Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1864-03-14
THE EVENING STAR.
rHE PERsEvERING BAcHELoR.

IhA fEASkSENING BAChELOhs g
Rosy, ana almost forty Peter had never loved
bat once, and the alteration Of his heart had
eeen bestowed upon. Miss Lucy Poppleton;
passion at the proper moment, or, in other
words, had not come to time and one day his
heart was lacerated by receiving an envel-
ope OF cards announcing tn 1t the delight
Crooks.
1t was q terrible blow to Peter, bu. he stag
Seied mp from 1t and still loved the object OF
bis early passion-at a distance. Mrs. jim
merson Crooks reveIed in the delights OF ma
P9ny, Leading fashion t hes noss for a ar
years, at the end of which time MIR. Jimmer-
son Crooks chose to depart for another sphere,
leaving Mrs. Jimmerson alone t. mourn his
departure.
Once more Peters heart sprang MP from dust
70 ashes, and he looked forward to the time
when the allotted period of mourning shouId
be over, and he could pour forth the nentun
-,,,- rears, and ask COMPENSATION Is
t6e hand Of the fair widow. One year. though,
Peter, is surely enough OF time. will give
Ter one year. Month after month rolled away
until the tenth came, and Peter was deterulin-
ed TO wait no longer. "A sieksh misgiving OF e
the evils OF delay drove him 10 precipita5e the
afkipg. -
He sought the widSarA her home, and with
all the ardor OF long pent-up love, poured
forth the tale. The widow heard him, heard
Inn calmly unto the very last word, ami then
with her delicately perfumed Handkerchief
pressed to her blushiDg cheeks by the whitest
OF hands, told Peter that he was alas lust ons
week too late; that she had only the week beFor,
promised ner hand to DR.. SticSieheek, who had
so faithfully attended her dear Jimmerson in
his last hour; oh! why did her dear friend
Peter not speak before.
second time was Peters heart torn into
minute fragments a second time was he sent
0ut into the world 10 admire-at q distance
Time sped on, and once more Peter began TO
encourage hope. Perhaps Sucklebeck might
die; he certainly had an apcplectic look; and
sure enough Peters hope turned out 4 certain
DOE 1yIoI,a
the short period of two years gathered to his
fathers. and the fair widow Sticklebeck was
once more mourner. Peter had learned too
bitterly the dangers Of delay to suffer any eti-
9uette to stand between himself and success
He would not give the widow year, nor yet
ten months-nay, not even six; but even at the
bnlrd month he would 60 to her with his tale
OF love deferred; and so he did. We must tran
scribe the widows own words when the quss-
ton was popped. T ~
..Oh Mr.. Robinson, why did you not come
before! You know my esteem for you! You
know that / would have set aside all other
offers tor you; but oh! how can tell you-that
Rms Poor, Gear, sweet Hawkins he's your
intimate friend, know. I've heard him speak
70 highly Of you! Oh! why did you not speak
And so Mrs. DIR. Theodosius sticklebeck was
transformed into Mrs. Captain Jonathan HaW.
kins; and Peter was once more left to admire
at distance.
Still Peter waited and hoped Something
might turn mp, he urged, ard then he would
did turn up, the something being nothing more
or less than the redoubtable Captain, who
tnrned up missing, having fallen overheard
from the steam coat while out On a target eyer-
sursIon with his company, AID sunk like
stone, owing, undoubtedly, to the ponderous
nature of his responsibilities.
The sudGeDness of this exit, as Peter argued
mnst certainly act with depressing force on the
widow, and he thought he would not again
give her time TO recover and be admired; still
etiquette demanded that little should inter.
Fene. Accordingly, when upon q tenth day
after the melancholy bereavement, Peter
Knocked AT the widows door, bent upon his
GRAND Of love, he rather chuckled to himself
mat he was taking time by the forelock. The
business upon which he came was quietly told,
Tears.
"Oh Mr.. Robinson she exclaimed, hiding
her blushing face in her cambria, sswhy are you
70 unfortunate. and why am !? You know nv
esteem for you-but you too late l am
already promised. You know Counselor
ketehu I'M my poor, dead and gone Hawkins
most intimate friend. He was with him, You
know, when he was called away, and was the
hIst to communicate to me the awful Inteli-
senG a;s. ne was such comforter, and-l have
promised to have hin, this Gay two months -
This time Peter was crushed. He had no
words to express his broken heartedness, but
TO rush from the house and 60 cp, as before
aomlriEg-at a distance
1t was months before Peter even ventured to
encourage nope, and even then it ffici1ered.
One day he was walking in respondent mood
through one OF the upper avenues, when he
heard sudden shout and started. From
half-hnished building just in front of him he
saw, as he raised his eyes, a stout Milesiau max
ing gyrations in the air. from the height of three
stories, In company with coping stone weigh
Ing some what less than half a ton-the two hay
ing snpped together from scaffolding at that
height. be saw both Milesian and stone strike
full upon the heads of two gentlemen passing
and the whole four were in an instant mixed in
An unexticable heap. Like all other spectators,
Peter rushed to the rescue, only to behold, be-
tween horror and JOY, the last gasps of Coun-
sellor ketchum and the gentleman who was
with him. fo1,S fat rho
Mjlssian and the stone.
This time Peter would trust to no passing of
tme without an instant,s delay more he hail.
ed passing hack and then sped to the man
sion OF the widowed Mrs. Counsellor Ketchum
In words Of the most delicate and erdearing
nature, Peter communicated his intelligence to
me widow and waited the results, and then be.
tween sobs and tears, claimed her hand for the
'Oh! Mr. Robinson, sobbed the widow.
snow can you ask me such thing! How
eonid know that you would be the first to
nrlng me me awful news Of my dear Ketch-
respect you, but-but-I am already engaged! 20
"Engaged !" shrieked Peter, .sto whom?'
~ promised responded the widow, be-
tween her sobs, 81 promised a month ago. that
H anything happened would marry Colonel
..You did ~ shouted Peter. the whole An.
pearance Of his face changing in an instant
from that of fiend to a look Of unbridled ioy.
on ala and who are you engaged to after
mo one,1 sighed the widow,
"Will you swear this to me % said Peter
81 swear it," responded the widow, solemn.
ly.
land will you marry me after Snapper is
gone 7"
al wul," said the widow
Do you swear ii p asked Peter, fercely,
al swear 1t, said the widow, earnestly
Then you are mine charming Lucy, for the
stone that ushered the Counsellor into the next
world also took the Colonel. saw it with rrsr
own eyes"
The next moment the widow was in Peters
AIMS, and they were married in a mouth
II NIT u Z. ~
-oA FURNITURE. ~