Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1864-04-29
ADVENTURES OF a sBASHFUL
MAN.

Harry Gordon Singleton made his debut
into the world on Friday. We deem this
fact worth ehronicling, since it was an event
of Importance to our hero, and because we
hope to show TO unbelievers that the old song
about the uuluckiness of Friday is correct
From bis very birth, Harry was stigmatized.
He. was an exceedingly pretty babe, fair COM
pIexioned, brown haired, plump and rosy
but he was endowed with heritage far worse
than hump back, club foot, or sqnint
eye--he was bashful! When the ladies came
to look at him in his cradle, and to call him
little beauty-the express image of his pa.,'
the little sweet would invariably put his fat
fst into his mouth and hide his interesting
face in the pillow. -.-.. T..
Mrs. Singleton fair faced, handsome
regretted very greatly this unfOrtu-
nate trait in the temperament of her beloved
irst born, and used every endeavor to break
him of it but without success, and Harry grew
up to youth the most bashful and retiring of
human beings. He was, also, singularly un-
lucky No -child-eVer received so many
thamps and bumps since the fall of Adam !;
his forehead was populous archipelago of
blue, yellow and black bruises, ia various
stages Of coloring. .ss-
When there was company at the house,
Harry generally retired ta an unoccupied
room in the attic, where, having escOnced
himself in the bed which stood there, he passed
the day reading some old novel or book Of his
tory, picked out of the great chest in the gar
ret used for the repository of rubbish or, by
way Of variation, be sometimes took refuge in
the barn, and snugly hidden on the hay NOW,
spent the time in silent meditation on his un-
fortunate destiny, He would walk mile
aronnd through the fields to avoid meeting a
young lady; and when in the street if he
heard the sound of wheels be would leap over
the wall or fence and lie prone on the gronnd
until the vehicle had passed by.
| As he grew older he lost none Of his Pc
culiarities, and before he vas sixteen years of
age, his mothers chief difficulty was the fear
that be would live an old bachelor. Hun
dreds of silver dollars could not have induced
him 70 speak fogas girl of zhis sage. aud lis
father was obliged to forego his purpose oil
sending him to the Whitestown Academy,
and have him educated at boys school.
But notwithstanding zHaTys excessive
bashfulness, he grew up to be fine fellow
brave, generous and handsome, and there was
notRaRl intoyn hnt would have felt ahsrssli
honored by his preference. Harry. however,
stood aloof from all the female sex, and as a
natural consequence, be(Was the subject ol
numberless practical jokes, and the haplesa
occasion of continual giggling among the gay
girls at the singing school a Il III
i When Harry was nineteen Rosalie Waters
came 20 WhitestoWn to pass some time with
her aunt, Mrs. Judge Flanders. RosaliG was
la pretty, bright eyed, mischeiVous fairy Ol
seventeen, and if the truth must be confessed
she took quite liking to Harry Singleton
but of course she was too much Of a coquette
to allow Harry to guess It, he, on his part
thought himself dead in love, though he dared
not raise his eyes to the peerless face of his
guiding star. For whole days he raczed bis
brain, planning how he should address her
bat without deciding upon anything definite
One night at a singing school a bold idea
flashed across his brain its very boldnesi
made it seem very practicable. He would
offer to escort Rosalie home!
1t was on audacious act, and Harry trem
bled in every limb at the thought of it; colo
peTspiration started out OF every pore; BIZ
hair nearly stood erect, and his face flushed
hot as the bosom of Vesuvius. He attemptet
to sing, but his fine tenor voice broke down
be coughed, hemmed, fourished his handker
chief, and was obliged to sit down in despair
The exercises of the evening closed. Har
ry seized his hat and rushed to the entry, wher
be took his station in full view of the doc
through which Rosalie would emerge. He
crimson hood appeared in the doorway, an
his teeth chartered in his head, but his reso
, luton unshaken. He made a sortie in he
direction, knocking over little james Brown
! the barber, and fearfully mutilating the neV
calash of Miss Winn, the milliner, in the act
! but these were minor affairs, and not worth
Of mis- notice. He touched the shoulder
: ROsalie.
May I-may-go home with you to-day
to-night-this evening p stammered he.
: She put her little hand within his arm ar
they went out together into the Starlight
Harry seemed to tread on air. This wor
was this world no longer, but the charme
] paradise of impossibility, and he dared n,
ii speak lest he should break the spell.
l" The little lady, too, was strangely silent al
E the entire distance to the house of JEDI
J. Flanders was passed without a word. AT Il
door Harry would have hidden his companiC
good night, but she retained his hand a
drew him into the parlor; and there the Eg
/ !, of the chandelier fell full on the face of d
) laughing woman, and with dread dismi
Harry saw that not Rosalie, but Mrs. GeOry
Flanders herself stood before him. He III
3 waited on the aunt and not the neice.
, uttered an exclamation and started up to Il
n tire, but Mrs. Flanders good humoredly i
y tanned him.
i. Don't go Harry she said kindly, y
t. really did bravely. l am proud of you;
knew from the first that you had made a m
take, but was fearful you would never
again il 1 denied your escort. Rosalie will
y in soon wait for her, .,...a-
!: Indeed, ma'am-I-should be happy to
not to-in fact ma'am, I believe am wani
to home Harry started for the door ba'