The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1864-04-06
THE PERSEVERNG BACHELOR.

heart had heen bestowed upon Miss Lucy
PoppeIton but, alas Peter had failed 10
I express his passion at the proper moment,
or, in otner words, had not come TO time
and one day his heart was lacerated by re-
ceivng an envelope of cards announcing
that the delightful Lucy was about 10 be-
come Mrs. Jemmerson Crooks.
II was a terrible blow TO Peter. but he
staggered up from it, and still loved the OBJ
jeci of his early passion-at distance
Mrs Jemmerson Crooks reveIei in the de-
lights OF motrimony, leading Fashion, her
4 husband and Peter-at a distance-by the
nose, for FIVE years, at the erd OF which
time Mr. Jemmerson Crooks chose TO de-
part for another sphere, leaving Mrs. Jem-
merson alone to mourn his departure.
Once more Peters heart sprang up from
dust and ashes, and looked forward 10 the
time when the allotted perioi Of mourning
should be over, and he-could put forth the
pent up agonies of five years and ask COM
pensaiion 10 the hand OF the fair widow.
! zone year, thought Peter, sis surely
enough time. will give her one
year"
Month after month rolled away until the
tenth came, and Peter was determined to
wal; no longer. A sick!sh misgiving of the
evils OF delay drove him 10 precipitate the
asking. He sought the widow in her home.
and with all the ardor of a pent up love
/ poured forth his tale, The widow hear
him-heard him calmly unto the very last
word and then, with her delicaiely per
fumed handkerchief pressed TO her blush
ing cheeks by the whest of hands, told
Peter that he was alas just one week 10
late; that she had only the week before
promised her hand 10 DR.. Sickleback who
had so faithfully attended her dear Jemmer-
son ia his last hour and oh, why did her
dear Peter not speak before?
| A second time was Peters heart torn into
minute fragments second time was he
sent out into The world to admre-at dis
lance.
Time sped on. and once more Peter be-
gan TO encourage hope. Perhaps Stickle-
back might die he certainly had an apo
pIeclic look-and, sure enough, Peters
"perhaps" turned out certainty, and DR..
Theodosius Siickleback was within a short
p-riod OF two years gathered 10 his fathers,
and the fair widow SlckIeback was once
more a mourner. Peler had learned TOO
bitterly the danger of delay - suffer any
such cause his time between himself and
success. He would not give the widow a
year, nor yet ten months-uay, rot even
six, but even a, the third month he would
4 g. "A
so he did We musiiranscrbe The widows
own words when the question was pop
ped:
sOh Mr. Robinson, who did you no
come before Yol know my esteem for
you-you know that | ~ould have sci aside
all o,her Offers for you but oh ! how can
tell you, that only las, evening | promised
Captain Hawkins ! Poor, dear sweet Haw
kins he's your intimate friend, ! know
I've heard him speak so. highly of you Oh
why did you not speak before p
And so Mrs. Theodosius Slickleback wa.
transformed into Mrs Capt Jonathan Haw
kins and Peter was once more left TO ad
mire-si distance.
Sill Peter waited aud hored Something
might turn up, he argued and then be woulc
not allow himself to be to late And some
thing did iurn up-the something being
nothing more or less than The redou ubtabIe
captain, who turned up missing, having
fallen overheard from the steamboat while
ont on target excursion with his company
and sunk like stone, owing undoubtedly,
.
ties.
, The suddenness Of this exit, as Peter ar
!, gued, must certainly act with depressing
! effect upon The widow, aud he thought he
, wocld not give her time again 10 recover
i, and be admired still etiquette demanded
that lule do intervene. Accordingly
, when the tenth day alter the melancholy
!, bereavement, Peter knocked at The widows
door, bent upon his errand 10 love, he rather
chuckled 10 himself that he was taking
time by the forelock. The business on
, ! which he came was quietly told, and once
: more the widow was in a torrent of tears.
"Oh Mr.. Robinson" she exclaimed
hiding her blushing face in her cambric,
.'why are Jon so unfortunate, and why am
; ll You know my esteem for you-bu
5 you are too late ! You know Couns elIol
Ketcham Amy poor dear, dead and gone
Hawkins most intimate friend. He was
with him you know, when he was called
} away, and was the first to communicate &c
3 me the awful intelligence. He was such a
> comforter, snd--i have promised TO have
, hin, ,his dav tuo uonths
This time Peter was crushed. He had
no words to express his roken-hearedness
but 10 rush from The house and go on, as
before, admiring-at distance.
II was months before Peter even offered
10 encourage hope. and even then il flick
cred. One day be was walking 10 despon-