The Shasta courier., 1859-05-21
The Girls of Bethlehem.

To n Christian, and thoroughbred English
man. not even the licentiousness which gener-
ally accompanies it, can compensate for the op-
nressiveness of that horrible outward decorum,
which turns the cities and palaces of Asia into
deserts and gaoIs So, I say, when you see and
hear them, those romping girls OF Bethlehem
will gladden. your very soul. DISTANT at hrst,
and then nearer and nearer, the tlmid flock VIII
gather around you with their large burning
eyes grsvely fixed against yours, SO that they
see into your brain, and if you imagine evil
against them they will know fyour ill-thought
before it is vet well born, and will fly, and
be gone in the moment. But presently if
Won will only look virtuous enough to prevent
alarm. and vicious enough to avoid looking silly,
the blithe maidens will draw nearer and nearer
10 YOU. and soon there will be one, the bravest
of the sisters, who will venture right up to your
side. and touch the hem of your coat, in playful
defiance of the danger, and the rest will follow
the daring of their youthful leader, and gather
close around you, and hold shrill controversy
on the wondrous formation that you call hat,
and the cunning of the hands that clothed you
with cloth so fine and then growing more pro-
found in their researches, they will pass from
the study of your mere dress, to serious con-
temptation ofyour stately height, and your nut
brown hair, and the ruddy glow of your Eng
lish checks. And if they catch a glimpse of
your ungloved fingers, then again will they make
the air ring with their sweet screams of wonder
and amazement, as they compare the fairness of
your hand with their warmer tints, and even
with the hues of your own sunburnt face; in
stantly the ringleader of the gentle rioters i'm
agines new sin; with tremulous bodness she
touches-thsn grasps your hand, and smoothes
it gently betwixt her own, and prizes curiously
INTO Its make and color, as tho it were silk of
Damascus, or shawl of Cashmere.
And when they see you even then, still sage
and gentle, the joyous girls will suddenly, and
screamingly, and all at once explain to each 9TH
er that you are surely quite harmless and nno-
cent-a lion that makes no spring-a bear that
never hugs and upon this faith, one after anoth-
er, they will take your passive hand, and strive
to explain 1t, and make it theme and a con-
troversy. But the one-the fairest, and the
sweetest OF all, is yet the most timid she shrnks
from the daring deeds of her playmates, and
seeks shelter behind their sleeves and strives to
screen her glowing consciousness from the ewes
that look upon her; but her laughing sisters
will have none of this cowardice-thev VOW that
the fair one shall be their accompice-shaR
share their dangers-shaH touch the hand of the
stranger; they seize her small wrist and drag
her forward by force, and at last, whilst vet she
strives to turn away, and to cover up her whole
soul under the folds of downcast eyelids, they
vanqush her utmost strength-they vanquish
your utmost modesty, and marry her hand to
yours The quick pulse springs from her fin
gers, and throbs like a whisper upon your list
ening palm. For an instant her large timid
eyes are upon you-in an instant they are
shrouded again, and there comes blush so
burning that the frightened girls stay their shrll
laughter, as though they had played too peril
ously, and harmed their gentle sister. A mo-
ment, and all, with sudden intelligence, turn
away, and fly like deer, yet soon again, like deer,
they wheel round and return, and stand and
gaze upon the danger until they grow brave
once more