Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1864-02-05
IRAsBURGH, VERMONT, FRIDAY FEBRUARY 5. 1864.


tance with Lefty | first began TOTO
well, to feel teadre towards her, at thi
distance of time | am quite unable TO say
| only know that, when the sentiment dit
manifest ITSELF its growth was marvellous
Like Jacks beanstalk, ii sprang up in /
night. The first symptoms were, an un
usual dfiidence, strange embarrass-
ment in Letty's presence, exaggerated by
a painful sense Of personal deficiency
Up to that hour, / had thought | was
rather Il good-looking fellow than other
wise thencefortb, believed mysel
hideous; / deprecated my teeth, alb
horred my budding whiskers, I consid
cred my figure anything but fine. Of 4
night, | established myself before the
looking-glass in my bedroom, with can.
die on each side of the mirror, and fell
TO abusing my peIiections seriatim.
Call this coarse, ropy fiber hair ? !
would exclaim, holding up my hyacin'
thine locks-which, by the way, must
surely be blue. 'Ah look at Letty's
curling round her delicate head like the
tendrils about sweet young vine. That
complexion, that mouled, sunburnt
skin Not for a second TO be likened to
my Letiy's red and white, blending SO
exquisitely that you cannot note the line
where lily bushes into rose. And | to
aspire to such perfection !! / wonder at,
and hate myself for the presumption
/ made great fool of myself, my dear,
but | had taken the fever badly, and went
regularly through all the stages of the
disorder. However, in spite of my con-
viction of Letty's mate superiority, did
somehow one day muster courage to en-
ter my suit. Perhaps my pleading was
too eloquent to be resisted; perhaps the
Judge was too kindly disposed towards
me anyhow, the summing up was en-
thely in my favor, and TO my extreme
delight, the verdict also. Herewith, one
step in advance was certainly made, yd
not the most important one. 1t was all
very well, and gratifying enough 10 the
parties especially concerned, for Caleb
Stutely, bachelor, and Lefty Stark, spin
ster, both of the parish of Bayfield,, to
exchange VOWS of eternal constancy and
plight each other their troth, as these two
rash young persons did upon various no.
table occasions but they were not, after
all, the chief parties to be consulted
What would the colonel say, when be
came TO hear of the matter All ! what
did he say? Even after the lapse Of
thirty years, l still shudder at the remem-
brance. The event happened at party
given by uncle Ferril at his house in
Bayfield,, Hunting about with his Gus
tomary suspicion, Colonel Stark observed
that bis daughter and l were absent from
the room he instantly proceeded in
search of US. AS i'll luck would have it,
Lefty and |, having just finished quad
rille, were at that moment resting upon
a seat in tie adjoining conservatory, my
arm entwined around my charmer's slen-
der waist, my lips in the act of imprint
ing salute upon her tender cheek
When | subsequently raised my eyes,
they encountered the wrathful orbs OF the
colonel, glaring through the blossoms of
passion. flower Medusa's head could
not have turned Perseus, if he had only
happened to see il, into more sudden
stone. Colonel Stark burst in upon us
like a tornado.
Come along, come along, you-you
jade ! he shouted, hauling my poor girl
by the wrist into the midst of the aston
ished dancers. 'Tll put a stop to this.
Wen have no more billing and cooling
behind the old mans back, promise you.
Be off this instant toss on your things,
and order the carriage. And as for you,
young Parchment continued the colo
mel, turning to me, and thrusting his bony
fist like smelling bottle close under my
nose, 'damme, sir, I've a great mind to
break every bone in your blank, rascalIy
pettifogging carcass
The commotion occasioned by this pro-
ceeding may be easily imagined. Lefty
rushed with crimsoned countenance TO
the door, followed by many of The youn-
ger ladies, who were indignant at the
colonei's coarse violence, and stood BY
their order. The more severely virtuous
and moral--wall flowers these mostly, by
the way,-drew themselves up with an
air of conscious rectitude, and frowned
reproof upon the culprits. For my part,
| was furious. / recollect making rash
at the colonel, with some vague intention
of choking him summarily on the spot,
but was promptly colared and held off
by my uncle Ferril. Others threw them
selves between US, and edged me into a
corner, while the colonel was half per-
suaded, half hustled from the room. In