Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1864-12-30
Mistellaneoms.
Constitutionally Bashful.

Constitutionally Bashful.
suppose there i. no doubt but | wa.
born with bashul Tenderness, and "what i,
brod in the bone stays long in the flesh
to use the words Of some wise individual
who, like many another great genius
Stunned notoriety, and had for his nam
de plume, Anonymous.
My mother tells me that when an in
FAINT had the ridiculous habit of turnin.
over on my face in the cradle when there
was company and if the visitors hap
pened TO be ladies. turned red in the
cheeks aud purple abou. the eyes, to such
an alarming degree as could not fail OF
exciting wonder and awe in the heart OF
the most Indifferent 3eholdcr.
| remember when child Of thr5c or
four years, used to take refuge behind
the great eight day clock whenever my
mother had callers; and once | came
near being frozen to death in the rclrigera-
tor, where had ensconced myself on the
appearance Of = couple of lady visitors:
Throughout my boyhood 1t was the
same, only decidedly more SO. Ny debnt
ut tchool, was like an entrance into the
ancient halls Of torture.
The austere tchoolnaster, with hi,
dread insignia Of brchen rod. steel bowed
spectacles and swallow tailed CO t. was
bad enough the erinnins, mischici-lov-
ing. and at times bcIigereut boys were
worse. But the girls Heavens fear
ed them more than any suspected crimlH-
ais OF old did tie terrible Council of
Ten. All on earth they serm1i 10 Gal
TO do was to siss'c at uie' o. egHr~s |
Was the ohjec, Of their sport for they
pecped at me over the tops Of their h..'.,
from behind their pocket hautAerchiei.,
through the in;erstices OF their ear,s-
and made me hopclessly wretehei by
clubbing me "Apron-string."
The third day of ny a,tculancc at
school was stormy, and my home oe.n. at
some distance, l was obliged to remain
with most Of the others, through the noon
intcrmi.sion The little girls got to play
ing at pawns. | retreatcd to corner
near the door. and stood silent AMI not
unterrifed spectator.
by and by cherry-lippcl little CIR,
had to pay forfeit and one OF her
schoomates pronounced tho sentence i'll a
loud voice.
kiss Apron.strins Sunderland ~
That meant me. There was a wild
scream of laughter, in which all joined
and l took iugIorlously tc fight, with the
Cherry.lips close at my heels. strain
I'd every nerve and sinew--it was u mat
ter OF life and Geath to me-and have
no doubt but that l should have won the
race in fine style,if had not unfortunate
ly, in my blind haste, run against Miss
Patty Hanson. the prinmest and most Ill
tempered spinster in IIallswell.
My momentum was such that knock
ed Miss Patty from terra frma, very
much as the successful ball knocks down
the ninepins and from the de5r'S OF the
wreck-consisting of fractured UNI
brella, a torn calico gown. and teaTlul'y
dislocated bonnet-Miss Hanson rose up
"a Nemesis And such thrashing as |
received at her hands. would have made
the blackest villain out of pargatory con-
fess his sins without pfevarlcation
! had heard my mother say that no one
died till their time had come, and | teIi
satisfied that my time had come. l vainIy
endeavorec to repeat,
"Now lay me down to sleep"
as both fitting and appropriate to the oe-
easion, but Miss Patty thumpei the words
out of me to the tune Of the Umbrella
Quickstep, in staccato.
Little cherry.lips came nobiy to the
rescue.
"For shame Miss Hanson, she cried
eto beat little hoy at such rate 1t
won't mend your umbrella, or siralshten
your calash And the per'plrat'on Is
washing the paint all out of your
cheeks"
My enemy left me to fly at my deiend-
or, whose name was Florence hay. bu,
Florence was little to agile for the OLD
lady, whom she speedily distaaced' while
! made good my escape into the shelter
ing foliage Of an appletree' where
eocuto,J PeIc"cu y" a. i'll,
mained until school was eIt, and the gf'S
had all gone home.
After a time, at my urgent entreat'es'
my parents removed me from the village
schsol and placed me at an institute ior
boys. l had thought previously to the
change, that should be perfectly happy
when il was effected ; but had some
how, miscalculated. l missed 'ne , pc,
wisching faces of the girls ! had NED
from, and, for the 6rst tins IN my me- !
realized that the world would be a terri
ble humdrum sort Of place II there
were nothing but men here. -.
To confess the plain truth, | had DIS
covered that, in spite Of my basaiulnesF
Ilovel every single girl had ever s'''