of summer, and her low
necked dress revealed roundness of beauti-
full shoulders that might have awakened
the admiration of an anchor an anchorite,
and her bright eyes sparkled with excite
ment and pleasure.
"We've had visitors, this afternoon"
said she, ga whole family of them from
New York; and such kissing time as
they made of it when they met with ours ?
Twas enough to sicken one to see it. |
don't see any propriety in women's kissing
when they meet, do your
/ assured her that it seemed to me de-
cidedly wrong; and deemed that kissing
was a performance that should be reli-
giously observed by the sexes jointly, and
suggested experiments illustrating this,
enforcing the suggestion with practical
demonstration. One such prompted an
other, until a very pleasant pantomime had
been gone through with, of the most harm
less character, decidedly proving, to our
own satisfaction, the soundness of our
opinions.
How sweetly she did look as she sat
there with the "blush On her cheek and
the smiles in her eyev' She was the
most bewitching piece of Methodism |
thought [ had ever seen, and fully under
stood Tom Moore where he sings
" Had such sweet little saint of my own," etc.,
deemed by those not versed in Platonics