The prairie news. [volume] (Okolona, Miss.) 1851-1875, 1858-04-22
OKOLONA, MISS, APRIL %, 1858.

was not so easy OF accomplishment.
Her name proved to be Mary Cole
and an exquisite cottage on the outskirts
Of the town, and near noble old forest
| soon discovered to be the casket which
held the jewel that | coveted.
How hung about the cottage! How
| surveyed it from affair." and how / stole
up to it under cover of the shrubbery,
and peercd in at its window--catching
glimpses of passing figures, which | was
always ready to declare could be only
Mary's.
And then | met her, too, in the streets,
on the green, at church--and then the
delight of lifting my hat to her-of catch
ing the down-cast look, the rising blush,
the quick smile, the sharp hitting, pierre
ing glance, that fairly impaled me through
and through, and took my breath away
why, all these were raptures only to
be experienced in a love-chase.
AT last we met to speak. 1t was away
from the town, in a forest road, hidden
among leafy trees quiet, narrow road,
with damp, overgrown turf dimly shaded
with old trees and thick underground to
its very borders-the very spot to render
meeting romantic and delightful.
She was riding, and | came upon her
around turn so suddenly, that her horse
SHE'D, and in the confusion of meeting
me, she dropped her whip.
Blessed opportunity In an instant |
secured it, and with hat in hand was bow
ing and returning it.
The horse was restive, and startled a
little by my proximity, backed into the
brushwood. / caught his bride and led
him back to the road, quieting him by a
few pats and soothing words.
"Why, Charley, Charley" said his
rider, stroking his arched neck, don't
be afraid, Charley p
l~---"C Charley y exclaimed / laughing,
ais it possible? !? My namesake-"
"Oh, sir! exclaimed she, reddening
to the very roots of her hair, &c didn't
it was quite"
Accidental, of course" said l.
i" But believe me, never was so proud
of namesake before"
Still blushing, and with her eyes bent
upon the ground, she tapped her horse
lightly, and would have ridden on, but |
was determined not to let the encounter
end so fruitlessly.
"Will you pardon me-" said |, with
an easy movement getting before her in
the road, "will you pardon me if | ask
in what direction this road will lead me :"
at enters upon the highway, sir, about
a mile beyond"
"And as charming as this all the
way ~
al think it very beautiful, sir"
II am very ignorant of your local.
ties," said /, "for | am a stranger, and
only accidentally wandered into this ex
quisite retreat about an hour ago-and /
beg your pardon, but am sure you must
ride and walk here very often, it is so
surprisingly lovely"
alt is my favorite ride, sir. But, par
don me, will you permit me to ride on"
| stepped back, and lifting my hat de-
uuSONClOd uhdi nhS
had passed by and was out of sight.
l did not, like Ferdinand in that re-
markable love story of D'lsraeli's rush
forward and kiss the sod upon which her
horse stood, but have no donbt that
indulged in antics equally extravagant-
and let me say, that lover without ex-
travagance must be an absolute icicle, a
bit of Arctic frigidity, congealed from
the tips of his fingers to the core of his
heart.
From that moment my time was either
spent in this secluded path, or in hover
ing about the cottage | met her a num-
Der of times, but never with an opp0rtu
nifty to more than utter a passing saluta-
ton. But still | felt that my cause was
for detected that in her
manner which no ordinary sensation at
meeting stranger would have caused.
She took too much pains to avoid me
was always, when | approached, too much
absorbed in a flower or book, and alto
gether was at too much pains to keep her
bonnet drawn, to be acting with simple
And l therefore grew more demonstra-
tive. | left flowers every morning upon
her doorstep, and saw them sometimes
worn in her bosom. / watched her once
gathering and admiring some mosses.-
The next day | left at the cottage a
most beautiful collection, (which cost me
full three hours labor, prettily garnished
with some shells from the beach.
| ventured from flowers to fruit, and
every day some ragged urchin, picked up
on the road at the cost of penny, would
steal up to the cottage and leave on the
doorstep a splendid cluster of grapes,
or moss-set basket Of fruit.
We were now fairly into September,
and went out frequently after partridg-
es, and such game as the surrounding