The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1860-03-15
Angling for a Husband.

heart proof against allurements She pri-
ded herself upon her great insensibility,
and her profound Indifference had repulsed
all those gallants who had volunteered
to offer their addresses. The country was
only happy in solitude. The charms of a
chosen circle, the pleasure of the world,
had for her no attraction, and her favor
ite recreation was that of angling, an
amusement worthy of an unfeeling wom-
an.
She was accustomed, every pleasant day,
to station herself at the extremity of the
lonely island of Chaton, and there, with
book in one hand and her line in the 9TH
er, her time was passed in fishing, read
ing, or dreaming.
n lover who had always been intimida-
ted by her coolness, and who had never
ventured on a spoken or written declara-
ton, surprised her at her fayorite pursuit
one day, when he had come to the island
tor the purpose Of enjoying a swimming
bath.
He observed her for long time with
out discovery, and busted himself with
| thinking how he might turn to his advan-
tage this lonely amusement of angling
His reveries were SO deep and SO fortu-
nate that he at last hit upon the desired
plan, novel expedient, indeed, yet they
are always most successful with such wo-
men as pretend to be invulnerable.
The next day our amorous hero return
ed to the island, studied the ground, made
his arrangements, and when Nine. d. had
resumed her accustomed place, he slipped
away to a remote and retired shelter, and,
after divesting himself of his clothing
he entered the stream. An excellent
swimmer and skillful diver, he trusted to
! his aquatic talents for the success of his
enterprise. He swan to the end of the
| island with the greatst precaution favored
| by the chances of the bank and bushes,
which hung their dense foliage above the
| waters. In his lips was note folded and
sealed, and on arriving near the spot where
Nine. ID. was sitting, he made dive, and
lightly siezing the hook, he attached it to
| his letter.
Nine. D., perceiving the movement of
her line, supposed that fish was BIZ
! ting.
The young man had retired as he came /;
he had doubled the cape which extended
out into the water separating them from
each other, and had rcgained his post
without the least noise in his passage un-
der the willows. The deed was done.
Nine. D. pulled in her line, and
what was her surprise to observe dangling
upon the barb of her hook, not the expect
ed sinner, but an unexpected letter.
This was, however, trifing, and her
surprise became stupefaction when, on de-
taching the transfxed billet, she read up
on the enyelope--her name.
SO then this letter which she had fshed
up was addressed to her.
This was somewhat miraculous. She was
afraid. Her troubled glance scrutinized
the surrounding space, but there was moth
ing to be seen or heard all was still and
lonely both on land and water.
She quilted her seat, but took away the
letter. As soon as she was alone, and clos
eted with herself, and as soon IS the pa
per was dry-a paper perfectly waterproof
and written upon with indolible ink-she
unsealed the letter, and commenced its
perusal.
"a declaration of love"' cried she at
the first words "What insolence'' %
Still, the insolence had come to her in
such an extraordinary manner that her
curiosity would not suffer her to treat this
letter as she had SO many others-pitiless
ly burn it without reading.
No, she read it quite through. The
lover, who dated his letter from the bot
tom of the river, had skilfully adopted the
allegory, and introduced himself as gro
tesque inhabitant of the waters. The fable
was gracefully managed, and with the
testing tone which he had adopted was
mingled true, serious, ardent sentiment,
expressed with beauty and eloquence.
The next day, Nine. D returned to
the island, not without emotion and some
trace of fear. The threw her line with a
trembling hand, and shuddered as, mo-
ment after, she perceived the movement of
the hook.
Is it a fish Is it letter?
1t was letter.
Nine D. was no believer in magic,
still there was something strange and su-
pernatural in all this.
She had an idea Of throwing back the
letter into the stream, but relinquished it.
The most stubborn and naughty woman is
always disarmed in face of the strange
mystery which captivates her imagina-
| ton.
This second letter was more tender more
! passionate, more charming than the first.