The Grand Haven news., 1864-04-20
COMING TO THE POINT.

N1eOTge IldTulOg was lUe OlucSb genius
in Leehaven, and can't say he was not
the oldest genius in the world. His pa
rents were dead; his brother a missionary
in Africa; his sisters married and living
far away from their old home, which
George inhabited all alone, too, TO "keep
il warm" Not servant came near the
place, every room of which was closed,
excepting Que where my hero slept, ate,
and blew the French horn, In easy, nay,
flourishing circumstances, as he owned
half the houses in Leehaven, he dressed
like day laborer, and lived like pau
per. Yet he was no miser, for his ten
ants had only to put on pitlful face, or
tell dolorous story, TO be forgiven any
debt, and don't think bis line of poor cot
tages paid him enough TO meet the expense
of repairs, Yet, all chat he did prospered.
If he invested money in line of railway,
that very line was the one that paid the
heaviest dividends; if he built, it was sure
to be on tue spot where, every year, the
land increased in value; if he speculated,
his touch turned the scheme TO golden
fruit; in short, rich as he was, there was
every prospect that he would die worth
treble or quadruple his present property.
OF course, he was popular. Good-natur-
ed, gay and lively, full of wit and cour-
tesy, he was the life of every meeting, and
his loud, cheerful voice, his hearty laugh
were the signal for fun to begin, while
his invnriable description of gay scene
was,
ave had more fun than ever YOU saw
in your life" with sort of drawl on
the moro fun" that is perfectly iDdes
cribable.
Now George was my cousin, and, of
course, | saw him very often, and | soon
found out that ore-half at least, Of my
popularity, in the town, was due to my
handsome escort and its festivities. Many
a nutting-party have we shared; many n
scrape shouldered one for the other; many
n merry day or evening passed together;
and | became u sort of father-confessor
for my handsome cousin. So was more
than half mortified when suddenly found
myself cut of from sharing his confidence.
Something allied himl He was sad and
languid, oftentimcs almost morose, yet no
answer could get to my most affection
ate inquiries, but:
Nothing's the matter" occasionally
varied by, "Don't be goose~
Was he in love! Feminine instinct
suggested this first. but decided that, if
he was, be took a very queer way to show
it. He did no courting, that was plain,
for he was everybody's beau the same as
ever, and, as my mother sagely observed,
everybody else's beside. Yet when he
came to pass quiet evening with me, he
would sit mute and moping, scarcely no.
ticing any one, and sunk in deep reverie.
My eighteenth birthday came at this
time, and my mother gave me party. |
was sitting before the fire in the parlor,
dressed and expectant, very well satisfied
with my mothers verdict that looked
every nice;" for, having turn-up nose,
dust colored hair, and near-sighted, green
ish-gray eyes, I had never aspired to warm
praise for my beauty, or enjoyed the de-
lights Of being belle. l was sitting, l
say, by the fire, musing, when George
came in, "got up" in unprecedented style.
His old blue suit replaced by fashiona-
bly, cut black one, his hands gloyed, and
his customary flannel shirt covered by the
snowiest of linen. George was a beauty,
every inch of him. Even the shiny boots
were n feature.
"Will | do, Molliel" be asked, smiling
at my astonishment.
"DoW
"Do look nice? Am l killiugl'
You arep' said, emphaticaly.
"And now for cosy chat before any
body comes," and he drew upa chair and
sat gazing into the fire as if he wanted TO
stare il out of countenance. | had begun
to think the promised chat myth, when
he said abrubtly,
=" I'm in love! Been in love for moro
than ten months, and rather like it, Want
to propose aud don't know how ~
Graciousl | almost jumped from my
chair with amazement. Who was tho
cL,acf of Ia. offo.,..q II - -.