Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1857-10-24
sOPHIE,s CONFESSION.

q apase; but that intermittent class OF
AMMAN beings denominated lovers are
ssses. It does very we'll for woman
Is blush and look Austered now and
sben, when occasion makes it desirable,
:,us to soc man with his face Us red
ID a yipe cherry, and d real parcel of
et::oag .mindedncss, self-reliance, and
.nasoaine dignity, done up in broad !
seth and starchel linen, quaking from
Is toe Of his boot to the tip Of hi
oiar, his mouth awry and his tongue
lsted into commissions in the vain at
eon1p1 to say something sweet. Oh
gracious!"
So said saucy Sorhic Lynn alo;;'i TO
la;self, as she sat swimming backward:
md forwards before her window, hall
buried in the cushions Of a luxurious
arm chair, and playing with delicate
ivory fan that lay upon her lap.
4, always seems SO strange. nat :
say t:resomc," she continued, viii.
running, musical laugh, ''af,cr one has
valued and sung, quoted poetry an.
talked nonsense with anybody, till enc
i raszled to know which OF the two is
most haartless, ones self or ones COM
pan:>n, to hear him come plump down
o. the subject of lnatrimony, as though
IT,: was the legitimate result Of every
ausA insipid acquaintanceship! For
- 0art, I never had lover that |
49,. heartily sick of after he had
--5rased. There was Capt. Morris
.a,..ghs him tho handsomcst man in
:. Thnlc circle Of acquaintance, un-
t. l., vent on his knees to me-, end
z;:..a he should die if l didn't take
.,ey him. Somehow he always looked
=, fright to me ever afterwards -
1Ao> there was DR.. Wilkins-he was
zas:y agreeable, and people said very
lo.rned. was delighted with him for
me; but he spoiledit all in that Of
=. # fis-what long winded adjectives.
--a4i how the fellow blushed, and puff
81, and perspired! lie called me ain
ai,rable creature and hiccoughed in
-, midst Of adorable Horrors I'vc
,,etcstcd him ever since. Then there
Here Sophie started. She heard the
/ 2or-oell ring. With a nervous spring
sho stood before her mirror, smoothing
down her brown hair with haste truly
,o.nical.
1T won't do to seem interested"
q, said, as she took q finishing survey
Of her person in the glass, and shook
c:,., with her plump, jewelled fingers,
allo folds Of her airy muslin dress.
The moment afterwards when a SER
want entered to announce Mr.. Harry
.iasiie, she was back in her old seat
y tho window, rocking and playing
Nth her fan, apparently as unconcern-
ei and listless as though that name had
~ sen. quicker thrill to her heart, 0,
so heiraying crimson all over her pref
y face. s'Tell him will DO down
5-csen,ly," she said.
The girl disappeared, and Sophie
1,,ag open her window that the cool
resi- wind might fan away the extra
-osiness Of her complexion. Then she
sent again to the mirror, and after
composing her bright, eager happy face
ITO an expression Of occurrences, de-
descended into the parlor. 4 smile
\ broke over her features, and she reach
"a aut~-hesh hands to her guest; but,
as il suddenly recollecting herself, drew
sheIn back again, and with formal
ooT Of recognition, she passed him,
and seated herself in further c. rne1
If the room.
1t was very evident that there was
s'n.eth:ng wrong with Sophie tn t she
lad made up her mind either not to be
rieasca or not to please. Could it be
that she had foreseen what was coming
that presentiment Of that visit and
result had dictated the merry speeches
in her chamber? Be that as it may, a
haif hour had not elapsed before she
knew that Harry Ainsle's heart, hand
and fortune, (Which latter, by the way,
was nothing wonderful } were in the
same place where Capt. Norris anu
DR.. Wilkins had been before them
at her disposal.
| ''The first man that I ever heard say
! sach a thing without making fool Of
himself" muttcred Sophie emphatical-
lily from behind her fan, as she sal
flushing, and evidently grati6cd, ye1
without deigning any reply to the gal.
laat, straightforward speech in which
her lover had risked his all Of hope
tiIe ought to DO penance for the pretty
way in which he manages his tongue.
{ Hes altogether too calm to suit me. -
And Sophie shook her curly head mean
ingly holding her fan before her for a
screen-did sLo forget what she had
been saying2
Il wonder if I could snore the way
old Uncle Jones used to do in church -
she soliloquized. "Wouldn't it be fun :?
and wouldn't it plague Harry if he
thought | had been asleep while he was
talking?"
sophie's blue eyes danced With sup.
pressed mcrriment as she gave t.s, or
three heavy breathings, and followed
them up with nasal explosion worthy
of an orthodox deacon. 1t was veil
done-theatrically done and poor
Harry sprang bolt upright--surpriscd,
mortified, chagrined. Human nature
could stand it no longer, and Sophie
gave vent to her mirth in burst Of
triumphant laughter.
"Y-o-u little witch-you mischief
you spirit Of evil - exclaimed the re.
l.sved Harry, as he sprang to her side
and caught her by the arm with grip
that made her scream. "You deserve
o shaking for your behavior !' Then,