The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1860-12-19

clarlng that with one exception, which L shall
not mention here, Carrie and Nettie Hyatt
were the most charming girls that had ever
seen, and was just hesitating as to which of
them 1 should fall desperately in love with,
when my calculations were all disturbed by an
acciicnt-for l suppose 1 must call it
though really seeming like special Provi-
dence. What this was, shall tell in the best
way 1 know how.
For some days after my arrival at the farm,
my curiosity had been much excited by the oc
casional panegyrics lavished by the young la
dies upon one schoolmate Of their own, May
Stevens by name, who was, according to their
highly eolored account, the most perfect thing
in the shape ofsa woran then living tried
to persuade myself that nothing in that line
could surpass Nettie and Carrie, but still the
reputation of this May Stevens haunted me,
and came like a shadow across my newborn
passion. formed at last, an -imasinary May
Stevens, and. do what l would the figure was
with me- At last | was worked into an agony
of curiosity, and trembled with some great
purpose which should bring before me the OBJ
ject of my thoughts and Of the two sisters con-
tinual conversation. In what this would have
ended it is impossible for me at this time to
say, had l not heard one morning as ] entered
the breakfast room the startling words from
Nettie. -.
"And so shei coming at last I'm so glsd!'
Whether it that the train ofmy thoughts
was upon that point at the moment, L cannot
say; but l know directly the whole matter. l
saw Carrie with an open letter in her hand,
and coupling it with Nettie's words, l knew
that the hitherto only heard of May Stevens
was about to become q reality. had 10 need
to ask questions. All the information
proffered. May Stevens, the Incompatible
May-was to spend month ct Hyatts and
they were to expect her at any moment, though
as the letter read she mig Int not be down for
week to come A week 1T was an age,
century ard l was in futter of excitement.
My ng standing passion, of nearly two weeks
duration, for Carrie, forgotten in an in
stant, and my whole mind was absorbed in ma-
king the best figure possible before this new
queen. With this idea, b gan 10 look into
my wardrobe. l had come down with sufi-
cent clothes to answer all ordinary purposes,
including, of course Carrie and Nottis; but
the new goddess certainly worthy of a pew
rig my part, and certainly should have It,.
This resolution was made withia fifteen min
utes after hearing the announcement of her
intended coming, and before two hours had
gone by, was whizzing OH my way to town to
carry out that resolve. Aly choicest morsel Of
of Wardfobe should be offered ut the shrine of
May Stevens.
1 had absented myself on the plea of sud
faithfully promised Nettip and Carrie that the
next day should sec me down at Hyatt's again,
to stay out th. month that May Stevens, the
wonderful. was about to pass with them
The rackIng of brain That day to create
grand ensemble of costume-something hey ond
all criticism, that should, at TIE first glance,
strike the beholder with silent admiration-
was indeed terrible. The labor of writing
"Paradise Lost" was nothing 10 it. 1t was
r1v in hn l yph | lpii at Ell
rooms, and for six hours l dressed and re-
dr., s>.d, CONF arcd and rjocted and selected;
and at the end of that time | had laid out
those portions of NY Wearable goods in which
l had decided TO make my first appearance
before May Stevens, it wanted still several
hours to sunset. Having got safely through
the great object OF my visit, thought 1t would
not be a bad idea for me to take the last train,
and return the same night to Hyatt's instead
of remaining over till morning No sooner
said than done. [ packed my habilinents,
and away 1 went, whizzing and putting over
an uninteresting road is provocation OF sleep
So l found it when the shades of evening fell;
for to the best of my recollection, 1 was in the
very midst of u dream, in which May Stevens,
attired in book muslin and pale blue satin, ap
peared on Il purple cloud, and admiring y in
guired who my tailor was just as was about
to inform her there came crash, and for Il
momenL | was not eertain whether 1t was the
cloud that had exploded. myself had tora
some portion OF NV appare el that was overstrain-
ed. 1t required but to awaken me to the fact
that both the presumptions were wrong. 1t
was our train-2:26--that had run off the
track smashing things generally, and spillipg
the contents of several baggage cars along the
road, to say nothing of frIg htenng halt hun
dred passengers into a condition bordering on
lunacy. This was pretty state of things,
and to make it still worse, L was eight miles
from my destination, though, as it afterwards
appeared, not a mile from the next village
| where l heard it canvassed, tavern, supper
and beds could be had
| I was disposed to lake myself agreeable,
and accordingly, rendered all the assistance in
my power to the unprotected ftmaies, for
which l got my reward arriving at the ha
ven of retuge-the promised tavern-by being
| Informed that such thing bed for the
night all impossible idea, and that with
some twenty more of the male gender, mist
he content with chairs, while the beds were
appropriated to the gentler sex. Slightly dis
gpsted, l swallowed my supper and locked out
ul on the night. 1t beautiful moonlight
and erging on to ten o'clock. BY Jove, |
would walk over to Uyatts. No sooner said
than done. Giving my carpet bag into the
hand of the landlord, with the most emphatic
CHARGES for its safety and ppnctnal delivery at
Hyatt's next morning, ut my expense, set
forth. Eight miles is triHe, and just as my
watch marked the quarter after midnight
went up the lane that led to the house. They
were early TO bed and early up. 1 walked
round the house trying each entrance but each
and every one was fastened. 1t vas of no con-
sequence; my bedroom window looked out
upon the roof of the piazza; L would NOT dis
turb the house by knocking; bit of climbing
wuMld do the business, and should it be tastelI-
ed L would tap and awaken Horace, who was
my roommate ana bed felioY. The thing
was cxaaEted as as l Thought Of, and my
hand on the window which yielded, and stood
~ my own room. BY the moonlight which
streamed ~, l saw that the bed was occupied,
and by the heavy breathing I knew that
Horace was in "a heavy sleep waalaA aot,
therefore, awaken him, but save the stasy of
my mishap for the following day. With this