The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1857-06-13


left to tell Of the vanished loveliness.-
More evanescent than the work Of your
pencil, oh! Jack Frost, is the picture
which my fancy paints for NE tonight.
Yours have lasted these four-and-twenty
hours; mine viii fade with the paling
light of yonder sky, paling even now
Nay, the glow of the anthracite is ruddier
than the glow of the heavens, and then
I viii read stories of the olden time. So
l loose the curtain from its fastenings.-
The heavy silken folds sweep rastlingly
to the floor, shutting out from me the
darkening sky, the throbbing stars, and
the skill of Frost, the artist. 70 the
broad arms of my beloved library chair,
opened so inyitinglv-s SO beneyolentlv, to
receive me, / betake myself, thinking,
thinking, thinking of my lovers.
Not for 'sthe wealth Of Ormus or of
Ind" would lisp to Mrs. Brown or Mrs.
White, that William Green had Offered
himself" to me; but is it wicked, is it
treacherous, oh! kindly and sympathising
world, for me to think aloud to you
You surely will not betray my confidence.
You will not acuse me of Boosting my
conquests, if, in this affecdonate tete-a-tete,
wax confidential and rena5nisce, half to
myself and half to you. / know that
Mrs. Brown and Mrs. White aforesaid
think it an objectionable sin to disclose
eaffairs of the heart" and sometimes
they are right. It is often but the tri-
unph of vulgar mind.
My aunt Hetty even goes so far
as to say that there is never any necessity
for refusing offers-that a clear-headed
and .true-hearted woman can always fore
see the evil, and hide herself. Perhaps
some women can, but it is equally certain
that some Others cannot. Moreover, it is
occasionlly a positive duty, not only to
lead man to make an offer, but to dis
close the act after it is committed. There
are men who seem to look upon women
very much as they would upon flock of
turkeys, just before Thanksgiving. Their
only business is to ''pick and choose. -
The gay Lothario skips from Fanny to
Susey, from Susey to Bessy, from Bessy
to Jenny, sucking all the honey out Of
their foolish little hearts; and when the
innocent things grow pale and sad, he
wonders that girls will always so in earnest,
and, gracefully raising his lorgnette, he
gracefully skips to you, the fascinating
creature! Now, you happen to be a
trifie too susceptible, and a trife more
spirited than the others. You don't care
a farthing for him; he sees it, and so lie
is piqued to make you care. The game
goes on, played skillfuliv, but it is only o
$780, - .,..4 -
better, knowing they are but cards. He
has more ct stake than you, consequently
is more nervous, and begins to lose the
ground. Your stronger will and stouter
heart at length gain the victory. He
makes an unconditional surrender. He
is desperately in love. But, do not mis-
take. 1t is only selfish and fnical love.
You are bright and happy, and gloriously
Indifferent, and he wants to pluck the jew
ell, and wear it in his crown--that is all.
When he lays his dainty heart before
you, and you reject the gift, his mortifica-
ton and chargrin are infinite, but there
is no blight cast on his life; you know it,
and anon make known your victory. To
be sure you do. That was what you had
in view all the while. Your chief object
was to avenge the Bessies and Susies,
and give him one salutary lesson, at least.
But, alas! for you, ten to one, he gets
the sympathy, and you the blame and
name of coquette. Never mind. You
are strong enough to bear it; and as for
him, he is in no danger Of immediate dis
solution. Nothing is wounded but his
selflove, and that not MORALLY. 1t will
be In full bloom again tomorrow.
Even where there is no preconcerted
plan of action, vain offers will sometimes
be made you. True, there are some who
are always on thescent for them, and cal
detect one in its most incipient stages; but
it seems to me, that if a woman goes into
society with her heart open, considers ano
treats all men as brothers, is frank, natu
raj, and trusting, self forgetful, aud for
getful also of the ubiquitous Mrs. Grundy
she will occasionally stumble upon an ottel
in corner where it was least expected
This is unfortunate; but surely less an
evil than would be an uuceasing watch
upon words and actions, lest the germ O
rash proposals be hidden rnder an limo
cent appearing satin waisteoat, or lurking
amid Tie spotless folds Of White cravaL
| Besides, how can q man or woman tel
whether they love each other or not, til
they have tried; and how can they try
without some degree of intimacy; and
how can fallible mortals always adjust this
intimacy so that it shall exactly balance
Circumstances over which we have nc
more control than the disinterested Mr.
Guppy, are constantly weaving around
us; and before we can open our eyes, o.
sect out of the gangway," pop! comes
the question, ike a clap OF thunder from
clear sky, just as unexpected to tht
pepper as to the poppee. All such IN
structions as may be represented by 8
maxim which l know to have been IN
eulcated upon at least one young lady,
'.Never let gentleman know that you
consider his company an honor" seem to
me to be founded upon a wrong princt
pie, and tolead towrong course of action
desire to speak modestly, and to be
open to conviction; but if mans
mind, attainments, and character, are
such, thatit is an honor to be IN his com.
pany. why seek to conceal it from him
/ do not say, why not let him know 1t
But, rather, take no thought whatever
about it. Let him know it, or not know
it, precisely as good taste would indicate