Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1864-05-27
COUR FSRIP or WILL WOOD
HOUSE

moral or physical courage, but be was afraid
nt the women. On all other occasi ons he was
rqusl to the emergency, be it whatever il
might, but place him tete-G-tete with woman
aHd, to use vulgar but expressive phrase, be
was done for.
His mother had long ago settled down to
the uncomfortable conviction that William
would never marry, and the girls had arrived
at the same conclusion; ard it had become
quite the thing to say, 10 making comparisons,
"As great fool as Will Woodhouse!"
FOr-take note, bashful young gentlemen
however much ladies may admire modesty in the
other sex, they invariably despise man who
has not heart enough to say TO the girl of his
choice, II love you"
Will admired all the girls in his way, but
he looked upon them very much as sensible
people look upon hornets nest, as curious
piece of architecture, but not safe to be IA
miIiar with.
So he kept his distance, ard in the mean
time arrived at the mature age of twenty
three. Then be met tor the first time, at a
picnic party, Adelaide Brown. We believe
people with the stoDiest hearts fall in love at
picnics, and from that hour Will had no COM
fort of his life. Sleeping Or waking, bis
dreams were full of the beautiful Miss Brown.
Surely there never was another of the nnmer-
GUS Brown family like hel! Blue eyes, white
muslin dress, with knots of pink ribbon
brown hair, red lips, pearly teeth, snowy
hands all danced together in a miscellaneous
'all hands around" before his distorted Wis
ion,
Adelaide, all unconscious of the trouble she
had caused, went her way. breaking the hearts
Of most OF the young gentlemen in High
bridge, and trying hard to fracture the few
that remained whole. ---
She was visiting her aunt Hooper, and it is
an undeniabIe fact that ladies always take
best where they are not known. This is no
libel on the sex-no indeed! for with gentle
men this truth is still more applicable
Mrs. Hooper was widow lady of no small
personal attractions in her own estimation,
and if she was not so young as ehe might
have been, she thought she was, and behaved
accordingly. She still affected short sleeves
and proIuse riDgIets of glossiest b lack-though
eUViOus individuals persisted in it that her
curls were.made at the hairdresser's. These
same persons, also, believed that she was anx-
ious to supply the place of the dear deceased
as soon as possible!
For week after meeting with Adelaide
Will bore up bravely. The second meeting
destroyed all the stock of composure he had
been boarding up. He took desperately to
the Muses.. and walked away to the infinite de-
struction of shoe leather, aud the disgust o
bis practical papa.
He met Adelaide, now, frequently High,
bridge was very gay. There was singing
school, a lyceum, "society,'' and then The
young folks got up excursions to the surround
ing hills-fOr it was yet early autumn, and
nature was in her robe of state
There was an excursion to Mount Gibla
one 6ne day, and there Will had the ecstatiC
pleasure. Of treading., on Adelaide's dress
thereby throwing her headlong into pile o
brush, and while Laura Blake picked her ur
and help her pin on her founces, be stood by
half frightened out of his WITS and moment
arily expecting the mountain to open anc
swallow him up.
From that time be pined rapidly. His ap
petite was thing of the past His pothe
thought him in quick decline, and dosed hin
with hOarhound and DIR. Perkins patent pa
Cifc pills. He grew worse aud worse.-
At last, thinking himself near his end, b.
confessed to his mother. She was thunder
struck at first, but afterwaId, like a sensibl,
/ woman, she advised him to put on his "tothe
clorhes" and go right over and lay the cas-
before Miss Brown. 1t couldn't kill him, sh
said, and then if she refused him-wiy, Their
was as good fish in the sea as ever, sc.
Will took three days to consider, and at tb
end of the time his mind was made up. H
swallowed a double dose of blackberry cor
dal dOnned his fame colored vest, aBd blacl
and blue pIaids- brushed bis hair till it shonC
like ebony, covered his head with bis father
ten dollar beaver, and made the best of hi
way to Mrs. Hooper's.
Not that he intended 10 ask Adelaide-bu
Mrs. Hooper. If he could only get the aun
over to his cause, and employ her to state th
condition of his heart TO her neice, be sboult
be happy. lie felt assured that he neve
could live through cunfessiDg himself to AIDE
laide; and if he did, and she should say nu
be was satisfied he should faint away righ. OF
the spoil
As good fortune would have it, he foun,
Mrs. Hooper alone, in her oest gown and he
best humor. She was charmed to see him
and treated him to nuts and cider, and sea
on the sofa so near herself, that poor viii wa
at his wits end to frame the first words of BIZ
errand.
They talked Of the weather and the crop
ill the clock struck ten. The widow tried Il
make him think it was orly nine; but be wa
not so far gone but that be could count. LII
felt that the terrible moment could no lOnge
be delayed. He must make beginning:
Mrs. Hooper" said be, al came over th
evening"" he hesitated.
"Yes, Will >" said she encouragingly.
II came over"
Yes, know you did, still more encourag
ingly.
II came over to ask great favor of you.
"Well, you couldn't have come to anybod
that would be reader to do you a kindness
> William"
THANK you" The sweat stood on hi