Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1865-10-21
a Victim Of Mirthfulness F!
sBY A LADY.

may safely say that the organ of mirthful-
ness has been the cause Of most of the misfor->
tunes of my life While still small child
exhibited the propensity of laughing at any
thing which struck me as being ludicrous, no
matter where, when'or how it was
AT one time, | went to d funeral with MY
mother 1t was the funeral of young lady
who was very much beloved, and Of course Ia
mented. Every one was in tears, when, on
turning toward a window, / saw two men sit
ting side by side, one Of whom was noted for
his length of nose, the other because he had
none. 1t was too much forNmy risibles-I
choked, coughed and sneezed-but it would
not do; laugh must, and laughI did. Sud
denly shadow fell across my eyes,, and a
feshy protuberance resembling barbed hook;
travelled some distance across my nose, and
heard these words pronounced in my ear:
Child, you may be the next victim to the
fell Destroyer
This completed my overthrow, and my
mother shakingme violentlyby the shoulders,
took nae home, declaring that never should
go anywhere again till knew how to behave
myself.
When went toschool, the same fate fol.
lowed me. I received more reprimands, and
more punishments than any other six pupils.
Once when my teacher had been scolding me,
and was just pronouncing pardon, looked
up, and perceived tho remains of pinch Of
snuff adhering to the end of his nose. Then,
alas woe was me that day
When our Committee came into school. T
was always Watching my masters great hands
and feet, and the awkward way he had rolling
his eyes and hanging out his tongue and
many are the .whppings I received over the
schools back. l laughed my WAY from girl
hood to maidenhood At length, there came
time to mo, as there comes to all, when I
was in love. =
Edward Payson was youth whom any
lady might be proud to love- He was gentle
and kind, aud for a time was able to control
my laughing genius, while with him. NV
parents really hoped had begun to improve,
One evening he was unusually sober, I un-
usually gay. He wished to converse soberly;
l would not, and tried to prevent him from
doing SO. The more sober and grave he be-
came, the higher my spirit rose, till at length
/ was above the earth the clouds dancing
about in the broad expanse Of air. T leaped
from one airy castle to another, till at length
my lover, tired, and no doubt disgusted, said
rAmeiia," he said, in husky voice "I
II iau HoPeu GHaC you were the one to control
my destinies, one who would be my compan-
ion through life's thick ,maze-.a friend-a
wife. But | see my mistake. [ am friend
less and alone, and must remain So Forgive
me for thinking to tame your wild free spirit.
You have said it is useless. I believe it.
Farewell I; hereafter we meet but as friends.
was Observation-Disclosures but he was
gone, [ often met him afterwards, but he
was reserved, and Twas always gay and trivi-
al5in his presence. Oh, woman, thou art an
enigma! When thou feecst most deeply,
thou seerhest most gay When thou lowest
most, thou seemest to scorn
Then came another lover, ight-headed as
myself. He was always Joking, always cav.
People said "what a.matclfw and looked up-
on the thing as settled. One evening he came
to mo with q very solemn countenance, and
said
l"Amelia, I have an idea in my head.p /.
"Don't it feel funny r., said I which SO
frightened tho poor man. that he was unable
to finish In like r,annerI have stopped two
other confessions. Thus you see that nv
propensity for making fun has made. me what
J ana lonely old maid. / have not mourned
my flesh of, on account Of il, however, but on
the contrary, Ihaye "laughed and grown
fat,,n' sButtstill, ifsolne machine could he in
vented TO keep my countenance while I listen
toanother declaration, [ would be most happy
TO receive bothlthe machine and the leoias-
4 ration. 7V