Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1857-02-07

aud leave it TO the undisputeu sovereignty oi
feminine beauty.
The blindness incidental to my passion,
aud the young lady's uniform kindness, led
me to believe the possibility OF her becoming
my vile was by no means so remote us ut first
1t had appeared to be; and, having spent
several sleepless nights in examining the
subject on all sides, ] determined to make
her an offer of my hand. and to bear the
result. pro or con, with all due philosophy
For more than week was disappointed in
an opportunity of speaking alone with my
adored. notwithstanding had frequently left
the dinner table prematurely with that view,
aud several times excused myself from ex-
cursions which had been planned Tor my
especial amusement.
AT length the favorable moment seemed
to be at hand. A charity sermon was To be
preached by the bishop. for the benefit OF a
Sunday school, and as MIR. Merton was
church warden, aud destined 10 hold one OF
the plates, il became imperative on his inmi-
y to be present on the occasion. j, of
course, proilered my services, and it was ar
ranged that we should set of early next
morning, to secure good seats in the centre
aisle. ] could hardly close my eyes that
night for thinking how i should pop the
question :" and when did get short
sIumber, was walked on u sudden by some one
starting behind hedge, just as l was dis
closing the soft secret Sometimes, when |
had ianced myself sitting by the lovely
Mary, in a bower of jasmine and roses, and
had just concluded beautiful rhapsody
about loves and doves, myrtles and turtles,
raised my blushing head. and found myself
tete-a.tete with her papa. AT another moment
she would slip pink, hot-pressed biliet.donx
into my hand, which, when ] unlulded 1t,
would turn out to be challenge irom some
favored lover. desiring the satisfaction of
meeting me at halEpast six in the morning,
and so forth, and concluding as usual. with an
indirect allusion to hursewhp. Morning
dreams. they say, always come true. 1t is d
gross ralsehood mine never come true. But
had pleasant vision that morning. aud.
recollecting the gossip's tale, lundly hoped
it would be verified Methought | had
ventured to pop the question" to my Dulci-
nea, aud was accepted jumped out Of bed
in u tremor-"Yes." cried, u uiH pop the
question Ere this night.cap again envelope
this unhappy head the trial shall be made"
And shaved, and brushed my hair over the
bald place on my crown, and tied my cravat
with unprecedented care, and made my ap-
pearance in the breakfast parlor just as the
servant maid had begun 10 dust the chairs
and tables.
Poor servant t-maid ! exclaimed to myself
for felt very Sterneish-was 1t ever thy
lot to have the question popped into thy
sophisticated ear? Mayhap, even now, as
thou busiest the mahogany chairs and rub
best down the legs of the rosewood tables,
pangs Of uurequited affection agi,ate thy
tender bosom. or doubts of a lovers Iulth nre
preying upon thy maiden heart 1 can fancy
thee, fair domestic, standing in that neat
dress thou weaiest now, gown oi dark blue
with a little white sprig. an apron OF criss-
cross. (housemaids wore not above checked
aprons in those days,) and black cotton
stockings-that identical dusier, perhaps,
waving in thy rubby hand: can fancy thee,
thus standing, sweep help, with thy lover at
thy feet. he all hope and protestation. thou
all fear and hesita,on his face glowing with
affection, thine sufiused with bushes his
eyes beaming with smiles, thine gushing with
tears-lov- tears--that fall, drop, drop,
slowly at first like the first drops of a thun-
der storm, increasing in their flow. even as
that storm increaseih, till, finding it 10
longer possible to dissemble thy weeping.
thou raisest the duster to thy cheeks aud
smearest them with its pulverized impurities.
But Love knows best how to bring about his
1,
silly as it may seem, has more quickly ma
tured the project than hours of sentiment
could have done for the begrmmed oouute-
nance Of tie maiden sets both the lovers TO
laughing she is anxious TO run away, to
wash the filthy witness" from her lace he
will not suffer her to depart without a prom
ise-a word of hope; she laters forth the
soft syllable, and the terrible task Of popping
the question is over.
Breakfast time at length arrived But
shall pass over the blunders committed du-
ring its progress how ! salted Mary Roses
muffin instead Of my own, poured the cream
into the sugar basin, and took bite at the
teapot lid "Pop the question" haunted me
continually and feared to speak even on
the most ordinary topics, lest | should in
some way betray myself. Pop-pop-pCP!
everything seemed to go off with pop and
when at length Mr.. Merton limited to Mary
and her mother that it was time for them 10
pop on their bOnnets. i thought he laid
particular stress on the hOrrid monosyable,
and almost expected him to accuse me Of
some siulster design upon his daughter. 1t
passed off, however. and we set out for the
church. Mary Rose leaned upon my arm,
and complained how dull was. !, of course,
protested against it, and tried to rally.-Ni-
vacity, indeed, was one of my characteristics,
and was Just beginning to make myself agree
able, when a little urchiu, in the thick gloom
of dark entry, left of pop-gun close to my
ear. Tie sound, simple as ii may seem, made
me start as if ghost had stood before me
and when Mary observed that 1 was "yery
nervous this morning" felt us if could
have throtted the lad, and inwardly cursed
the inventor Of pop-guns, and doomed him
to the lowest pit of Acheron.
l strove against my fate, however, and
made several observations. Look" cried
Mary Rose, as we gained the endof thestreet,
what beautiful chlldw w
| turned my head to the window, when
the iiIst object that met my eyes MAS squai e
| blue paper, edged with yellow on which was
written IN too leg BILE characters, "PoP| l
believe was surprised into an exclamation
stronger than the OCCASION would seem TO
warrant, aud the poor child came in for y
share of my anathema. ] didn't intend it,
however am very ford Of children but it
served Mary Rose TO scOld me about ill WI
came to the church door, and, il possible, be-
| wldered me more than ever We had now
arrived in the middle aisle, when my fan
COM anion whispered to me, My dear Mr.
won't you take off your hatT This
a.