Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1862-11-08

ment could have done: tor the begrinmed
countenance If the maiden sets both the
lovers a.laughing-she is anxious to run
away, to wash the filthy witness" from
her face-he viii not suffer her to depart
without promi Sc, word Of bope-she
fa!ters forth the soft ~ tables Of consent
and the terrible task Of popping the ques
ton is over.
Breakfast time at length arrived. But
l shall pass over the blunders commit
ted during its progress; how 1 sal,ed
Mary Roses muffin instead Of my own.
poured the cream into the sugar basin,
and took bite q. the teapot lid. "Pop
the question" haunted me continually.
and feared to speak, even on the most
ordinary topics, lest should in some way
betray myself. Pop-pop-pop! every.
thing seemed to 60 of with pop; and
when at length Mr.. Morton limited to Mary
and her mother that il was time for them
to pop on their bonnets, I thought he laid
particular stress on the horrible mono.
syllable, and almost expected him to
accuse me Of some sinister design upon
his daughter 1t passed of, however, and
we set out for the church. Mary Rose
leaned upon my arm, and complained how
dull was. l. Of course, protested against
it, and tried to rally; vivacity, indeed,
was one Of my characteristics, and I was
jus, beginning to make myself extremely
agreeable. when little urchin, in the thick
gloom Of dark eutry, let off popgun
close to my ear. The sound, simple as it
may seem, made me start as if ghost
had stood before me, and when Mary OBJ.
served that l was "very nervous this
morning" felt as if could have throt.
tied the lad; and inwardingly cursed the
inventor Of popguus, and doomed him to
the lowest pi. Of Acneron.
l strove against ny fate, however, and
made several observations. Look, cried
Mary Rose, as We gained the end Of the
street, what beautiful child I
turned my head to the window, when
the first object that me. my eyes was q
square blue paper. edged with yellow, On
which was written in too, too legible char
atters, PoP" | believe | was surprised
into an exclamation stronger than the
occasion would seem to warrant, and the
poor child came in for share Of my
anathema. l didn't intend it, however,
for am very fond Of children; but it
served Mary Rose to scold me abou, till
We came to the church door; and, if pos.
sible, bewldered me more than ever. We
had now arrived in tie middle aisle, when
my fair companion whispered me, " My
dear DR.. -, won't you take off your
hat ?" This was only prelude for still
greater blunders. | posted myself at the
head Of the seat, sang part of the hundreth
psalm willie the organist was playing the
symphony, sat down when should have
stood up. knelt when ought to have been
standing, and just at the end of the creed
found myself pointed due west, the gaze
and wonder Of the whole congregation.
The sermon at length commenced and
the quietness that ensued, broken only by
the perambuls,ions Of the beadle and sub.
schoomas.er, and the collision ever and
anon of their official wands with the heads
Of refractory students, guilty Of the enor
nous crime of gaping or twirling their
thumbs, gave me an opportunity Of col,
lecsing my scattered thoughts. Just as
the rest of the congregation we're going
10 sleep, began to awake from my men,
tai lethargy and by the time the worthy
prelate had discussed three or four heads
Of his text, felt myself competent to make
speech in parliament just Al this mo.
mont, too, q thought struck me, as beau,i.
ful as it was sudden-a plan BY which l
might make the desired tender Of my per.
son, and display an abundant share Of wit
into the bargain.
To this end seized Mary Roses prayer
book. and turning over the pages ill came
10 masrimouy, marked the passage. "Wi!,
thou have this man to be thy welded
husband?' with two emphatic dashes; and
pointing Significantly and confidently to
myself, handed it to her with bow. She
took it she read it she smiled !! -
Was it smile Of assent? OBJ, how my
heart beat in my bosom at that instant
so loud. that I feared The people around
as might hear its palpitations; and looked
at them to see if they noticed me. She
turned over few lesves-she took my
peacil, which had purposely inclosed in
the book-and she marked = passage. o
70 gods and demigods! What were my
sensations at that moment not Jove him.
self, when he went swan hopping to love.
ly Leds-sor Pluto, when he perpetrated