Clarksville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1865-1867, 1867-04-26
COUSIN BOB'N WHISPERS.

The pure, the hallowsd love of Heaven
COUSIN BOB'S WHISPERS.
There are some people In this world will
whom the art Of contradiction really assume
the dignity Of science; it Is 80 perfectly I'M
derstood and 90 constantly carried out that
can only imagine it 10 be the result of deer
thought and reflection. A little obstinacy
now, once in while, Is only sort Of com
mendablc self respect but why people p,i
insist upon having their own way about ,
thing for no other purpose than because 1t il
their own way, when Il is self.evident fac
that some one else's way 10 decidedly prefer
able, is metaphysical problem which woult
require wiser head than mine to solve
Such people always remind me of q certain
river, which took an odd, unreasonable sor
Of bend and which q benign government
deemed it best to straighten. A smooth and
channel was prepared forthwith
and every means taken to induce this unrul,
stream to proceed in the way of the righte.
Gus. All in vain: the disloyal waters refus.
ed any such accommodations, and persisted
In fretting and fuming along in their owr
rough way beneath the cliffs, where rebel
lious little city sat defantly perched, tor.
menting their unhappy waves with the sho
and shell of terrible conflict.
And yet think It would be decidedly ca.
sier to manage the Mississippi than to essay
a headstrong girl; and of ali
headstrong girls Nettie Lee 10 the-well, su.
perlatives fail 10 express her willfulness. |,
scas provoking. Everybody had considered
it settled thing for long time--eyer sincs
they were children, in fact Robert and sh,
had been "cut out" for each other, and fol
the last year or two they were thought to be
engaged; and now, when the poor fellow re.
turned from college, with all sorts Of honors
and capital letters to his name, she was JUS
barely civil, and nothing more. Everybody
else was crazy with delight at his s.rrivsl.-
Auntie had talked Of nothing but this for
weeks; uncle gave grand supper in honor
Of the successful graduate, half the girls
were desperately In love before he had been
home three days: and Nettie-willful Net
tie, for whom alone he had eyes or ears
was In the depths of o Irritation with tha,
detestable Tom Ellis, whose great red whis-
kers might serve as torches for Charon bim-
self.
show can you treat Bob 30 unkindly
Nettie2" / asked one night, when we were
alone in our room. al know you like him. "
''Of course l like him." was her demure
reply. a have great cousinly regard fol
him and As he has always been very kind to
me, why shouldn't like him p
"Then why do you treat him 80 badly p
Why do you firt with that odious red-whis-
kered Ellis, when you see that it makes Bob
30 furious that he told me this evening that
he could scarcely refrain from kicking him
outl"
(which would have been very gentle
manly way Of treating his fathers guest, !
am sure said Nettie," ironically. "Come
Fan, we're good friends; but don't ander.
take to fight Bobs battles for him-he has
plenty to do that already. As for Mr.. Ellis,
If | choose to fancy his society, Robert has
no right to complain, much less to insult
him about my inclination. So there, Fan,
don't bother your poor head about the matter
Cousin Bob and have too many friends in
terested N our welfare already-more than
we require, assure you"
Ahto " 40 ou tlO outibhuCtiou tuht COulu Dt
got from Nettie; and although she more
than once intimated that 1t was none of my
business, ! couldn't help interceeding, now
md then, for poor Bob, who looked 90 lack
and miserable that everyone felt
sorry for him.
at is only out of contradiction, Robert"
said consoling him, one evening, as Net
lie departed for ride with Mr. Ellis. 81
I'm sure she cannot like that horrid looking
man."
"Do you really think him bad looking,
Fannie?" asked Bob, much relieved
He has such a splendid pair Of whis-
xers
"Splendidl" ! exclaimed. ~ think them
'rightful.
almost every one admires them" said
Bob, with q sigh. al heard Nettie say, the
,ther day, she hated TO see a man with a
girls face" he continued, rubbing his own
'mooth chin.
"She knew you were listening, Bob, and
'aid IL to tease you. Think she heard some
hing about your admiration for Miss Bill
ings and Is having her revenge.
Miss Euphemia Billings was one Of Bob's Q
rollege flames, and young lady of some-
what literary turn-a great admirer of Ten.
nyson and Browning. whose works Bob still
possessed as she returned them to him, with
her compliments inscribed in very delicate
hand on the margin. For my part although
have always been ashamed to Ackuowlsdgs
Il ! never could appreciate the fashion
able style Of poetry. suppose as Mas Lu.
cinda says, II Is be cause my mind Is uncul
tivated but the ideas always seem so misty
and mysterious, and the world 80 very
wrong side out that find the whole affair
Is generally quite beyond my oomprehen,
hension.
But Miss Billings was intellectual. Her
mind was perfect hotbed of cultivation
where all sorts Of knowledge hourished In q
degree. Bobs edition of ths
English Poets was inscribed with her dainty
little comments; How touchiugs ." "Toc
truef" Sweetly tenderi making il In my
opinion, quite invaluable as book Of inter.
probation. OF course such an ETHEREAL poeti
cal creature conld never be guilty OF any.
thing 30 mundane as Irritation; still yoaag
Mr.. Jameson had always been one Of hel
most valuable friends, aud he was even sus
pected OF being the subject of one of &c,
odss, commencing, any friend, when othe,
ties are thinep which l think was suni
cient to excuse Nstties conduct ia q meas
ure,
However. the memory Of poor Miss BIZ
ings had vanished as she herself would hay,
laid, like night before the dawu," and th,
sunny, roguish, sparkling littls witch Of
Nette had him hound heart epd soul b he
chsrr'"' y triumph aud senea utterly ur