The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1858-02-06

being seconded aud thrded by the Indies.
Now. was ever man in such fix |
was positively in love with Mrs. briggs In
love with my friends wife | had never
seen woman who came 50 near to my idea
She had all the bloom Of the country ard all
| tie grace of the city. She was intelligent,
refined, and Il had no doubt) accomplished.
Her hands, to be sure, We're rather large but
their wilderness was ravishing. And then
what neck, and what teeth Such express
sion, too. Her smile, instead Of being con
fined to her lips, reached to her very ewes /!
indeed, eye and lip. brow and cheek all con
triautcd their part to it: and when it grew
more and more animated, until at last it broke
out into clear ringing laughter, why it seemed
as if her. happy sonl, no longer able to con-
tam itself, had broken loose and flooded her
whole countcnancc
As for Miss Thorp, hardly gave her
thought. really had not noticed her enough
to know the color Of her eyes, don't lie.
Iltve looked her fair in the face once the
whole evening. The idea that she was single
perhaps free, and that possibly my friend
briggs imagined she would ado for me"
prevented my taking the least interest in her.
The only feeling had in respect to her was
that she ought 10 have been Mrs. briggs, and
that Mrs. briggs ought to have been Mrs.
Crawfi>h; and pitched into the Fates that
it was not SO. What right had briggs,
dull, Slow, unr"mantic creature to up and
marry an angelic, seaphic being like Kate
lhorp Who would dare to talk to me after
this about matches being made in Heaven?
Twice | wrote a note to my friend, pre-
tending that circumstance. circumstances
over which had no control'-- would deprive
me of The pleasure of dining with him, bat in
neither instance, had the resolution to send
it. The fact is, | was MISREPRESENTATION
Suppose second sight of Mrs. briggs should
make me love her still more should feed
my guilty passion" as the novcsts saw
But was 1t my fault loved her the ,no,nont
saw her! Didn't Diiggs probably do the
same thing Again. if am 50 made. that a
certain continuation of feature, a Certain air,
certain feminine make up, in fine. certain
style of woman, sets my heart on fire. am
to blame for it 70 all which conscience
replied, " Fool that you are, do You not know
that you love that woman only because she
is anothcr's! That if she was single and at
tainablc YOU would not perhaps deign to look
at her That, in truth, her beauty had
nothing to do with the matter, and YOU ought
to cure yourself of this terrible propensity of
coveting what is another 90 But | appeal
cd to conscience to answer me if Mrs briggs
was not the most beautiful of women? IT,
therefore, could help admiring herr If
briggs himself did not introduce me. etc g.
i'n' 1t was IF no use: the little monitor stuck
10 its text, and | stack to mine--and went
to briggs, to dinner
To tell all that passed that urtrIuuou ana
evening, would require three volume novel
briggs Shone as he never shone before, and
seemed to he the happiest man IN the world.
Why shonld he not be, asked, with such a
wifc! Af,cr coffee, we had singing. had
heard Jcnney Lind and Gris but what were
they to Mrs, briggs verify believe that
she would have sung either of them off the
stage. Miss Thorp sang also but TO be
frank, took her powers for granted, and
retired to the other parlor with Mrs briggs
And there for hours, $50 the clock said, but it
seemed Incredible, besides being improper
we talked about every imaginable subject
about the weather. the country the city,
about the opera, the fashions. the last new
novel, about poetry, and sentiment, and love
until at last, one Of my hands, without
the slightest consciousness on my part, tparole
Il honeWO had Slipped into hers, and the
other verify believe was about to clasp her
to my heart, when in came--DRIGGs My
hands were transferred to my pockers in a
second, and | shrunk from my friend as if
had been stealing his silver. ] had not
said word to his wife $50 at least she has
told me sncel which was not perfectly pro-
per; but felt as if was the blacklist
villain in the world. Judge, however, of the
state of my brain, ofmy utter bcwiderment.
when, as [ stepped to the window to hide
my cmotion-or to jump out were it neces-
sary-I overheard the lady saying to my
friend.
"My dear, what charming man Mr.
CrawIish is. How intelligent! lie has read
everything. And then how beautifully he
talks; and how allrctionate he seems. All!
if had husband like him would be per-
feclly happy"
This was terrible. I had made her discon-
ear; | seized briggs by the arm, hurried
him into the hall, owned up to him my VII
lany asked him thousand pardons, proms
cd never to cross his threshold again, and
then rushed for my hat. when, with the most
impertuabable GOODNESS, he walked between
me and the door, looked me quietly in the
face, and said:
My dear Crawfish, be calm. Come with
ter at once
Settle the matter! What fight with my
old friend briggs, the dearest friend that |
have in the world, and fight with him on his
premises Never. | own up. that have
grossly outraged you, and beg your pardon,
if necessary, on my knees. Moreover, ifyou
require it, L"
Il tell you again, my dear friend, keep cool
BY this time we were il. the garden, and
briggs forcing me INTO chair continued thus:
Now. Crawiish, be quiet and listen TO
me, while, l too, make confession. have
secret to tell you. All right !"
The words "all right "relievcd me immen-
se.y; but what manner of man was this who
could use them under such circumstances
the mistry was soon solved.
My good fellow" said briggs, in a tone
severe. but kind, "do you really fancy you
love Mrs briggs? Don't be afraid to an
swcr; tell me honestly and truely Reniem-
Der you have met her but twice, and it may,
after all. be nothing but caprice"
MY dear briggs, you are cruel. Why
torment me thus !! Have not made a clean
breast oft, and confessed all 2"
a" Then you do love her. Good believe
you. Listen, now, and hear my story. i
sympathise with you most profoundly, for l
too, cold as | appear, know what is love, and
| to tell you the truth do this moment love
love with my whole soul the lady to whom
you have hardly spoken a word this whole