Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1860-06-20

L had written TO Uncle Ned, promising to
spend month with him in the autumn. Busi-
ness had called him to Boston, where our in
terview occurred. He had more than once
expressed desire that his brothers. property
should remain in the family, and pre- ssed me
to unite my fate to that of his beautiful niece.
This was out of the question. CA made up
match' was my abominatioB. Certainly had
other reasons for my prejudices against the
marriage. l considered it sacred obligation
to fall in love before l took wife, and the
idea OF falling in love with Rosaie before l
had seen her myself, was so absurd that had
no patience to think Of it.
And then / had principle for guidance in
affairs of the heart, which absolutely forbade
me to think of such thing as ssmarriage for
convenience
The autumn came, and paid my proposed
visit to my Uncle Ned's plantation in South
Carolina.
was disappointed in my cousin Rosalie
She was toerable good looking damsel but
in my opinion very far from the beautiful
creature she had been pictured to me.
ssIsn't she handsome, Bob 20 said my uncle.
''Did you ever sec such lips, such graceful
| form? Isn't she handsome, eh, you dog ?''
| And the old fellow punched me in the ribs and
roared with laughter until he nearly split his
sides.
| couldn't for the lilc of me see what be was
| laughing at.
| tinued.
sPassable,'' replied, very coolly.
''Passable You puppy What, do you
mean to say that Rose is not handsome ?''
''Tolerably,'' | answered, twisting of the
leaf of a palmetto which grew by the side of
bank on which we were seated, just to show
how indifferent | was.
s.Bob,'' said he, looking more soberly at me-
81 had an idea You were man of taste, but
| see you are as like to fall in love with one of
my black wenches as the prettiest girl in South
! Carolina
''Who's that, Uncle Ned ?''
| This remark was called forth by the sudden
! appearance on the gravel walk of the ovliest
| creature had ever beheld and that, consid-
| ering have firted with the bellies of Paris,
| Naples and Rome is saying great deal.
was dumbfounded by the sudden appartion,
| and springing to my feet as if an electric
| shock had reused the slum bering blood in my
veins | stood upright before her.
| Shade of Venus did any Que ever see such
| loveliness such graceful movement such
divine expression l could neither speak or
move, so completely was paralyzed by the
| glorious beauty of the nymph.
81 didn't know there was any one here"
| stammered she, such deectable blush on her
check that nearly went mad with enthusiasm.
| Before | could recover my scattered senses,
| the enchanting beauty bounded away as light
/ as fawn.
| "What the devil ails you, Bob? What are
| you starting at % said Uncle Ned.
ssWho is she ?'' asked L, clasping my hands
| in the rapturouS excitement of the moment
ssThat! Why, that's little Sylphie Howard,
and one of Rosalie's friends, who is spending
a few weeks with her, he replied, with in
difference.
esBeautful,'' said L.
! ssShe! passabe! Tolerable good looking"
! he continued, -sbut nothing to be compared
| with my RoSalie' ,,
/ about to say something saucy, but
thought since uncle Ned really believed what
he saying | would not hurt his feelings by
| denying 1t.
At dinner I met both young ladies, and was
| formally provoked with my uncle when he as
| signed me n seat next to Rosaie. | could
hardly be civil to her with such pair of beau
! tiful eyes before me, and hardly ceased TO
| gaze upon Sylphie during the seeming short
| hour at the table.
| After dinner went out to ride horseback.
Uncle Ned annoyed me again by provokingly
contriving it so that i should help Rosalie to
mount her horse and ride by her side, and he,
confounded old fool, did these offices of gall
lantry for Miss Sylphie.
'tNo old chap, you'll lose your bet )"
| thought |, and tried to be civil to my cousin.
l don't think succeeded very we'll. Ny
| eyes rested all the time upon the fair and
! graceful horsewoman who rode before me.
| And thus it was for a week, uncle Ned man.
| aged to keep me by the side Of Rosalie nearly
all the time. If we played whist she was my
| partner ;-if we rode in the carriage she sat by
my side; if we walked he monopolized Sylphe
| and left Rosalie to me-and more than once
the fellow left us alone together as though
| well.
| In spite of my uncle's vigilance, however,
found opportunities to hirt a little with Syl-
| phie, and one day lured her into grove of
palmettos at the rear of the mansion house.
Time was precious. | was the hero OF a
| novel. Cruel uncles in bob-tail wigs sought
to crush the affection of my heart. In short
threw myself at her feet, and with all the elo-
quence that Harvard College had crowded into
my composition, declared my love. l used
my classic terms. quoted Milton, Byron and
Shakespeare. and called on all the gods in the
calendar OF Greece and Rome.
Did she accept me OF course she did she
couldn't help accepting me am not an i'll
| looking man, and let me say in extenuation of
her weakness, that had popped the question
in decidedly original manner. To be sure
she accepted me.
printed twenty-four kisses on each of her
| pretty checks, and she blushed till thought
her eyeashes would take fire and cheat me of
my prize.
/ We kept our counsel for two or three weeks
and one morning when were riding out, we
got away from Uncle Ned and Rosalie, and
clipped it away about ten miles to a clergy
man who was so obliging as to furnish us with
a marriage certificate.
/ We rode back more leisurely. was in my
element. An elopement was just the kind of
excitement for me. We got back to uncle
| Ned's about dinner time.
.Where have you been so long 20 asked un-
| Gle Ned.
Over to the Rev. Mr.. MS. Allow me to
present my wife, said |, with perfect non
| chaence.
| ssThe devil 10