The Lambertville press. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1858-1???, 1861-08-14

returned / with a series of yawns.
"And now good people, I'm going on
the porch for nap"
eco upstairs, Jus, or in tie par
lor on the sofa.
Nonsense used to snooze very
comfortably out under the vines, and
don't know that I am much larger now
than then"
So out / went, on the long south
porch, where the thick clematis vines
make it cool and shady Calling for
a pillow which Mary FASTENED to
bring, remarking laughingly, that I'd
not yet forgotten my old habit of be-
! ing waited upon, settled myself on
the wide bench, and fell into half
waking, housekeeping state, so deli
ciously appropriate for those snbstan-
tial structures, known as castles in
air.
The south porch faced towards Mr..
Sellingham's farm and farm house.
Looxing along the winding road, |
could see the white walls, peering
through the trees, and it seemed to
me must see Jennie herself Mind
you, I was no longer the eonceited
fop of previous years but then even
dignifed twenty-five sometimes indul-
ges in day dreams, you know, and |
inst happened to reflect that as my
heart has not been touched by any of
the western fair ones, perhaps after
all it had been preserved intact by the
remembrance of Jennie Sellingham.
The thought quite startled me as /
lay there declare
Just as all these, and many other
notions were becoming mixed up in
confusion, in brain, fast yielding to
the drowsy influences of the time and
place, I was startled by the mysteri-
Gus feeling which every one has has
experienced, of some invisible eyes
gazing down steadily in my face, and
it was only by the strongest resolution
that I resisted the equally mysterious
yet equally common impulse, to re-
turn the gaze. However, / lay still,
Stimulating the rather heavy and reg
ular breathing of sound sleeper, and
presently the air seemed laden with
some strange yet inexpressibly sweet
odor. | had never encountered it in
any assortment of perfumery, but in
hailed it with a feeling of delight, sa-
tiety, that inundated and half dead
ened all my senses.
| Then came soft, cool hand laid on
my forehead, then a warm, living
breath famed my cheek-oh how |
wanted to open my eyes?
| / thought it was my sister, one of
them, but the next moment undecei-
we'd me. Soft, warm lips touched my
forehead very, very softly, timidly, it
seemed to me- Then, as though
frightened at what she had done--I
say she, for I knew it was woman
"a quick succession Of hurried steps
followed, the rustic of a dress and
/ sat bolt upright and saw nothing,
or rather nobody
Astounded, / ran into the house.
Both my sisters were upstairs wri-
ting, my mother was taking her after
noon nap, but that made no difference,
| could have sworn that kiss, that de-
licious kiss, came from neither mother
nor sist err of mine.
| Having assured myself that there
had been no stranger in the house
since my return, having questioned,
and cross questioned the servants, in
vain, l returned to my pillow and re-
newed my nap, only to dream of that
KISS, and awaking just in the midst
of such scene as | have already de-
scribed, I very sensiblg concluded the
other had also been a dream, and
laughing at the vivid impression it
had made on my mind, went to re-
peat my dream to my sisters, but
somehow, it seemed too sacred, too
speak lightly of. Foolish as | knew
it to be, ! respected the feeling and
kept silence, on that subject, at least.
That night, | saw Jennie Selling
ham, gloriously, divinely beautiful
F Jennie Sellingham
There is no use in attempting to
f describe her, or my meeting with her,
but I loved her instantly, though
almost bopelessly, for if she had re-
fused the brilliant offers she had al
ready received, how could | dare to
i hope
/ But one little circumstance made
4
my heart bound with delight. She
blushed very deeply as she gave me
her hand, and her eyes fell before
mine ! She called me Mr.. Carr too |
| Aud yet with the inconsistency of hu-
man natue how i did want to hear
her call me- .Tusfusi s @faf 49,