Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1859-01-28

= ft1a1se1a Hnscanaslns Man.
$50 : hsndsome man. I never
= J NY PreeenSions to beauty; my
- 81 not irregular, my nose is de-
: ~ Agly, and my moustache any
49, bUtv aegant being about the color
~ WslkhAked pumpkin pie; yet, in
u0 a a these advantages-I mean
interchangeable girls will have it
that I am : perfect lady-killer.
For the sake of the charitable, il
S1sre ore any among the softer sex,
which from the depth of my martyr
dom I almost begin to doubt, | make
the following sketch of some of my d.
lsmmas, hoping that they, more reason
able and more merciful than l have
found the majority of the sex to be,
viii hereafter pause before they allow
their indiscretion to bring such series
Of misfortunes upon any of the broth
srhood.
"Alphonse," said my sister Julia
one evening after we had been talking
ever the abo;e desperate state of af.
fairs, sit is very evident that you are
. dangerous man to be allowed to g
loose in . community of young ladie:
like this Why the havoc you are max
ing is perfectly terrific, aud some means
must be devised of putting an end to it.
there are no two ways about it, my
dear brother-you must get married !"
''Now, Julia, it is useless talking
I replied l am willing to do anything
reasonable in the case !; but the fact is
I have always entertained some old
fashioned notions about love rs requi.
site for matrimony, and l really dom
fancy being hurried into anything des'
perate."
swell, Alphonse, / am going to pu
stop to all this. My friend Aramint'
Douglas is coming here next week
have known her long and intimately
and If you do not find her an exception
to all your previously formed ideas Of
feminiuity, and moreover a woman ca.
pable of inspiring genuine affection,
shall be very much disappointed"
every well," said l, ''if the young
lady can really win me, l Lave no o.
jections to sacrificing myself
"She will not win you," replied Ju.
lia, emphatically, "but l hope you may
be 90 fortunate rs to win her,"
The appointed day arrived, and with
it Miss Araminta Douglas.
She was splendid woman; the
stately grace and dignity of all her
movements charmed me the elegance
Of her manners and her wonderful con-
versational powers awoke my highest
admiration and her amiability COM
pletely won my heart. My cour ship
was not without its trials, but Of these
I do not purpose to speak. Suffice 1t,
that after various embarrassing delays,
and periods Of the most torturing sus-
pense, I at last acknowledged the pas
sion which her charms had inspired,
and received If not a positive accept
ance, yet sufficient encouragement to
make ne the happiest Of men.
This latter event occurred during a
visit to Beach Lawn, the aristooratic
country residence of Miss Douglas pa
rents. OF course l could not think of
returning to town without carrying with
me the miniature OF my idol; and in
compliance with my request, Araminta
presented me with a lovely daguerreo-
type, hich she had taken while in town,
on condition of an exchange. Now ]
had no miniature of myself, but in my
bureau was a most exquisite medallion
locket elegantly cnamelled and set with
gems and as there was a very good
artist in the village, l concluded 20 lave
o picture taken and set in the locket.
The artist succeeded admirably, and
the picture was sent home on the after
noon previous to my departure. l in
tended to present it to Araminta that
evening, bat before l had an opportu-
nifty Of doing so, one Of those little in
cidcnts which have been the banc Of my
life must needs occur.
There happened to be at that time a
seamstress employed in the family, a
pale faced, light haired young lady, of
whom Araminta had always spoken
with respect, as the daughter of an
honest, we'll TODD farmer in the vicini-
,y. l am an early riser, and often in
my morning promenades up and down
the lawn had met this young lady,
and not unfrequcntly she had joincd ne
in my walk, and pointed out to me the
various beauties Of the scene. By some
chance. found that she was quite
poetical in her tastes, and having from:
long experience acquired secret horror
of all sentimental young ladies, l there
after quietly avoided her.
On that unfortunate evening, howev-
er, | happened to spy, in passing little
ouuInCA HouoC, NAleo OdlloW, SiltlnS
within in an attitude Of dependency.
and sobbing violently. My sympathies
were instantly aroused, but fearing to
be intrusive, I was about to withdraw
from tho vicinity, when she raised her
head, and seeing me. exclaimed:
"Oh, Mr.. Hathaway! I am over
whelmed with shame at being discover
ed in such state as this but, indeed
sir, my heart is breaking" at the same
time moving along to give me room to
be seated beside her.
In spite of an intuitive feeling that 1
might be getting myself into scrape,
I accepted the offered privilege, and
what man with a human heart in his
bosom could have done less E?