The southern aegis, and Harford County intelligencer., 1862-07-26
For the Southern Egis.
CENTRE NOUS"

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CENTRE NOUS"
There are some rare and precious enjoy
ments which come not often in lifetime,
the memory of which fingers long after
the occasions of them have passed away.
They haunt us in our dreaming and wa
king hours and seem more like the bright
creatures of fancy, than the joyous reali-
ties of our own experience. Truer words
the gifted Percival never uttered, than
when he said of such
'They are gone, but the memory loves to cher
All their sweetness in her deepest core;
All the recollection cannot perish,
Though the eye may never meet them more"
Were [ poet l would fain clothe my
narrative with the melody of song; but
never having herded with the MUSES., nor
drank of the Castalian fount, must needs
content myself with sober prose
II was during the period of my school
days, and while grave senior at GER
tain venerable institution in the heart
of the old Keystone State, that the ad-
venture occurred of which am now about
to write. Students as we were, the dim re-
treats of academic lore were not without
their charms but our happiest hours
were due to the bright smiles and mer-
ry hearts CT the fair maidens of the
aristocratic old town of W. The
winter was passing rapidly away, and
whilst our hopes were darkening fast,
long looked for, long expected, at last it
came. [ mean the snow storm. The
sleigh bells xrere soon ringing joyfully
around us s1outs of mirth and laughter
broke the stiffness of the air, whilst fun
and frolic reigned supreme. Jack and I
1--WE were college friends) being only NOR
tai, could not resist SO great a temptation.
True to the instincts of pleasure, we voted
books and professors bore, and decided
to pay our respects to dame Natures be-
nevolent provision for match making
Our ladies, as ready for sport as we, con-
sented to join us, not for better or worse,
however, though we only wish they had.
Our happiness was still further aug
mented, when the consideration of V
gave us the promise of magnificent
sleigh and pair of noble bays. Our ar
rangements completed, we had only to
while away the time as best we might,
until six, p. NJ, when we hoped to sleigh
them to their hearts content, whilst they,
the little rogues, would in all probability
rob us of our hearts content. After we
had taken the rather superAuous precau.
tion of diYesting ourselves Of our slender
boards, and otherwise completed our elab-
crate toilet, at length the lazy hours roll
slowly away and the old clock in the
steeple strikes the magic number, six.
| All impatient, we sally forth in quest of
our Jehu and ponies, but alas we find
them not. "Hope deferred maketh the
heart sick,' sd with melancholy visage we
fastened away to communicate this alarm
ing intelligence to the fair partners of
our ride. No wonder we poured ven
geance on the whole batch of liveries,
when we saw how handsome and spright-
ly they looked, and reflected that our
dream of enjoyment was fast dissolving in
the empty air.
| Time passed on--the bright visions of
anticipated pleasure had nearly faded from
our sight, but the tagging equipage came
not yet. Expectation stood on tip-toe I;
every little tinkle aroused our curiosity;
whilst ladies old exhorted US to bear
with fortitude our disappointm ents, ladies'
young (bless their dear souls) sympa-
thized with us in our misfortnnes, until
at seven o'clock, exhortation, sympathy
and suspense alike vanished before the
cheering announcement that the sleigh was
at the door, Bustling in Kate and Jack,
Laura and VIII, we soon ensconced our
selves in the cosy seats, and ere long had
left the busy town in our rear and had
solitude only around us. The sleighing
may have been good, bad or indifferent, it
mattered not to us, oblivious of surround
ing realities and onlS Interested id lose
who sat beside us. Our destination lay a.
few miles out Of We, and as pleasure,
| had almost said love, takes no note Of
time, this was quickly gained. Here, the
large parlors Of mine host afforded us am
|plc accommodation, and with delicious