Litchfield enquirer., 1857-09-17

singular glltterlng ring which she wore roun her white neck. l could not conceive how thi beautiful girl could happen upon such ar cd, necklace.
 Oken took her seat at the table The con Versation became very lively. It turned upol natural history. Ernestne spoke with anima : tion her dark eye beamed most brilliantly To ingratiate myself with her, pretende( to feel great interest in her favorte science although l had never given it any attention Father Junghauel was quite happy. The goo( man looked at us as if everything were settled between us. Wine and love overpower me with equal facility.
 l Oken was speaking of the amphibious at,i malS and mentioning some of the latest dis coyeries made by naturasts ; but troubled myself little with the learned lecture, and look. ed only at the beautiful mouth, which spoke SC fuently, and at the beautiful eyes, which spar kled so brightly. Suddenly most singular object was dancing directly under my nose. l stared at it with all my eyes, and had nearly fallen backwards, chair and all, in my fright. Merciful Heaven, there was a real, live snake, stretching out to me its horrible head and wicked tongue!
 Here you have very fue specimen ot the" Ernestine named a Latin Danc
 was beside myself From my childhood had an extraordinary respect for snakes. With horror ] remarked that Ernestine had taken off her necklace, and was holding it towards l me.
 1 Afraid of snakes !" laughed Oxen, "and yet interested ill natural history? That is not i possible !"
 | With this, the cursed snakes head, with its torked tongue, persecuted me like fend The terrible maiden seemed to feed upon my ago. ny. She held the monster right at my face.
 II pray you for Gods sake p cried con- turing, :" free me from thls horrible sight"
 l see nothing horrible" she returned very quietly just look how gracefully it moves v ! Again the snakes head danced directly un- der my nose. Ernestine followed with the snake
 "I can't undcrstand,' now began her father very coo'Iy, "why people have such an aver sion to snakes"
 The al :" cried I, continually drawing back before the pursuing mouster :" 1 can't endure the beasts ' "Away v said Erncstine angrily you are no genuine naturalist And with that she slapped me in the face with the snake, so that ""'o'uV' " tiiSU oul Nill lliSHl, dIu Cllel she wound the animal like {. chain round her beautiful swall-like neck l had had enough now of the Counsellor's third daughter He had seen my annoyance, and had repeatedly bidden Ernestine to desist from her cruel play, but the maiden seemed possessed by the devil, and she tortured me so that the precipitation dropped from my fore head
 The deuce take you all three .' said I to myself as wiped the precipitation from my forehead with my pockct-handkercl1ief "'You won't see me here again very soon. Tomorrow I'll be of, and say goodby to this house. where no man, no wooer, least of fall can s+aEd | it."
 Oken, after she had settled it, that no scicn- l tific conquest could be made of me- followed the way of her sisters, and treated me with marked contempt, quite en Jngatele. My Sprouting love could not have been more eifec- tually withered
 Junghaucl remarked, not without dissats- ! faction, the change in the behaviour of his daughter. He appeared almost to blame me for it.
 "I could not have believed" said he that you ould have been so disturbed by little, harmless snake"
 He is frightened, isn't he 2" said Ernes- tine, with smile we are a different sort of people,
 One cannot help his nature,' said l, sul- lcnly;
 Nature !" exclaimed she, "what do you know of nature ? Pray, never mention the word"
 She grew positively uncivl. I was filled with resentment, and was about to answer the unteminine maiden somewhat tartly, when she made suspicious movement of her hald to- wards her live amulet. l swallowed my re- tort, and resolved upon retreat.
 Suppose" said the Counsellor as he push ed back his chair, suppose we should smoke a cigar ?'
 The proposal was by no means disagreeahe to me. A burning cigar in my mouth might afford me some protection against the African reptile. l meant to smoke so furiously, that ErneStlne and her amulet might be suffocated together.
 " But you know, dear father" exclaimed the maiden, Blb cannot bear tobacco smoke car you, Bibi 2"
 " You are right my daughter" replied the Counsellor Il forgot it y and turning to me, he added, Excuse me, my dear sir, but the graceful little animal really cannot bea1 tob acco smoke"
 Aud so for tue sake of the graceful little an imal, l had to renounce my habit of smoking after tea.
 Like her sisters, Ernestine still continued t, torment me. l was not for moment fret , from the fear of the horrible Bibi. If this naturalist" thought I to myself would only be off and go to the al wit g her snake 1" But friend Oxen had no idea 0 going. suppose she wished to compensat
 me for her long absence. For two everlasting hours had to suffer t so long the soiree lasted. could not take an
 pleasure iu the beautiful eyes of Ernestlne, fo t' my eyes were fastened OH the snake was