The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1857-06-26
Srlnt storn.
An Awkward prcdicamhn

= =
An Awkward Prcdica meat.
! was once engaged to be MARI
cd, (how | went so far as that is
mystery to mo still, } but an incidan
'oi SO irigltful a character took plac
as TO put the matter entirely ont @
the question. Twas a young under
graduate, spending the summer viii
rcading party at the Irish lakes
when \ mg witli--with Lucy, ant
got, in short, to DC accepted. She wa,
residing with her mother, in the same
hotel, in Killarney. as ourselves, and
we all met every day. We boatet
.on the lake to1cthnr. 81 s...Hcu
aind sang aud read. We landed oil
ahc wooded islands in Tie solt saM
mer evenings, to take our tea in the
yipsy fashion, AMI te sketch but the
and | mostly whispered-not about
love at all, as remember but Of the
~Seathcr AMI the rubic only itsccm-
I'd so sweet to sink our voices and
speak low and soft.
Oncc, in u party over the moors,
while was leading her pony over
ahc bossy groud, | caught her hand
by mistake instead Other bride, and
shc did not snatch it away. 1t wac
the lcyday and the prime ol my life,
any friend. and that youth of the
spirit which no power can ever more
renew. | knew what she had felt,
and what would please her, rs soon
ahc feeling and the wish themselves
were born. Our thousht-my 'thot
ut !cast-''lcapcd out to wed with
Thought, ere thought would wed it.
self with speech" She took fan.
.cy to II huge mastiiT dog belonging
10 a fisherman and bought it iol
her at once, although it was terribly
savage, (except ior I.ucy's liking IN
not either good or beautiful. ltS
name. also--the only one it wou,d
answer to, and sometimes it would
not ut that-was Towser, nota name
for n laiy's pet at all, and scarcely
dor gcntlcman's. There was lit
tic secluded field hedged in by cop
picc, which sloped into tho lake,
about mile from the hotel, and
nhcrc Lucy agreed, for the first time
to meet me alone. was to bc there
before breakfast, at six o'clock in the
morning, and You may be sure
wus there at six-with Towscr. -
Perhaps was never happier than al
that particular time. The univer
sal nature seemed in harmony will
my blissiul feelings. The snn shone
out brigh, and clear, so that til,
fresh ,norning:bre could scarce
ly cool the pleasant throbbing o
my blood but the blue ripping ot
the lake looked inexpressibly tempt
lug, and could not resist swim
Just plunge and out again, 'thot
fer though had plenty of time to
spare, determined to be dressed and
ready Tor tho interview an hour al
least before the appointed time
Lucy might, like myself be a little
cartier and at all events, with sucl
an awful consequence in apprehen
sion, i would run the shadow Of q
risk. "Mind my clothes, mind them,
said / to 'Towser, (who took hi
seat thereon at once, sagaciously
enough,) for had heard OF suci
things as clothes being stolen from
unconscious dippers before them
with results not thought Of, and in
went, / remember the' delight o
that bath oven to this day the glow
the freshness the luxurious; softnes
of each particular wave, Just az tn
last view his eye rested on, is paint
ed on the memory Of one who ha
been stricken blind, Or the last hear
meaody is treasured in that of a mai
stunned deaf by fall ; it was m,
last perfect pleasure, and cucceede'
by shock that ] shall never, think
quite get over.
When | had bathed as long as
Judged to be prudent, l landed an
advanced toward the spot wher
my garments and Tewscr lay (; as
did SO, every individual hair. upo
his back seemed to bristle with fury
his eyes kipdled like Goals OF fire
;he gave me notice by o low, deter
mined g-owl that he void spring uI
,on me and tear me into Fragments If
approached nearer it was evider
that he did not recognize me, in til
least, without any clothes. "Toy
TS@ITow ,"ssid ], pleasantly, ,"goo
old Tow, you remember me hut til
brute, like the friend whom we hay
knowhin BettcQ days, and appeal
when in Indifferent appar9 on
shook his head in a men aciIk snsl
ner, and showed his teeth 10 NOR
"Towser, be quiet, sir, ho< dare "