Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-06-06
QDbio Statesular,
COUIN BoB's FIRST LOVE.

who understands comfort Until he mar
ried and settled in the country, couple of
years ago, he had been a-college fellow,
and profited by his opportunities to such
an extent that he has laid down a rail-
way on his dining-room mantle-piece,
and furnished the apartment with several
small but firm and solid tables, which are
placed around the table at dessert-time;
and his. whim is, that, his guests should
sit inaisemi-circle about the hearth, with
table for every pair, and that the de-
canters should travel by hand, like gem
tleman in sedan-chair, and by easy
stages. from one .chimney-corner to the
other, and then take the rail across the
arc to their starting point. And it is a
curious illustration Of the saving of time
inmodern travelling that the rapid jour-
ney across has no effect upon their con-
stitutions, while the slower passage from
table to table takes great deal out Of
them. He has another fancy, arising,
probably, from ten years surfeit of
masculine society, which is, that when
the party is small and sociable, the la
dies should not retire j; and I regret to
say that this innovation is not always so
highly appreciated by either sex as it
should be. 40, =,
d As general rule, however, the exper-
iment is success, for he has an mex
haustible fund of animal spirits, and a
tslent for drawing people, out of their
shells. = gf.3 u Isn.s e.sf. lta.a, r.5
One evening we were particularly cosy.
There were eight of us, all relations or
particular friends. H., ..... ..-,,5,'.-
"Let us put out the gas and tell
stories,'' said the youngest. 81 .aT
'"Good, as to the stories, but why put
out the gas }"
I'D" Oh, because stories go better with
fire-light, besides, people tell things
about themselves more clearly the less
they are seen. At school the girls would
let out all sorts of secrets after they had
gone to bed.''
"Lyddy is right. I will turn off the
gas. There Now, who will do abit of
secular confession 2"
Lyddy looked carefully around, and
said: I" Cousin Rob-"
"Yes, of course, he has hardly spoken
all the evening. and must have been
meditating. Come, Bob, tell us what
has occupied your thoughts
+" was rejecting upon the folly of
mankind, which values turkeys in pro-
portion to their bigness, whereas a small
turkey is nicer than large one. l was
speculating also upon whether casso-
wary could digest mince pie. 1 think
not.''
"Come, come, Bob. though you are
an old bachelor, an epicure and law
yer, you must have an interesting
"reminiscences for us. What very ro-
mantle stories you must become ac-
quainted with in the course of business,
for example"
"Well, am not exactly in the habit
of betraying the confidence of my client;
but if you would like to hear an ontline
of the case of Dodds and Glover, 1 will
make an exception in your favor. 1t is
rather dry. You see Dodds is trustee
for a burial ground, and the vicar p
"Oh, oh f! No, no !''
"It is of no use, fear; Bob has no
romance in him." ta r-
Romance l have done with that
the last twenty years
"Then you were romantic once r"
cried Lyddy. "Tell u.s."
Eyes, at your age, Lyddy, was an
inhabitant of an ideal world, for knew
nothing of the real one. My parents
lived in most secluded manner; and,
as they had peculiar notions on the sub
ject of education, they never sent me to
school. My father had an idea that it
ought to be the great joy of his life to
watch my mind open, just as if it were
an oyster! By the by, you are right to
serve them in the top shells, Morton. 1
expect that you have not read Spencer's
Fairy Queen. at least, not quite through,
and as fer. Amadis of Gaul, will bet
that none of you have ever opened its
pages. Those two books were my
70 1orites. l knew great parts of them
by heart.
81 wrote e little poetry myself, and
some of il was thought very pretty; my
Field Mouse and 'Stanzas to an Au-
tumnal Fly for example. Would you
like to hear my .Autumnal Fly ="
NO."
.That is fortunate, for / fear it is OBJ
solete. I was sent at last to a private
tutor, who. was to prise that mind of
mine open little wider, and to shove
what was needful for matriculation at
the University into the gap. Here, at
last, might have had chance of a
glimpse Of the true, one would have
thoug ght but unfortunately, my tutor
was poor and hard-working curate, in
thinly populated district; good man,
who, when he was not coaching me or
walking over the noors to outlying par
ishioners, was entirely pre-occupied
with coal tickets, tracts, sore legs, rheu-
matism, twins; and such like. And 1
had no fellow-pupil. So, if possible, 1
got rather worse instead of better, and
commenced an epic in six books. Like
wise, if you must have have it, I fell in
love-"
..Hurrah! Pass the bottle before he
begins. Empty, and take back-hand-
er, Bob. Now, then"
at really was rather romantic affair.
/ was walking out alone one day, in
search of an appetite, and an inspira-
den, surrounded by a high wall at the
foot of a hill. The appetite l had little
difficulty about in these happy days; but
the inspiration hung fire, and the epic
poem could not for the life of it get over
the third stanza of the first canto, where
it had stuck for weeks. To soar above
the world for bit might help me, so
turned to the hill and tried the Excelsior
plan. When had mounted a couple of
hundred feet of slippery grass was out
Of breath throbbing at the temples, and
damp; so 1 turned about, and sat down