Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1860-07-12

Y, JULY 12, 1860.
A CHAPTER ON PROPOSALS. 8
It will not be deemed vanity at my age to
say that at twenty-five was possessed of a
full share of the ordinary personal charms Of
youth. Within little of the Chesterfield
ian height Give feet ten), with locks black
and glossy as the ravens wing, (alas! the
driven snow is not whittier nowl with fair
complexion, cheeks glowing with the red
tide of youth and health, and possessing
what is generally considered sufficient good
sense and education for all the practical
purposes Of life, it may be thought that my
experience in matters of the heart ought to
have proved an exception to the rule that
''the course of true love never did run
smooth" But alas! not so! 1t was my for
tune to become acquainted with young lady
possessed of so many charms, mental, moral,
and personal, and so supereminent in each,
that it was. indeed impossible for me 10
avoid falling, as did, desperately in love
with her.
As far as glances Of the eye, tremors of
the voice, and occasional inuendoes might
go, l doubt not that succeeded full we'll in
imparting to her knowledge of the state Of
my heart; and will not presume upon your
Impotence so much as to detail the ecstacy
Of joy with which first discovered, through
similar media, reciprocity Of feeling by the
young lady. Let it suffice to say that this
was the case, and that the time came when
it was incumbent on me to make distinct
avowal of my love- This, after long and
perplexing debate, Iresolved to do by letter,
and after writing some forty epistles on as
many sheets of gilded paper, finally sue
ceeded in forming letter, amounting to
about six lines, containing as l thought, the
condensed quntessence Of everything that
could or ought to be said on the subject.
Of this precious moroccan | retain now but
slight recollection. That it abounded with
terms expressive Of pure, warm, ardent,
glowing, undying, everlasting, and unprece-
denied affection, have not the least doubt
But unfortunately, this little specimen of
epstolary excellence was scarcely finished,
when, CHANGING to peruse some of the expe-
riences of predecessor in the paths of love,
I read that nothing was more unwise or dan
gerous than making an offer Of ones hand or
heart by means pen and paper.
With the credulity of simple mind l at
once gave implicit credence to this doctrine;
and frightened at the fearful precipice which
l had SO narrowly avoided, l Immediately
destroyed the letter, and resolved to declare
myself in person with my own lips and voice,
and to hear with my own ears the reply
which was to seal my destiny.
Never did an Alexander, Wallace, or
Napoleon, feel the inspiring effects of an he
roic resolution more powerfully than felt
the influence of this; had resolved. l walk
ed the streets with a proud consciousness of
the heroism of my resolution, and in the
height of my pride feared lest, in the words
of a poet, l should strike the stars with my
lofty head. But sensible of the imperfection
Of human power, and conscious that mine in
particular were liable to fail i'll so delicate
an emergency, resolved at least to write
and commit to memory my decaratory
speech. This undignifed and foolish thing
did, instead Of trusting to the warm out
pourings Of an ingenious heart, which in
some way, at least would have managed to
make itself understood and felt. I commit
ted to memory cold formula of words, to
be delivered as the school-boy recites his
speech, of which it is sufficient for the pur
pose of this article to recollect the following
sentence: "Miss Adams! will you allow me
to offer you my hand and hearth"
That fearful hour arrived. The evening
of my wonted visit approached, and | found
myself seated by the side of my adored in
the summer evening twilight. The last rays
of the setting sun had gradually disappeared
from the rosy clouds that fingered above the
west. The full moon rose high in heaven, and
one by one the glorious stars became visible.
In such night
Stood Dido with willow in her hand,
Upon the wild sea bank, and waved her love
To come again to Carthage.
The open window by which we sat looked
out upon garden stored with rich profu-
sion of rich and rare flowers, from which
there exhaled and rose around US delicious
fragrance, forming fit atmospere for such a
scene. The time, the silence, the scenery, |
everything was appropriate and she, the
beautiful, the almost unearthly, seemed by
intuition, to understand my thoughts and in
tentions. as with head bent down she gazed
(and with slight blush upon the fair
cheeks around which her auburn locks were
playing) upon a moss-rose which she was
earnestly engaged in pulling to pieces. I
was employed in the equally serious occupa-
ton of opening and shutting a small fancy
spuff-box which l held in my hand.
Alas where now was the Alexandrian
or Napoleon courage that inspired me? /
felt my valeur oozing out of the palms of
my hands, But at last, summoning rcsolu-
ton, like man on the seafRold who wishes
to die with at least seeming fortitude, or to
use more forcible illustration, gathering to-
gether and concentrating, as it were, all the
energies Of the mind, after the manner of
one about to submit to the most inhuman
torturcs, the extraction of tooth-I say
with such energy as this l raised my eyes to
those of Isabella, and in the language of
my proposed speech said, " Miss Adams p
The unearthly and startling emphasis with
which this rather formal commencement was
delivered, seriously frightened both parties.
The rose dropped from her fingers, the box
from mine, and l was only able 10 follow up
this impre ssive exordium with some common
place remarks about the beauty of the even
ing, after which we relapsed into our former
silence.
Gathering. however. energy from defeat