Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1860-11-10

: pheus, has, | cannot bat hope iocularly;
been pleased to mark ou, for me a course
of studies, which will. feel, be mprac,.
cle."
, "Ah, my DEAR said Mrs. Hurbottle,
addressing her daughter, "your father has
been insisting on those ridiculous condi.
tions--l feared as much.'
An imploring glance from the tea a.urn
too plainly iutimatcd that Mabel partook
of her mothers chargin.
"Well, but madam said Merton, fer.
vently, is there no way of evading these
preposterous articles Of treaty ?"
IL fear not, indeed was the reply; and
both ladies shook their heads despondingly.
and here the young suitor fell into pro-
found reverie.
At early daybreak the next morning,
Merton was aroused by a vociferous hal.
looing, and the wild blast of a horn be,
meath his window, in the midst of which
the stentorian voice of the squire broke
upon his ear, summonins him without de.
lay to the meeting some four miles distant,
With heavy heart he proceeded to obey,
and crawling down stairs, was at once
conducted to furious quadruped, whose
locomotive propensites, even before he
was we'll in the saddle, seemed to tell dis.
astrous downfall and digrace, and intimat.
ed by anticipation that compound fractures
and dislocations of the neck we're by no
means untrequent to those adventurous
cavaliers who should make up their minds
or rather their bodies, to mount her. Bat
| Merton, albeit unused to the hnntn >,
mood" was by no means disposed at that
moment to diso!ve the partnership then
| subsistng between himself and the four
legged pest which was caprciously gam
boiling over the country; and accordingly
contrived to attach himself as closely to
the animal as an expactant heir to an ex.
pirlng relative, aud made himself as it
were, part and portion of the beast with
all the certain security of Ceutaur, while
the infinite encomiums at the conclusion
of the day upon the manner in which he
had acquitted himself, drew tears urdelght
into the eyes Of Mabel, aud caused the
face OF the elder lady to mantle with satis-
faction.
Ard now more than a month had
elarS ed, and the West Indian had been
regularly introduced into the vestihue Of
the various sciences to which it was deemed
expedient that he should devote his atten.
ton, and in spite Of the athletic strength
and constitution Of the squire, he had
more than once eontrived to bear away
the palm OF merit from his competitor. In
truth, the severe exercises in which he
was now for the first time participator.
not only recruited his frame, but had Civ
en- an impetus before unlslt to his consti,
tuition, and it was with rather degree of
satisfaction than otherwise, that he obeved |
the matutinal mandates Of the squire.
1t Is sure there were several particular .
hege amusements, not altogether recog-
nlzed by the votaries Of fashion, which |
(and he hugged himself in the conviction) .
were perfectly unknown to his aristocratic
friends; and if he did occasionally hear
corks drawn a. incredible short intervals.
and cheerfuly assisted in the absorption
OF the fluid at such times liberated, who
was the wiser? Not he, certainly!
But 1t was deemed high time by the la.
dies that these delights should have an
end. They thought, with reason, that the
too implicit adherence to the saure's
whims and tanticies would not only furn-
ish forth bad precedent but superinduce
a fatal habit in the young man HIMSELF
The. elder lady knew full well that "if vice
by custom grow not into nature" it is an
unsightly graft, nevertheless. And Mabel
said, half upbraidingly, ,ha. " Henry was
grown strangely partial TO papa" And
she began to believe quite seriously that
he was likely to grow strangely inat,entive
to herself But the old gentleman would
hear Of no terms Of accommodation. He
averred that he had not half done with
the boy yet. He protested that his mar.
riage would be his ruin, and declared that
he would not hear word about it under ;
penalty of breaking off the match alto. ,
yether.
What is to be done? p urged Merton, {
exposulating with the ladies' in private {
conference. /" solemnly aver that have !
done everything in my power to couciliate
he squlre's esteem, and to deserve his
have tanned his mos. nnruly {
,orses. | have, more thaa once during /,
'ur sparring exercises, caused him to
'dopt an involuntariy horizontal position, {
md have seen him descend under the {
'orizon of the table in all the glory of
etting sun. Can | do more %
All this, it must be confessed, appeared |
easonable and consolotary enough, at
east so lar as they afford evidence Of our
overs unchanging affection; and each !
'arty was fain to wait patiently for few
weeks longer, till some more auspicous t
opportunity Of compelling the squire to ,
he spirit and letter Of his agreement ,
hould occur. But the squire grew more
nhexible daily. lie had become attached
o his young friend, and fore.aw plainly !
ha. his union would cause an instant and :,
lnal cessation Of the agreeable course of q
and companionshin without