The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-11-02

By ONE OF THE SMITH FAMILY
My name is Smith-John Smith. ] am
sixty years of age next birth day, and unmar.
ried. i have been in love, .hnwever-hope-
Iessly in Iove-and yet am a bachelor Why
| am so have now to tell.
During my young days i had DO time to
think, of the other sex. determinedI would
make my fortune first and see about wife
afterwards worked and strove-accumus
lated and deried myself. .fhe, harmless pleasures
that cost money, and yet did not get rich as
fast as I7ezpected, ,andcI had reached forty
years of age before I felt justified in looking
about me fer q wife. 4 ~ y = ~
When that time came I set about my task
earnestly. am a business man and always
go to work Systematically. In the first place
I looked all through my acquaintances and
friends. They were not numerous and soon
found there was no young ladies among Them
that would suit me- 40 ~ -.=s s,.Fs-rfzlil
Then tried the boarding house scheme, BY
which, mean, / advertised for board-and
answered all replies 10 person. Whenever I
saw any young girls in the house, there took
board--but none of them would suit me. At
last received an answer to an advertisement
from a widow lady with one daughter. J
called at the house and was ushered into an
elegantly furnished parlor where young lady
was seated playing on piano. In spite of
iShakespeare's denunciation OF the man who
has no music in bis soul L never had any in
mine. don't know Yankee Doodle from Old
Hundred-and yet, strange to say, the music
sounded pretty as it tinkled from her fingers.
She did not hear me enter, so; she continued
to play. listened for some minutes andthe
[eoughed gently. Shezturned her head, and
with blush rose from her seat. think I
had;neyer seen so beautiful girl before, She
was not more than eighteen years old-tall
and graceful-her for m beautifully rounded
dark auburn hair hung in ma tural ringlets over
swan like neck. In short, the moment I
saw her, performed the. imaginary panto-
mime of slapping my trowsers pocket and ex.
claiming mentally, Here's girl for my mon
ley .=-. -,
Did you want to see my mother 2 asked
/ the lovely creature in a musical voice, q
Have 1 the pleasure of speaking to Miss
Clarkson p asked. '' .ass syr
Yes sir -5ez5is 5i1i &.,ss. =. a...i ls
1or'I have called, madam, in reference to
note l received-I believe from your mother
lt-stating that you wished to take single
Il I'm tch hoard xvitI, Sorf
Yes sir I will call my mother =,
Aud the fairy bonded ont of the ROOM
In minute or two afterward the mother en-.
tered the room. If the daughter was pretty,
the widow was decidedly ugly, She was past
forty, thin scraggy, wore false teeth and false
hair. When looked at her felt almost
a tempted to leave the house-but then gazed
|, at the daughter, and the next day / took up
my abode under the roof of widow Clarkson.
Il soon felt qaite at home, and determined
to make myself as agreeable as possible. I
was polite to the mother, tender to the daugh-
J ter, and evidently pleased the old woman, for
: ate but little. Our evenings were very pleas
, ANITA young friend of the family used occa.
! sionally to drop in, and we played whist. The
young man was cousin of the family-a
rather pleasant young fellow, and the time
y vpassed very agreeably away. 1.s e e..f .a.a
II In the meantime prosecuted my suit earn,
II estly.a 1 have always held it as an axiom
. that If you want to succeed with the young
j. branches of family, you must pay attention
Ito the head ; there is nothing like procuring
!. friend out of COURT This plan ! followed
was. very polite to Mrs. Clarkson waited
: on her at. the table Isescorted her tothe the
d ater and opera, and read to her Cobb's last
n got on finely. / soon saw that she was very
: partial to me. 10 the meantime. I did moi
e neglect my suit with the object of my affec
e tions. l gazed on her tenderly I; 1 pressed
her hand vhenever'I had an opportunity, and
. believed that had made considerable impres
,r sion on her young heart. ~ -
III Things went on in this way for more thar
estt two months when thought it high time tha
: : should bring matters to crisis. d
!, " I'D One evening entered the sitting room an,
u found theocharming. girl alone The cousi
had not yet come, although he now visited th