Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1860-11-09

myself, but now-and | was1about te
teach her billiards! To what depth Of
depravity had I come at last!
She rejoined me, beaming with antic.
ipation and radiant with the exercise Of
running down stairs. Together we en-
tered the billiard-room.
Now this I declare: the ballroom, with
its flashing lights, intoxicating perfumes
starry host of cleaning eyes, refulgent
robes, mirrors duplicating countless
splendors and ceaseless whlrl of vanity,
| may add ten fold lustre to the charm
of beauty, and I know it does; the opera
box embellishments of blazing gas, and
glittering gems and flowers, fresh from
| native beds of millinery, all odorous with
divinest scents of Lubin, harmoniously
dulcifed, have their value, which is
great and glorious, NO doubt, and regally
doth woman expand and glow among
them in numberless ways, and aided by
numberless accessories, do feminine gra-
ces nimbly and sweetly recommend them
selves unto our pleasant senses; but this
I will for ever and ever say-that no.
where, neither gorgeous hall, nor gilded
opera box, nor in any other place, nor
under any other circumstances, may
such bewildering and insiducus power
Of maidenly enchantment be exercised as
at the billiard table; especially when the
enchantress is utterly ignorant of the
duties required of her, and confdingly
seeks manly encouragement and guild
ance. Controlled by the hand Of beauty,
the cue becomes magic wand, and the
balls are no longer bits of inanimate
ivory, but, poked restlessly hither and
thither, circulating messengers Of fasci-
nation
I know, for I have been there.
Had Miss Tarlingford turned her
thoughts toward the bowling ALLEY, [
might without difficulty have retained
my self-possession; for her sex are not
charming at ten:pins. They stride
rampant, and hurl danger around them,
aiming anywhere at random; or they
make small skips and screams, and per-
form ridiculous filings in the air, injuri-
Gus to the alleys and to their game; or
they drop balls with unaffected languor,
and develop at an early stage of proceed
ings tendency to cutters, above which
they never rise throughout, and all this
is annoying, and fit only for Bloomers,
who can be degraded by nothing ON
earth.
But billia ads! what statuesque pos
lures, what freedom g gesture, what
swaying grace and vivaclous energy t-.!-
game involves! And then the attendant !
the pinching together of the
hand, to form the needed notch, the per-
feet art of which, like fst-clenching, is
lnattainable by woman, and substitutes
some queernsss all her own-the fierce
srasping and propulsion of the cue-the
loving retension upon the table when
5he long shots are coming in-the dainty
foot uprising, to preserve the owners
balance, but, as it CLEANS suspended de-
,troying the observer s-ali combine, as
they did this time, to scatter stern
prompting of duty beyond recalling.
First, Arabella's s little hand must be
into bridge, and, being slow
10 cramp itself correctly, though plant
As a politicians conscience, the opera
ion Of folding it together had to be
many times repeated. Next, shots must
pc made for her, she retaining her hold
Of the cue, to get into the way of it
Then all went on smoothly with her,
with me, until, enthusiastic
.lly excited, she must be lifted on to the
iable's edge, '.just to try one lovely little
shot," which escaped her reach from the
ground.
My game was up! |
We were alone. Arabella perched
apon the table, jubilant at having
achieved a pocket, 1 dismal and blue
beside her.
"There, take me down." she said.
Hooked around through each window,
inclined my ear to the door, swept an
lrm around her waist, and forgot 60
proceed.
"Oh, Arabella! Arabella! wherefore
art thou Arabella?"
"Do you wish I were somebody else?"
she asked slyly.
"No, no! but what Of Frank Lillivan?"
"Frank, do you know him?" with
luminous face.)
"And he has told me-yes."
"What?'
"Of his relations with Miss Tarling-
ford"
"Witb AIna-yes.
"What Anna? Who is Anna?"
"De.r me! my sister Anna. Don't be
absu1d"
',But never knew"
"No-you knew nothing of her; the
worse for you! You avoided her-I'm
sure [ don 'tsee why-and she is retiring?"
"Retiringl-the very word"
"What word? You vex me; you Puz-
zle me; take me down"
"Forgive me, dear Arabella! I'm too
delighted to explain. I never will ex-
plain. l thought it was you on whom
Franks affections we're fixed
"Dear, No! Frank is sensible; he
knows better; he has Judgment and she
laughed quiet laugh, and made as if
she would jump down.
As she descended, two heads caromed
together with click. It was the if
repressible influence Of the billiard at
mospher, suppose. No one contem-
plated it.
That evening, when Frank Lillivan
arrived, | met him at the door.
"God bless you, Frank!'' said I; "I
forgive you everything. Say no more. "
"Hallo! what's up?' cried Frank.
"Well, certainly, it was little i'm
prudent for you to neglect writing the
whole address of the letter you. sent to
Anna Tarlinford. [ thought it was 70,
Arabella."
Dear mel" said Frank, twinkling
what then?"
That is enough.