The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1863-12-16

Madame =--s Who resided ct Ghslon,
was lady of the stFietest character and Of 4
heart proof agsipst allneements. She prided
herself upon her great insensibility, and her
profound Indifference had repulsed all those
gallants Who had voluntered to offer their adj
dresses. The country was for her veritablc
| retreat; she Stunned reunions, and was only
happy IN solitude. The charms of chosen
circle, the pleasures of the world had for her
no attractions add her favorite recreation was
thatsof angling, amusement worthy of unfeel-
ing Foman. sss.sse i'ssss's' = 9 a,s.
She was accustomed every pleasant day 20
station herself at the extremity Of the loncly
Island of GhAien. asd shess,- -Eitk her bpu,]e IN
one hand and her line Ia the other, her time
vas passed in fishing. reading or dreanine
A lover who hadalways been intimidated BY
her coolness, and who had never yentared on
| a spoken or written declaration, surprised her
| at her fayorite pursuit one day, when be had
come to the island for enjoying q swimming
bath. ~ =
He observed her long time. without dis.
eovery, and busted himself with thinking how
he might turn to his advantage this lonely
emusemspt Of angling. His reyeries were 80
aeePa and 30 fortun4te that he ut last lit upon
tie desired plan-a novel expedient indeed
yet they are always more successful with such
women as pretend to De invulnerabie. i.i8
The next day our amorous hero returned to
the island, studied the ground, made his ar
rangenlents, and when Madame ----- had
resumed her accqstem ed PLACE, he slipped
away to a remote and retired shelter, and at
ter diyesting himself of his clothing, he enter
ed the stream. An excellent swimmer and
skillful diver, he trusted to his aquatic talents
for the SUCCESS Of bis enterprise. He SWAN
TO the end of the Island with great pre-
hu he cha af he hon
and bushes which hung their foliage above
the water In his- lips vas note folded and
sealed, and on arriving near the spot where
Madame D. was sitting, he made dive,
and lightly seizine. the hook, he attached toit
his letter.
Madame D, perceiying the move.
mept pf her line, supposed that fish vas BIZ
ting. aia
The young man had retired as he game; he
had doubled the cape which extended out in
the water separating them from each other,
be had reGained his spot without the least
noise in his passage under the willows. The
deed was done. i5.f- yr5 & .1rd 5(3
Madame pulled in her line and
what was her suaprise to observe dangling up
on the hook, not the expected "shiner," but
an unexpected letter.
This was, however, tr:Hing; but her sur
prise became stupefaction when, detaching the
transfxcd billet, she read upon it her name.
So, then, this letter which she had fshed
up was addressed to her.
This was someRbat miraculous She was
afraid. Her troubled GLANCE serg,inized the
surrounding space, but there was nothing 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 closeted
With herself, as soan as the paper was dry-a
paper perfectly water proof and written upon
with indellible ink-she unsealed the letter
and commenced its perusal.
ga declaration of love =" cried she at the
first words, aWhat insolence p'
9 Still the inso ence had come to her in such
extraordinary manner that her curiosity would
not suffer her to treat this letter as she had so
wapy others pitilessly burn it without
reading.
S No-she read it quite through. The lover,
who dated this letter from the bottom of the
river, had skillfully adoptedthe allegory, and
introduced himself as grotesque inhabitant
of the wateis. The fable was gracefully man.
aeed, and with the jesting tone which he had
adopted was mingled true, serious, ardent,
sentiment, expressed with beauty and elo-
quence. 8. ; > s.
The next day Madame D returned to
the island, not without emotion and trace of
tears.
:. She threw her line with q trembling
hand, and shuddered as a moment after she
perceived movement of the hook.
Is it q fish? Is it a letter? 1t was a let
ter.
still there was something strange and su-
pernatural in all this. -. =
: She had an idea of throwing the latter back
into the stream, but relinquished it. The
most stubbofn and haughty woman is always
disarmed in fa:e of the mystery which capti-
yates her Imagination. : 4
: The second fetterew was more tender, more
passionate, more charming than the first
Madame D read it several times, and
could not help thinking about the delightful.
nerman that wrote such bewitching letters.
On the subsequent day she attached her
line to the bark, and left it swimming in the
water, while she withdrew to landing place
on the extremity of the island. She watched
fer long time, bpt saw nothing. She re-
turned to the place, withdrew the lipe- and
there was letter. esg
This time an answer was requested. It was
rather premature, yet the audacious request
obtained full success. The reply was writ
ten after some hesitation. and the hook Drop
ped into the stream, charged with letter that
was intended to say nothing, and affect sort
of badinage-which was, nevertheless, a bull
letin of a victory gained over the hard severity
of woman till then unapproachable.
Madame D--.had too much shrewd-
ness not to guess that Der mysterious cores
pondent employed instead of ,magicsths art of
skillful diver. Scruples. easily understood
retained her from that portion Of the bank
where she was sure that the diver would
emerge from the water. y :.
But this game of letters amused her,, First
it pleased her intellect, aud hst 6ffiinsity be-,
came 50 lively, that.shs Wrote--q gilicll J. !,
"Let us give up this jesting, 16ah has
pleased me for the moment, but should con-
tipne no longer, and come with your apologies
tc Gbai9n. ~. --,a a-f..f
2 The lover answered g. .t-s, ...