Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1857-04-23
In Lore or Not IN Love?

In Love or Not IN Love?
We seldom copy love, stories-not bn
! that we CONSIDER well-written ones intense
ly interesting, though the majority of ther
are SO lscksdsisical as TO try the patience
but that is nor the fault with the following
question, which embodies the incident an
catastrophe of,a novel, done up homeopath
icslly:
"The amount of it is,' said handsom,
Harry Harvey TO mis- friend, Tom Rawlins
at the end of = long and confidential con
versa.on. "the amount of it is, lin in Con
founded scrapeS Five gone little too lar
perhaps, in my attentions; the girls ovel
head and ears 10 love with me, and | dom
see how I'm 4 get ont Of it with honor.
don't Ike tho assbsoken hearts. and all
that sort OF thing; but what is fellow to
do! I've no more thought of marrying than
I have of turning preacher. Come, give
US your advice, old fellow"
Tom eyed his friend with merry twinkle
in his eye. A sagacious and mischievous
smile played around the coroer of his mouth,
as he replied, Nothing easier in life, Har-
ry, than TO get out of the 'scrape.' as you
ca u it. if you want to do So"
"How-how" asked Harvey, eagerly.
"You say she's handsome, witty, amiable
and accomplishedp said Tom.
"Yes," returned Harvey.
"Well, then," said Tom, knocking the
ashes from his cigar, "she's just the wife l
want. snd I'll take her off your hands,"
"Absurd!" cried Harvey, trying to turn
into pleasant smile the irovn which sud-
denly darkened his face. "Impossible,
Toni" he continued, amiably; sit would
never do. In the first place, you would not
suit each other in the least; there would be
no congeniality Of disposition, intellect,
etc."
"Is she, then, so decidedly my inferiori"
asked Tom.
"Inferior!" cried Harvey. firing up with
sudden indigr alton. 81 don't know the man
she is inferior I'd. She's beautiful crea-
ture. tell you y
"Well, where's your objection, then!"
said Tom
"Well, l mean;-perhaps Pm not very
civil to say so, Tom-bul the :acl is, though
you're the best fellow in the world, you're
sometimes little rough; and she's 20 SEN
siiive aid refined, hat-thLt--bes 'des, as |
tod you, Tone nfuund it--so told you,
she's in love with me, there's the rub. there's
the rub," and Harvey rubbed his hands to-
gether with returning spirit, as if he had
hit the idea he had been vainly seeking at
last.
"Thank you. Harvey. for your compli-
mentary hlnts," said Tom, as he watched
the ascend ny sui"ke OF b cigar; "but, on
the whole, Notwithstanding m, extreme nat
ural d III en"e, believe cont lake quite
90 low an estimate OF my character as you
d.. And. az regards the being so desper-
ate,y in 1--we, and all that know how
much hat means. Trust me for m naging
that For curing girl of fancy for one
lover, there's nothing like the appearance of
another. Why, if the odds were equal in
other respects, the novelty gives the last
COnci SuCu all hidl
there is no doubt of his success. Besides,
in this Ease We shall have the advantage of
piayig into each otner's hands. You have
UnIy to hold IF little at fist to give me
a chance. You play cold whi.e play warm.
and III brt you box of cigars win the
day 'as easv as kis>ing,' as he ladies' say"
IL think you are entirely mistaken" said
Harvey, s;iffiy, in. to.e OF pique and an
noyance.
"Well, shall l try! aye or nayr" asked
Tom.
"Oh, certainly, certainly, I should be
much obliged, OF course" replied Harvey.
whose manner presented the greatest con-
trast to his air OF >bos,iiul security at the
beg inning Of the conversation.
That same eveaihg Tom accompanied
Harvey to Miss Norhwood's house. He
found her all, and more than all, Harvey
had described. He was indeed charmed
with her grace and beauty.
The conversation, after the first prelimi-
nary commonplaces. fell on works of art,
and the wondrous galleries Of Esrope. Tom
had been an extensive and intelligent trav-
eller, and was in his element on this SUBJ
ject. He had much OF interest to say, and
found much pleasure in answering Miss
Northwood' discrimin ating questions. Har-
vey, who had never travelled, was OF neces-
sity silent, and thrown quite into the shade.
From this subject the transition was easy
and natural to music; and here, too, Tom
was at home. In fact, music was his strong
point. He was an accomplished musician,
with all a musicians enthusiasm for the
art. Soon he and Miss Nortl,wcod were
settled at the piano, singing, humm ng
snatches OF airs, admirng, comparing tastes,
and ecstacsing as enthusiastic lovers OF
music will.
"Do you know this little air!" asked
Tom. 81 learuedit at Venice; and it is,
think, exceedingly Beautiful. 1t seems to
carry with it perfume Of Italian flowers.
and the sound of rppling, moon-lit waters"
"Fudge!' mutlered Harvey, from the dis
,ant sofa to which he had retired, from be-
hind the book he was pretending to read.
Then followed the air Tom had referred
to, winch he sung in exquisite taste with
the richest of manly voices. Miss North
wood greatly admired it, ana expressed what
she ielt.
"Coquelt, !" sn,ered Harvey, in an ac-
cent Oi co centratsd rage.
But, all IN, onsciuus of u ese muttered
cuH.Cients, the musicians fingered over their
mu ic. One favorite air suggested another,
aud there were scores to be looked over, and
Cuers to be sung. Aud Tom had 50 mHny
anecdotes tu tell of such and such musicians,
and such delightful little histories OF how
su, h ani such pieces OF music came to be
written, lh.t lime fe, Oh swift and nolsr-
les pin.eas.
Miss North ood's eyss occasionally went
in search OF Harvey, but whenever she ad-
dressed remark TO lin, with view of
drawing him iutothe conversation. he re-
pied with such uncourteous brevity, that