Democratic enquirer. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1867-1873, 1867-07-04

A STORY FOR PAsHFUL YOUNG MEN.
IT will not be deemed a vanity at M
age to say that at twenty-five l was pos
sessed Of . full share Of the ordinary
PERSONAL charms Of youth. Within
little Of the Chesterieldian standard O
height, FIVE feet ten, with locks blacG
and glossy as the ravens wing (alas
the driven snow is not whittier now, will
fair complexion, cheeks glowing with the
red tide of youth and health, and pos.
sessing what is generally considered suf.
fcient good sense and education for all
the practcil purposes Of life, it may be
thought that my experience in matters
Of the heart ought to have proved an ex,
ceptiOn to the Tule that the course Of
true love never did run smoOthe. Blu:
alas not so. 1t was my fortune to be.
como acquainted with young lady pos
sesSed Of so many Charmes, mental, mor-
al and personal, charms super>smiuens
in each, that it was impossible for me to
avoid fSlIing, as did, desperately 10 love
with her. Ie.s0
As far as glanccs Of the eye, tromors
of the voice and occasional innuendoes
might go, 1 doubt not that l succeeded
full we'll in imparting to her knowledge
Of the state Of my heart; aud | will OF
presume upon your patience SO much as
to detail the ecstasy Of joy with which l
first discovered, or fancied that 1 discov.
cred, through similar media, areciprocity
of feeling on the part Of the young Ia.
dy. Let it suffice to say that this was
the Gaze, and that the time came when it
was incumbent on me to make distinct
avowal of my love. This, after long and
psrplexing wertal debate, Iresolved to
do by letter and after writing some forty
ePistles on as many sheets ofgilded satin
paper, finally succeeded in forming q
letter, amounting to about six lines, con-
Eaining as thougbtthe condensed quint-
essence of every thing that could or
ought to be said on the subject. Of this
precious nsorceau retain now but slight
recollection, That it abounded with
terms expressive of pure, warm, ardent,
glowing, undyiug, everlasting and un'
preCedented affection, have not the least
doubt. But unfortunately, this little
specimen of epistOlary excellence was
scarcely finished, When, ohanOing to pc.
ruso some of the experiences of a prede.
cessOr in the paths Of love, | read that
nothing was more unEise or dangerous
than making an offer Of ones hand and
heart by means of pen and paper.
With the credulity Of simple mind,
| at once gavO implicit credenOO to this
doctrine, and, frightened at the fearful
precipice which had so narrowly avoid
ed, 1 ir mediately destroyed 10y letter,
and resolved to declare myself in PERI
son, with my own lips and voice, and to
hear with my own ears the reply which
was to seal my own destiny.
Never did az Alexander, Wallace or o
Napoleon feel the inspiring effects of
heroic resolution moro powerfully than l
felt the influence ofthis. bad resolved.
1 would execute walked the streets
with proud consciousness of the hero.
ism Of my resolution; and in the hight
of pride fairly feared lest, in the words
of the poet, should strike the stars with
my lofty bead But sensible of the i'm
perfection Of human powers, and cons
Scious that mine, in particular, were lia-
BILE to fail on so delicate an emergency. | |
resolved at least to write and commit to
my intended declaratory speech.
This undigni6ed and foolish thingI did.
Instead Of trusting to the warm outpour.
ing Of an ingenious heart, which in
some way at least would have managed
% make itself understood aud felt, II
committed to memory q cold formula of
words, to be delivered as the schoolboy
'ecites his speech, Of which it is sufficient
or the purposes Of this article to recol.
ect the following sentence; Miss Ad.
inns, will you allow me TO offer you my
land and heart?' aa2 $3.50 ra
The fearful hour arrived. The evena
ng for my wonted visit approached, and
found myself seated by the side Of my
dorsd. id the summer evening twilight.
The last rays Of the setting sun had
;radualiy disappeared from the rosy
LIQUIDS that fingered about the west. The
ull moon rode high in heaven, and one
y one the glorious stars became visa,
lie: r9.
In such night
Stood Dido with willow in her hand;
Upon the wild sea banks, and waved her
love
To come again to Carthage
The open window by which We aat
ooked out upon garden stored with {
rofusion Of rich and rare flowers, from
Thich there exhaled and rose around us
delicious fragrance, forming . ct atnos-
here for such scene. The time, the
Gene, the scenery, every thing was ap,