The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1860-03-08

"a double almond) the previous evening,
under the condition that the one who sho'd
surreptitiously kiss the other first should
win-the loser, as forfeit, to pay the ex-
penses incident to sleighing excursion
out to the romantic village of c..
| had determined, in the meanwhile, to
take my Julia out sleighing the first op-
portunity that offered, SO, as the calculating
reader will at once observe, in any event or
under any combination of circumstances, [
would be the fortunate gamer of at least
one kiss by the present operation.
| was surprised surprised, though, in
very agreeable manner, and in a manner
which of all others prefer-when, few
hours later, as | was sitting by her side,
in total forgetfulness of our short-made con-
tract, Julia leaned over and gave me pure
emphatic, unadulterated, and unmistake-
able "buss, not one of the sickly, second
hand contrivances wherewith very senti-
mental persons are wont to regale them
selves, and wherein the principal part of
the performance is the puckering, a Ia after
eating a persimmon,-bu one that sent
the warm blood rushing and whizzing to
my heart, and from thence back to the tips
of my fingers, and even to the extreme
points Of my boots.
Shades of Methusaleh!
Words would be powerless to describe
the innumerable charms of my peerless
Julia. Her beautiful golden ringlet hung
in profusion over a neck of more than ala
baster whiteness. And such eyes you
should see them. They were not black,
neither were they blue, and am confident
they were not brown-but variable, cha
meleonish eyes changing with every change
of her impulsive nature And her -,
but, pshaw words are vapid, insip pid. and
when applied to Julia, totally insufficient
to do justice to the subject. Should you
wish to see just such charmer, however,
you have only to fall in love with any
concatenation of hoops, whalebone and cal
ico-the effect will be the same. At least
it has with me, and l have the experience
of dozen encounters to back the assertion.
In the meantime, softly and silently
descended the crystal flakes, covering the
ground with chaste and beautiful sheet
of white faster and faster did they come,
"Filling the sky and earth below"
and piling themselves one on the other,
until sufficient amount had accumulated
to form what is technically called by far
mers, ''good sledding" The merry jim
gle of the bells was heard in the streets
| fast horses and handsome cutters were in
demand slow horses and Indifferent cutters
were well represented; Juveniles who
could boast of no turnout at all, pulled
each other time about on their little sleds,
and things began to seem life-like and
natural again.
So Julia and | made arrangements to
forthwith carry into effect the true intent
and meaning of the proviso attached to
our agreement of the previous evening.
After supper, 2.4O, splendid sleigh
asuperabundance of buffalo-robes and other
fxings, and myself, "might have been
seen" drawing up before the Leighton dom
icil, and had the observation been continued
ashort time longer, Miss Julia and myself
comfortably ensconced in the aforesaid
sleigh, "might have been seen" taking the
initiatory steps toward the fulflment o
"that sleigh-ride."
To say that sleigh wasn't narrow would
| be an assertion open to strong doubts tc
| the contrary. 1t scas narrow-so narrow
| in fact, that Julia and l had to sit in very
close juxtaposition. But, as to a philo
sophical mind, such state of affairs would
be of trifling import; to me it seemed
decidedly preferable, inasmuch as it afford
cd me the privilege Of
"Wo-o-ah -
Here occurred small discovery, to tn,
effect that our horses qualifications, be
sides that of ''fast,' comprised that o
''fractious," being an attainment the alb
sence of which could easily be overlooked
especially by timid drivers and ladies.
Long and devotedly had [ loved thi
particular piece of feminity now nestled 81
snugly by my side but l had never tolc
my love. From bashfulness, and dreaC
of being thought ''too previous" she wa
in very fair way of living and dying IL
ignorance of the fact, so far as | was con
cerned. 1 had determined, however, t,
let concealment no longer prey on m,
cheek, but to inform her of the state o
my mind on the first opportunity. Tha
opportunity had now arrived.
Merrily and swiftly did we glide alon!
over the clear, crisp snow, the horse
hoofs scattering penetrating white mis-
over us, causing us to bundle the robe
closer and sit nearer.
All! how delicious is the first sleigh
ride of the season, to be sure !
We had discussed and settled the usua
topics of conversation : the last ball, tn
beauty of the late style of bonnets, (Juli
} had one on; decided in their favor !;