The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1863-12-02

James J. Smith, Not myScif, certainly
who had never dreamed of marriage, except
" a contingency and had never made scri-
ous love or proposals to any human being
no. il was apparcut--and this was confirm.
cd 10y the alldsiou to the aforementioned
place well known, Of course, to the person
written 10, hut not to mo--that thcrc was
somc other James J. Smith. beside myself
n the world, and in Philadelphia, for whom
the letter was designed, aud TO whom, il
was manifest from the terms of it, the loss
might prove extremely iucunNenicut.
ludcr these circumstances, | perceived |
had nothing to do but return il % the post
oilicc, that it might reach my namcsakc,
and was rctracjng my steps for that pur-
pose. when | was Interrupted by u Ccntlc-
man, but ! thought there was something
sinister in his looks, who stepped UP to mo,
and, with low bow and grinAiug smile,
told me "ho believed he had the Pleasure
OF addressing MIR. james J. Smith 90
That is certainly my name said |,
but
You haven't the honor of my acquaint-
ancc" Interrupted the gentleman. "Ex.
actIy SO ; but have the pleasure of pro-
ducug my note OF Introduction
And with that, the fellow, clapping one
hand on my shoulder, in very impudent,
familiar way, displayed under my nose, not
note of introduction, but note of hand,
Tor somc seventeen or eighteen hundred
dollars, drawn in favor OF Simon Somebody
forget who. and signed, plainly and strong
.y enough, yuWrS J. NmHb.
"All this, my frieu9.' said !, loving
his hand from my shoulder, is, doubtless,
good and fair enough. The difficulty is,
that ii Concems some other James j. Smith,
aud not me, for | never wrote that note,
nor, indeed, any other. You have made a
mistakc.'
Very facctious sir" said the person,
' ! should inform You, sir, that this Simon,
being in difficulty, was under the necessity
of parting with that little noto to me. sir,
because it was debt of honor, sir Herr
thc rascal looked as if he meant to impress
nc with an awful sense of his courage and
determination. a debt Of honor never
lind any difficulty in collecting"
The deuce take you, and your debt Of
honor said l. waxing inpatient Il tell
YOU, sir"
But my gentleman interrupted mc again.
No occasion to swear my dear Ie.ow.
| don't intend to trouble you jUst R01C. J
| know what brings you to town here. know
old Rusty is coming, if he has not come al
ready, aud the rich young lady with him,
! The letter, sir, that you just received, sir.
! Here the fellow burst into a laugh at the
look Of ama2ement put on, at lindiug him
SO familiar with my mysterious epistle; and
| added. somewhat coutcmptuously, 81 did
not think MIR. James J. Smith such spooucy
as to give the public the reading of his let
tcrs over his shoulders in the street! In
| short, sir, as | said, don't intend to trouble
! tO hn
after. shall wait, sir, till the happy hour
! is over, and then. sir. humbly claim TO re-
| new the note, sir till when, your obedient
servant to command, sir ~
With that my gentleman bowed, and
stalked on strollng his whslcrs with an
air of unuttcrablo maguiicencc, which |
have not seen cqualcd by any blacl;Ieg.
This little incident, beside moving some
what of cholcr, quite changed my resolution
Of restoring my letter to the post Office, and
! thereby 20 my namcsakC. 1t seemed now
apparent that my alter e90 was r0scally
| advcnturcr. the fellow, as well as prey, of
him who bore his note of hand aud it ap-
pcarcd, therefore, impossible that such a
fellow could pretend in amy honest way, TO
the hand Of the "rich young lady referred
to by the notchoIdcr, and doubtless the fair
E Of the epistle.
After tea, having no acquaintance in the
city, vent to one of the thcatcra to pass
the evening; and passed it, in the main,
gory pleasantly. | was, indeed, one time
annoyed by two or three we'll dressed, lut
noisy fellows, in the next box, who, from
thcir discourse, soon set down az gamblers
and determined rogues. One of them, who
had rcd hair, | observed. was very gentecl
in his appearance, bat he was an abandoned
desperate in his conversation and from
sOme remarRs which he and his COM
panions let fall, | was struck with q sudden
suspicion that he was no less n parsonage
than my worthy namcsako, Mr.. James j.
Smith himself Thus, in the midst of their
| laughing and whispering overheard the
expressions, Old Rusty the Sirl, p
" rich and conroundcdly handsome" hard
hearted old hunks" Sc and Mr., Redhead
| himself sworc, with an oath, il the blood
suckers woull but give him two days, he
would hold up his head again with the best
| Of them ! tried in vain to catch the tcl-
| lows namc and soon after ho had uttered
| the words related, another young man came
into the box, and told him there were
hawks on the wing" upon which he looked
alarmed. his companions laughed, aud they
all Immediately left the theator,
could then attend to the performance
without interruption and | had been foI
some time absorbed in the interest of the
scene, when ! was startled 10y a voice
whispering in ny cag, " say, Nr. James j
| Smith. this is no place for Il gentleman 81
your inches. There are hu2zards abroad
I who'll stop all marrying and giving in mar.
rago. And if you mean to give up that
chance, hang me, my fine fcIlow, il shan
be the first TO arrest You ~
looked around and was eossged 10 per
ccive The note-hodcr, who gave me sig
. nihcaut nod, and Immediately walked away
How provoking" thought |, to have all
. these vagahGnds take l,.c for that rascal, my
namesake. Yet there is something after al
in his counsel, 1t would not be agreeable
to be arrested, oven by mistake, since there
is no one in the city 10 WHOM J can ap
peal for character or identity. Tomorrow
Brown will be here, aud then shall be saf,
enough"
These thoughts determined me to Leave
the theater. and 60 home. but had scarce
ly got the distance of square before bad
the misfortune to he tapped on the shoulder
by an officer, who told me had writ fol
me on the suit Of Nessrs. Snip & Shears
and requested me to favor him with my
company 10 the magistrates. At tho same
time perceived the taiors' clerk, who hac
evidently kent me in view ami pointed me
out 10 the officer. II was in vain for me tC
protest that | was not the man intended
Mr.. Clerk said: "lhe gentleman was very
good ~ that story" What, | asked my
self, if II should not happen to suit the con
vcnience Of Messrs. Snip & Shears to atleu,
at tie magistrates? ] falt very well as