The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1860-01-19
TaEE LOCK Ell
THE RACE FOR A HUSBAND.


There never was such romp as myself,
yet | was a little bit of Il thing, ever ready
to ''vanish into thin air" when the Ortho-
doX minister called, or Aunt Emma child
ed me for some misdemeanor, or pa said,
"Come Fan, Stop that mischief and put
on sober face"
[ always had strange antipathy TO the
"masculine gender" which my mother
sagely remarked would end in my utter
ruin, for who would ever take a fancy to
such fy-away for wife ? As for pa,
he always said [ never could stop long
enough to get married
always told the folk, however, chat [
should be MAJ red when | found time, and
that l had my future husbands miniature.
A miniature, in fact, [ had. When but
child, l was playing in little grove,
when | espied chain glistening in the
place, and found a locket attached TO it,
which sprang open by my accidentally
touching the spring, revealing the portrait
Of little boy, about my own age, who
looked SO roguish at me out OF his deep
blue eyes, and had such sweet, mischie-
vous smile, that | danced with delight,
and ran home with ylce to show my moth
er the treasure | had found. L always
wore this miniature around my neck, and
when any one TESTED with me about get
ting married, / would laughingly show
them the locket, which | said contained
my future husbands miniature.
As was quite au equestrian, my father
bought me, whesI was old enough to ride
alone, little black pony; aud We, that is
the pony and /, used to go racing over
the hills and plains. Pa used to say |
looked like some wild gipsey. Generally
| took one particular road, which seemed
more pleasant than all the rest of Fairy
nook. There was another, however, run
ming parallel to it for mile or two, and
at crossing these two met, and then ran oil
in opposite directions.
1t used to be my favorite route TO lake
one of these until had reached the cross
ing, and then the other load and sOaround
home.
One fine morning set out, thinking L
would have a good ride before the rest OF
the family were awake. Dick was very
impatient until L was fairly seated, when
he sped away like lightning, my hair fly
ing and Dicks name waving In the breeze
While | was going at this rate, Dick
Suddenly stopped short and turned his
head TO the opposite load. L looked up
to see what was the matter, when, to my
great amazement, | saw tall manly ilS-
ure coming my way, seated on a jet-black
horse. Now Tor race, thought |. Dick
darted away at the word. | knew If L
could reach the crossing first L should
win. When | gained it, | gave glsnoe
behind to see that my youth had not come
in sight then reigned in my pony behind
clump of trees and shrubbery where we
always stopped to rest in the cool shs de.
Soon my champion made his appearance,
and halted, looked up and down the road
bewildered, to see what became OF me ;
then bending his eyes TO che ground, he
vainly tried to discover my ponys foot
prints.
After turning his horse around at least
half dozen times in a very laughable
manner, the stranger came to the conclu-
sion, suppose, that had not reached the
crossing. for he had turned down my road
as if to meet me- | could see him quite
plainly as he passed, and made the inter
esting discovery that he was tall, hand
some man, of about twenty-four.
/ also discovered a merry twinkle in his
eyes and roguish smile, that looked ex-
tremely natural to me, and made me al
most think l. had seen him before.
waited until he was fairly out of sight,