Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-06-06
l.CoLUMBUs, o., SATURDAY MORNING,

my instinct told me that she was young
and lovely. In half minute she emerg-
ed into clear space, and, faith my in
stinct was right. Though she was rath-
er far off, I was long-sighted, and could
tell that easily. ss4 ~
"As when the Sportsman, intent on
shooting rabbit in a cover, watches
the furze-bushd from which he expects
the furred CREATURE to appear next, SO
did l gaze on the gaps in the trees
through which the sylph-like form
would presently glide, and then /
watched her till she had once more dis
appeared beneath the leaves, and had
to look for an opening further on.
At length she happened to turn her
eyes toward the1hill, and so became
aware of my presence. & There was one
point of sympathy. established between
us already; she too must be long:sight-
ed, for she could evidently distinguish
thatI was not shepherd, at least in
the practical sense Of tending Sheep in
the Arcadian meaning, / was little in
that tline--for shelxenld not have other
wise have taken SO much notice of me;
standing still and looking square at me;
walking on, and watching me. from
sheltered spots, where she fancied /
could not detect. - -
"After playing bo-peep for about a
quarter of an hour, the deep tones of a
| bell were heard, and she hurried of, to-
wards the house. As she took one last
look in my direction, rose up and laid
my hand upon my heart; she waved her
hand in answer, and vanished. On the
following day returned to the same
spot at the same hour,and saw her again.
/ took off my hat; she waved her para
sol; | kissed my hands; she kissed hers.
The Irritation was as desperate as it
well could be, considering the distance
between us, and the insecure nature of
the footing.
continued to haunt the hill; some
times 1 saw the divinity of the garden,
and sometimes I did not; but when 1
did, she was always alone, and we ex-
hausted our ingenuity in exchanging
sentiments by signs. .aa taol-5T
However timid and respectful a lover
may be, he does not desire after a time
to approach nearer than hundred yards
to the object of his affections, and that
was the closest 1 could get by stationing
myself on the lowest spot which com.
manded view over the wall. Besides,
to enable telegraph to work satisfac-
torily, the parties communicating by it
should meet together first to explain
what their signals mean. So my heart
leaped with gladness when, on the fifth
day of my pantomime performance, she
unmistakably beckoned to me.
1 ran down the hill and was under the
wall in minute. n as f
care yos there :" asked a soft and
the sweetest voice (present company al
ways excepted) that ever heard.
Loveliest and fairest, am"
Bang came something on my hat.
1t was large stone, with the following
note attached to it by string:
mysterious unknown, are you an
other foe or friend? A secret instinct
inclines me to think you are the latter.
Know you my pitiable story2 Have
you sought me out and come to my res
cue? Or have you been drawn by a
mysterious magnetic power to the foot of
these walls, ignorant of whom they con-
tain If the latter, inquire not of 9TH
ers, lest your questions excite suspicion.
There are spies everywhere. 1 myself
will my tale unfold (Shakspeare) in
fitting time and place. Speak not, but
adopt my method of communication"
q" The style was to my, then, taste,
charming. The Shakespeare was rather
eccentric, perhaps, but did it not show a
sweetly tender conscience, only too rare
in these days of wholesale plagiary.
/ should liked to have returned an
answer in poetry, but there was not time
for an impromptu. Sol tore leaf flor
there were plenty of blank ones) out of
a blank book intended for my epic (Which
eventually proved to be all blank verse,)
and wrote the following letter:
"' Fair and afflicted lady, you are
right am indeed a friend, and 1 know
not who you are. An almighty infu.
ence-need 1 name it ?-has drawn me
toward you. I know nothing, seek to
know nothing but that am your blind
and devoted slave
Pretty, was it not? Well, tied it
to stone, and, remembering my own
accident, and0at my charmer did not
wear tall, stiff hat, uttered warning
cry, and tossed the missive over the
WALL Then ran up the hill to see how
she liked it, and assembled high enough
in time to observe the whole process of
reading the note, which she did holding
it arms length, clutching it with both
hands, lips parted"
"What had said seemed to be salts
factory to her, for when she read it she
kissed the note twice and thrust it into
her bosom, looked up at the sky, clasped
her hands. and walked rapidly off toward
the house, without attempting to COM
municate with me further"
I" Immediately after our commence
ment of the correspondence, wet weather
set in, and 1 did not see the mystery of
my heart for week; and at the end of
that time the sun reappeared, and on
mounting guard on my hill, I perceived
that she was once more in the garden.
She appeared glad to see me, and mo-
toned me down to the foot of the hill
again, and when / was there tossed me
over another letter."
"1 cannot fully trust you till 1 have
scanned your features more fully. Swim
the moat and scale the battlements, SO
We can converse at ease.'"
What did she mean by moat2 Was
it playful allusion to the quantity of
rain that had fallen? Orwas she merely
indulging in poetical license? l left
| all this for future consideration.
"The battlements were undoubtedly
the wall, and her meaning was plain for
immediute enterprise:
| al come. fair lady, I come!" [ cried,