Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1866-01-11

/ to your hospitality"
Pardon me, he interrupted "you have
! just stated the best claim any man could
give to another-for sharing his crust with
! hlm-at least so we think in Ireland, at all
events. As to your being stranger, and
all that, is it all got over in a moment and
l VIII manage to spare your bushes
| VIII Introduce you to my wife and friends
as MI Grantham-- since such is your
name, you say-an English client of mine.
just arrived, and whom | have induced to
accompany me. But we are wasting time
meanwhile, and if we don't quicken our
movements we shall come in for the fag
end Of the feast"
10 hungry and solitary man such an
offer was not to be refused, and | followed
my lmpromptu host, and in ten minutes
found myself introduced in a round robin
sort OF way to party numbering at least
forty people-some young, some old and
some mlddlc-aged some of the male sex.
some OF the female, each Of whom seemed
to take my Introduction as compliment,
and to be delighted that another item was
added to their social aggregate
' Yes my love-" said my jolly new friend
to his wife, very distinguished looking la
dy whose eye glanced pleasantly at both
me and him, Il assured Mr. Grantham chat
you would be delighted to welcome him and
that if he did not like your cookery he need
not try it again. By-and-by he will repay
you III more than ole way, for he sings like
an angel and will join Evelina there in
duet that, as Shakespear has il, would draw
nine souls out of one weaver, so that your
hospitality shall not be squandered for moth
ing on nobody"
=" But never sing with angels, papa"
said the brilliant Evelina, a bright and
beautiful blonde Of enchanting eighteen,
who was seated opposite me, "and even the
rustic OF their wings would put me out and
frighten me-
" You need not fear of being put to the
test, Miss Riverdale," | answered in the
same tone, 'sncc, so far as my musical ca
pabilities are concerned, your papas Irish
imagination has galloped off with him
have the quality Of good listener, and can
enjoy hearing good song though | cannot
sing one
" We will test you by-and-by, however,"
she said !; ''in the meantime | recommend
you to try the raspberry tart which is an
excellent preparative to clear the voice"
She helped Inc as | spoke, and chaleng-
ed her to glass Of wine, for the privilege
of keeping up that glorious old fashion
that seemed to be acknowledged there. In
sensibly | was attracted to the fair Evelina,
who, though she formed only a single star
in the galaxy, had for me an interest super
iOr to the rest.
Neither did it end there the days enjoy
mcnt ushered in night of enjoyment quite
as great. After dinner we broke into groups,
and wandered on and around the hill By
this time my spirits had risen almost to fc-
yer height; had dropped from the clouds" "
as | might say and yet so we'll had Iplayed
my cards, that everybody seemed to like
me, to pet me- to adopt me as friend, and
to wish that eve might often meet again"
My old feeling about Lily had received
what pugilists call "a settle :" | did not
envy Sir Jasper his unwholesome bargain
! began to feel that if ever | had liver at
all it was now in a perfectly normal state
and by sort of "mentalists" $50 my ply
sician used to call it, that my heart was
the organ which | should hcnceforth look
out for the engagement most heedfully
AS walked accompanied by doctors
wife on one side OF me, small, plump, pref
ty and merry, and on the other by charnl-
ing widow, somewhat past her premiere
je,neSse but those eyes still sparkled as
as ever, and whose temperament
to be a combination Of solid un-
and sincere and honest desire
to be useful to every human being that
came in the way was still further confirm
ed in the .justness of my incipient feelings
towards the beautiful Evelina Her friends
female friends too spoke Of her nobIy, as
one who was the idol of her family, and |
yet unspoiled by it, and equally the idol of
all who even like myself could feel a sort
of intuition that she deserved the worship |
and admiration which universally attended |
her
In the evening we adjourned to the house
of Mr. and Mrs. Hazlewood, the former zone |
of the best fellows breathing" as every one
called him, and as have since found him
to be, and the latter only second in beauty
to Evelina, and who backed the excellent
qualities of her hus band by additional |
qualities Ofsher own. Here we literally |
made a night of it," and "did not go home |
till mornng-till daylight did appear" Did |
| dance? Ycs-with Evclina Did sing? !
did, with Evelima too. Did ! make
speech when called upon by general &C
claim to return thanks when the toast of
"The Ladies" was proposed after supper ?
OF course | did, and with a fluent tongue
and "surcharged heart" as | called it, !
there and then commenced eulogizing "the
glorious SEX general, and-Evelina in par
tcular. In fact, everything | undertook
on that suspicious day was "a success, "and |
when on returning thanks when my own
health was proposed, | clapped the climax
but honestly acknowledging the ruse prac-
tised in my favor by my dear friend River
dale" and by as canddly owning who
was, and what | was, and that my present
was to postpone my departure
from Ireland sine die, in order to dip deeper |
into the social mysteries of so genial and
generous a people, a perfect ovation re-
warded my oratory, and | heard Evelina
whisper an aside to mamma, which raised
me still higher in my own esteem, simple
as the words were, and consisting of the
equally simple commendation of Really, !
mamma, Mr.. Grantham must be a very ao-
man, and quite an orator he
speaks very wcll-and always like gentle
man"
Do my readers suppose, after all these
many-tinctured revelations, that my ''little
al.