The Winchester home journal. [volume] (Winchester, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1858-03-25
MARY COLE.
OR
LOVE AT THE SIDE.

For the last two summers have gone
to the seaport Of -. 1t is not a wa.
tering place, nor is it fashionable. 1t is
too pretty place for that-fashion never
having an eye for the picturesque. 1t is
quiet, old.style town, with considerable
wealth among its residents; and boasts
Of Gothic church, and two or three de.
cidedly stylish residences.
like to 60 there because there is such
calm, peaceful air about the place; ;
because the streets aye so shaded and
clean; because the people are SO intelli.
gent and agreeable; because the boating
is so good, and the roads so fine be-
cause
The fact is, | am rot telling the truth.
1t is not any Of these things at all The
real reason is, as The sagacious reader
knew at the beginning, woman--a
bright and beautiful creature--a modest
violet--a harebell--a blue forget menot
"a charming, delicate woodland blossom,
aourishing in the shade of this obscure
town, and sweetening all the air with her
fresh young presence.
1t is two years ago since | first saw the
town Of 3. A passion for new places
and quiet places, for by.ways and side
roads had seized upon me. | therefore
set out on hunt and one Saturday
evening, just at the set of sun, an old.
fashioned stage.coach set me down at a
shaded, slecpy.looking inn in the town
of -. 1t certainly had charming
look in the yellow rays of the setting sun,
and | resolved, forthwith, to remain there
over Sunday.
Fortunate resolved | shall never cease
10 bless the day which brought me to this
town.
The next day was Sunday 1t proved
cold, clustering, raw. and unSummery.
This, at first, put me out of temper, but
it proved, as the reader will see, the most
fortunate thing in the world.
went to church, and created scnsa.
ton. Nobody knew me, and strangers
were, OF all things, strange TO the town.
Besides, as Aattered myself at the time,
my metropolitan air excited attention,
and, | secretly believed, little admira.
ton. have experienced great many
sensations in my life, and am enabled to
say with confluence, that the conscious.
ness Of admiration, especially from the
fair sex-the knowledge That you are
peepcd a. over fans, 6 glunced at from
behind pocket handk crche(s, whispered
about behind open prayer books, is, of
all sensations, the most delightful man
Of my temperament can experience.
II any one is accusing me at this mo-
ment OF vanity, shall not repel the
charge. | do not say am very vain
indeed, am quite used to the charge !;
but | do most positively assert that upon
this particular Sunday and in this par
,icular church, three several times
caught the brightest pair Of blue eyes
fixed atlentvcly upon me--which blue
eyes, being caught in the act, withdrew
their gaze ii the greatest con'u"o"--an,t
if this is vanity, why make the most OF it,.
After church OF course fingered to get
a look a! the pretty girls, and pretty girls
in a pretty town arc the rule and not the
exception. There were plenty in this
town, Of that peculiarly delicate lilly
Style of beauty. half dozen Of whom
would make the reputation of any town.
stood watching the assemblose as they
slowly emerged from the church. The
wind was high. Wells were tossed hthcr
and thilher; mantillas and shawls fut-
tered in the wind; roses came TO fair
cheeks; stray curls Aoated ravIshngly
about white necks; pretty boots peepcd
out, and hoops were little unmanagea-
bic.
The congregation had nearly passed
out without the appearance, much TO my
surprise, of the blue eyes which | had
caught stealing glances at me. Disap,
pointed, turned to leave, when suddenly
an exquIsitely sweet voice uttered an ex'
clama,ion close to my shoulder. turn
ed abruptly, and found myself within
three fee. of a glorious beauty, looking
plump into the very eyes | was seeking
for. She suppressed smile when she
saw me, but she couldn't conceal the two
smiling dimpes in her cheeks, and she
began 10 intently busy herself with re.
fractory parasol, which the wind had
nearly turned inside out--the cause o.
the exclamation that had aroused me-
But all her efforts could not restore the
parasol to propriety another gust o.
wind completely reversed it, and another
whisked it out of her hand, and carried il
rushing along the green.
"Permit me-" | exclaimed, with breath
less eagerness, and without waiting tc
finish the sentence, rushed rapidly altel
the fugitive parasol. 1t was a pretty
chase. | followed ii from the churchyarc
into a garden over fence, in which
caught my coat.tail, into cabbage bee
through the cabbage bed into potato
feld-across the potato field full head