The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1864-05-10
LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT.

nishes the following pleasant light reading, which
will be found highly divertipg:
Soon after big fight in which was engaged,
[ bought an unexpired furough of friend of
mine who had no further use for it, and went
down to Savannah to spend it, and to see young
lady to whom had idea OF making love, hav-
| ing been told that she was as rich as Confeder-
ate Spectator. In fact, went with the fixed de-
termination to marry her, but declined to do So,
for the seemingly frivolous reason that the arrange
ment did not meet the appreciation of the lady and
her friends. Her brother, colonel 10 the army,
at home Oh furlough, seemed, particularly, little
disposed to deprecate the match, and vaguely hint
ed as much the second time l called, by escorting
me to the door with bis hand tremendously grasp
ing the collar of my coat, and kindly assisting me
to descend the steps by projecting against me, to
keep me from falling backwards, a cavalry boot
weighing something less than a ton. After ma
ture reflection | partially satisfied that my
visits did not afford the entire family that high
| degree of satisfaction L had been led to expect
and I discontinued them.
Soon after this, while knocking around town one
evening, I stumbled upon theatre, and went in
to witness the cold blooded murder Of somebody's
tragedy. | found seat in the pit, In looking
around upon the array of beauty and chivary in
the boxes, my unsuspecting eyes suddenly fell up
on the most beautiful girl that the world ever saw
or probably ever will see. There is certainly
nothing like her to be found in either sacred or
profane history. The rapturous shock, the thrill
of ecstacy L experienced on beholding her were
tremendous in the extreme. The shock of the
most powerful galvanic battery were gentle touch
of an infants caressng finger in comparison. L
seemed to be driven through the foor as it were
like ten penny nail under the sledge-hammer Of
Titan.
This terrific sensation which swept over my
heart like Niagara of delight, was what they
call Love at First Sight
1 could not withdraw my gaze from her be-
witching face. 1t rested there for hours. She
smiled ! Ye gods what a glorious smile 1t
was divine My heart, my soul, my entire per-
sonal individuality foated away to the seventh
heaven Of love, leaving my wardrobe seated in the
pit, unconscious spectator of the gorgeous scene
around it.
The curtain fell upon the last act or it may
have been upon the first; or it may not have fallen
at all Indeed, there may have been curtain.
I only know that the audience rose to goat least
she did and presume the rest did also, as |
not see what motive they could have for remain
ing after she left. | barely remember that
there was with her grey-haired gentleman, APP
parently about ffty-evidently her father. She
rose to go. Mechanically l rose to go too 1t
had been several hours since my eyes first fell up
on her divine face and form; but
$50 noiseess falls the foot of Time
That only treads in flowers"
that to me it seemed but the shadow of one beg
carly moment. She threw her nubia over her
head, clustering with curls the least of which
would have set Stoc's heart aiame, and taking
the arm Of the grey haired gentleman-eyidently
her father-descepded to the street, where her
carriage awaited her She entered it. l would
have given the wealth of the famed Lydian king
to have been the driver, even Of the horses.
he off I wit ham
the board behind, where they strap the trunk, you
know, and taking very long steps and great many
ofsthem, | contrived to keep up.
After of about mile, the vehicle drew
up quite suddenly. | was not prepared for it.
The board took me somewhere about the lower
tremity of the vest and doubled me up like jack
knife My life was saved by a vial of paregoric
which [ happened to have in my pocket. The
lady descended from the carriage and entered an
elegant house | walked over to the opposite side
of the street, and stood gazing the envious door
through which she had disappeared, until the gray
light OF the coming dawn began to appear along
the Eastern horizon.
sought in vain to find out who the lady
For several days was quite distracted with heart
rending mixture of doubts, love and anxiety, and
had serious thoughts of applying for admission
to some unatic asylum. Finally l determined
dernier resort, to settle matter by coup detat.
I employed hackman, who drove an open car
riage. pointed out the house to him. | pointed
out lamp post which stood in front of the door.
"Now" said |, 'pll tell you what | want you to
do; I'll get into your carriage few hundred yards
up the street. Do you drive down the street pref
ty FAST against that lamp post, throw me out
upon the pavement, cutting my head or breaking
my arm by the fall and then take me up and carry
me into that house, and tell the first beautiful
young lady you meet on entering, that have been
seriously injured by the running away of your
horses"
That afternoon having put on shirt which cost
forty dollars in Atlanta, entered the carriage.
1t moved off quietly down the street until it ar
rived within hundred yards of the objective
point of the drive, when it dashed off at some
what greater speed than ] had barganed for.
However said nothing, but held my breath and
waited the coming shock. Two of the wheels spun
along beautifully very the curbstone We
were in twenty feet of a lamp post-but it was
not the right one! Isprang to my feet and fran
ticly cried "hold!' 1t was too late There was
terrific crash; the carriage stopped suddenly l
shot forward ten feet landing at the heels of the
horses, just they dashed off, leaving the vehicle
worthless wreck behind them.
l came to my senses about three weeks after,
and found myself lying on wretched bed in the
wretched Darkroom of a greasy Dutch huckstcr.
My scheme had failed mserably. The stake
for which played was sprained ankle or broken
arm; an elegant sofa in an elegant parlor, with
angel in Loops lowering about me- and adjusting
with delicate, loving fingers the splints and ban