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

dear old homestead. We are staying
at her fathers now, and the rest Of
the family have gone to stay with
Mary, until the old house shall have
been entirely renovated and re-fur-
nished, as a fitting nest for my
birdie.
The other day my little wife was
rumaging over some of the treasures
of her girlhood, I watching her from
behind newspaper Suddenly she
took from the drawer curious look
ing flask. It was of gold, richly set
with brilliant stones, some Jewels per-
haps all I should have judged SO by
their lustre but they were unknown
to me.
What in the world is that, Jen-
ME ?" | queried
"a bottle of perfume, all the way
from Arabia" she answered, Ma
ry's husband you know, has travelled
a great deal, and this is one of his
trophies !; he presented it to me the
last time / was there. He told me it
was used to perfume hair and cloth
ing, but | put single drop on my
handkerchief once, aud it was so
oyerpoweringly fragrant that I've
never used it since Smell of it
Justus.
She was at my side, and showed
me how to undo the fanciful fasten-
ing. I opened it and as ] inhaled its
fragrance, started and closed my eyes,
almost struck dumb with Sudden
light!
"There It has made yon i'll !"
she exclaimed, much alarmed. "Give
it to me dear, and let me battle your
head and face with camphorwater !"
"No Jennie, l am not i'll, only
awakened" and seeing her look COM
plete justification, | drew her to me,
and continued, "you say you have
used that perfume once, dear, and |
have met its odor once before on the
afternoon, last summer, when you
kissed me, as | lay on the south porch
darling"
She looked up into my face with
distress, for moment, then buried
her face on my shoulder, sohbing
out,
"Oh Justus What must you
think of me? / know it was very,
very indicate and unmaidenly, but
indeed Justus, | was certain You slept
and-and-"
"Aud what, sweet wife 2"
And / had longed so to see you,
for many tiresome months, and oh
Justus | have loved you always ?"
Never in the days Of courtship or
betrothal, had / loved her s. dearly,
and told her so and kissed the tears
from the beautiful eyes and related
the whole affair. In return she told
me, with many bushes, aud pretty,
girlish gatherings, how it had hap
pened.
You see, DEER Justus, / never
dreamed. TO find you there, for you
remember, you were not to have come
until the following Thursday. But /
had brought my sewing over to sit
awhile with your sisters, aud when
saw you lying so still and quiet, on
the old south porch, where we had SO
often played together, all the dear old
memories come over me so suddenly
they almost brought the tears. For
/ thought in moment, when | saw
how very greatly. you had improved
how foolish ] had been to dream and
think of you, during your whole alb
sence, and how probable it was that
You had given your love to some
beautiful stranger, and even if you
still were free, how unlikely that you
would waste more than q glance and
4 bow on the unsophisticated little
country girl who had always met you
and your kindness with defiance.
And then, / determined to free my
self from the vain hopes ! had held
so long, and not to expect from You
more attention than politeness would
require; and as the first step, to go
home Immediately so as not to throw
myself under the influence of your
eyes and smile, and SO, just to bid my
happy dreams, final farewell, IL
kissed you p -
Down went the blushing face on my
shoulder, and ! replied laughingly,
as kissed the little hand / held in
mine,
"You kissed me and ran off eh |?
Well, well, thanks to kind Provi-
dence and this little circlet, I" touching
the wedding ring, there's no dan
ger Of my darling running off any
more.n m m @
And | repeat it. Thank Heaven |
there is no danger of my wee wife