The mountain Democrat., 1864-02-27
The Psr.sverank .RasAsler..

ment or, in other words, had failed t.
come to time, and one day his heart was
lacerated by receiving an envelope o.
cards, announcing that the delightful
Lucy was about to become Mrs. Jimmer.
son Crooks.
1t was terrible blow to Peter, bat he
staggered up from it and still loved the
object of his early passions-at distance.
Mrs Jimmerson Crooks revelled in the
delights Of matrimony, leading Fashion,
her husband, and -Peter-at distance
by the nose for. Eve years, at the end ol
which Mr.. Jimmerson Crooks chose to
depart for another sphere, leaving Mrs.
Jimmerson alone to mourn her duty.
Once more Peters heart sprung up
from dust and ashes, and looked forward
to the time when the allotted period oi
mourning should be over, and he could
pour forth the pent up agonies of FIVE.
years, and ask compensation in the hand
of the fair widow. One year, thought
Peter, is surely enough of time. l will
give her one year. Month and month
rolled away until he could stand it no
longer. A siekisb misgiving Of the evils
Of delay drove him to precipitate the ask
ing. When the tenth month came he
sought the widow at her home, aud with
all the ardor of long pent-up love pour
ed forth his tale. The widow heard him
heard him calmly unto the very end,
and then, with her delicately perfumed
handkerchief pressed to her blushing
cheeks told Peter that she had only the
week before promised her hand to DR..
Stickelback, and hol why did not her
dear friend speak before9
A second time vas Peters heart torn
into minute fragments; q second time
was he sent into the world to admire-at
a distance.
Time sped on, and once more Peter
began to encourage hope. Perhaps Stick
elback might die; he certainly had an
appoplectc look and sure enough Peters
perhaps turned out certainty, and Mrs.
Doctor Thedosius Stickelback was once
more a mourner. Peter had learned too
bitterly the dangers of delay to suffer any
such cause to stand this time between
himself and success. He would not give
the widow a year, nor yet ten monts-
nay, not even six; but the third month
he would go to her with his tale of love
deferred; and so he did. We must tran S.
cribe the widows own words when the
question was popped:
"Oh! Mr.. Robinson, why did you
not come before? You know my esteem
for you'll You know that would have
set aside all other offers for you; but oh !
how can tell you-that only last even
ing | promised Captain Hawkins. Poor;
dear, sweet Hawkins he's your intimate
friend, know; I've heard him speak SC
highly of you! Oh, why did 5od moi
speak beforel"
And so Mrs. Doctor Thedosius Stickel.
back was transformed into Mrs. Jonathan
Hawkins; and Peter was once more left
to admire-at a distance.
Sill Peter waited and hoped. Some.
thing might turn up, he argued, and then
he would not allow himself to be too late,
and something did turn up, the some.
thing being nothing more or less than the
redoubtable Captain, who turned up mis-
, sing, having fallen oyerhoardAfrnna the
steamboat while out on target excursion
with his company, and sunk like stone
owing, undoubtedly. to the ponderous
nature of his responsibilities.
The SuddennesS Of this exit, as Peter
argued, must certainly act with depres
sing force on the widow, and thought he
would not give her again time to recover
and be admired, still etiquette demanded
little time to intervene. Accordingly
when, upon the tenth day after the
melancholy bereavement, Peter knocked
at the widows door, bent upon his errand
Of love, he rather chuckled to himself
that he was taking time by the forelock.
The business on which he came was
quietly told, and once more the widow
was in torrent of tears.
"Oh, Mr.. Robinson" she exclaimed d,
hiding her face in her cambria, "W by
are you so unfortunate, and why am !
You know my esteem for you, but you
are too late. am already engaged. You
know Counselor Ketcham ?-my poor,
dear, dead and gone Hawkins most in.
innate friend. He was with him, you
know, when he was called away, and
was the first to communicate to me the
awful intelligence. lie was such com.
forter, and have promised to have him
this day two months"
This time Peter was crushed. He had
no words to express his broken hearted.
ness, but to rush from the house and go
on as before, admiring at distance.
1t was months before Peter even offered
to encourage hope, and even then it flick
cred. One day he was walking in dis
pondent mood through one of the upper
avenues, when he heard sudden shout
and started. From a half finished build
ing just in front of him, he saw, as he
raised his eyes, q stout Milesian making
gyrations in the air, from q height ol
three stories, in company with a coping
stone weighing somewhat less than half q
ton-the two having slipped sogether
from scaffoIding at that height. He saw
both Milesian and stone strike full upon
the heads of two gentlemen passing. and
the whole four were in an inextricablC
heap. Like all the other spectators
Peter rushed to the rescue, only to be
hold, between horror and joy, the las
gasps of Counselor Ketcham and the gen
tleman who was walking with him, anC
the perfect safety Of the Milesian anc
stone.
This time Peter would trust to no pass
ing of time. Without an instant's delay
more than to satisfy himself that life wal
extinct, he hailed a passing hack, ant
then sped to the mansion of the widowed
Mrs. Counselor Ketcham. 10 words o.
the most delicate and endeariEg nature
Peter communicated his intelligence t
the widow, and waited the result, anG
then, between her sobs and tears, claimeG
her hand for the next set.
Oh, Mr. Robinson, "sobbed tee widow
"how Ican you ask me such q thing
How could I know that YOU would bs Ii,