Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1868-04-11

From the World 81 Home.l
He was the shyest-the most painfully
modest-man ever knew and he often
times suffered in consequence most cruelty.
He was the man who went most out OF the
way to avoid hurting peoples feelings, and
for the sake of delicaey and, as usually
happens, he was tresding upon peoples men
taItoes continuously. When he first came
amung US, and was furnishing his cottage,
and getting introduced to his future parish
toner's, 1 remembea calling with him Ton our
way 10 the market town. upon farmer who
had a club-foOt It was not long before poor
Flush. who was not aware of this, and was
very nearsighted, observed, with a smile,
that our host seemed to take excellent care
to keen himself out of the dirt among the
lanes. {" What a sensible boot that is of
yours, Mr.. Lsyman why, it's treble soled =
And. before he had recovered himself from
the flame of bushes into which he burst up
on the discovery of his mistake, he informed
Mrs. Layman and her four daughters, that
the object Of our expedition into the town,
was to procure him (Peony Flush) " pair OF
comfortable drawers" meaning thereby
chest, / suppose, but sending the whole com
panv into shrieks of laughter, and suffusing
himself from top to toe with beautiful rose
color. These sort OF things, he confessed to
me, ANNOYED him for months afterward, op.
pressing him like sins; and could not for
hear remarking, Why, Flush, how will you
ever have the face to propose to the future
Mrs. p. F. ?" He rose colOred in such man.
ner al this that said, "COme, Peony, tell
us all about it at once, do" which, according
ly, after a little pressing, he did.
81 was indeed" he began, "Once engaged
to be married, I believe (hoW l went so far
az that is a marvel to me Silly, but an Incl
e G-S- fnf cha nj a.
TO put the matter entirely out of the ques
zion. l was a young undergraduate, spend
ing the summer with a reading party at the
Irish lakes, when l met With-With Lucy,
and got. in short, to be accepted. She was
residing with her mother, in the same hotel
in Killarney IS ourselves, and we all met ev-
ery dav. We boated on the lake together,
and fished, aud sang, and read. We landed
on the wooded islands in the soft summer
evenings, to take our tea in gypsy fashion,
and to sketch but she and mostly wits.
pered-not about love at all, as l remember,
but about the weather and the rubric; only
il seemed so sweet to sink our voices and
sneak low and soft. Once, in a party over
the moors, while I was leading her pOney
over some Doggy ground, l caught her hand
by mistake instead of her bride, and she did
not snatch Il away. Il was the heyday and
the prime Of my life, my friend, and that
youth OF the spirit which no power on earth
can ever more renew. Our thought-my
thought, at least, 9eapt out to wed with
thought, ere thought could wed with speech
She took fancy to a huge mastif dog be-
longing to a fisherman; and l bought It for
her at once, although it Was terribly savage,
and, except for Luey's liking it, not either
good OF beautiful. It's name, also-the only
one it would answer to, and sometimes it
would not answer to that-Eas ToWser, not
name for lady's pet at al, and scarcely
for a gentleman's- There was little Sc
cluded field, hedged in by a eopdice, which
stoned into the lake, about mile from the
hotel; and there Lucy agreed flor the hrst
timel to meet me alone. was TO be there
before breakfast, and at eight o'clock In the
morning. and you may be sure was there at
six-with ToWser. Perhaps was never hap
pier than at that particular time. The uni
yersaI nature seemed in harmony with my
bIissful feelings. The sun shone out bright
and clear, so that the fresh morning breezes
eould scarcely cool the pleasant throbbing of
NV blood; but tho blue ripping waves OF
the lake looked iVresislibly tempting, and
could not resist swim. just plunge and
out again, thought I for though l had such
plenty of time to spare, determined to be
dressed and ready for the interview an hour
at least before the appointed time. Lucy
might, like myself, be little earlier; and,
at all events, with such an awful consequence
in possible apprehension, would not run the
shadow of a risk. Mind my clothes, mind
them, said I to ToWser (who took his seat
thereon at once, sagsciously enough, TOR
had heard of such things as clothes being
stolen from unconscious dippers before then,
with results not to be thought of; and in
went. remember the delight of that bath
even to this day, the glow, the freshness, the
luxurious sUftness Of each particular wave,
inst as the last view which his eyes rested on
il painted on the memory of one who has
been stricken blind, or the last heard melody
is treasured in that of man stunned deaf Dy
a fall: IL was nv last perfect pleasure, and
succeeded BY shock that shall never,
think. quite get over. When had bathed
az long as 1 Judged to be prudent, landed
and adyaucedfO the spot where my gar
ments and ToWser lay; as did SO, every in
dividual hair upon his back seemed to bristlt
with fury. his eyes kindled like Goals of FIRE
he gave notice by low, determined growl
that he would spring on me and tear me IN
10 fragments if 1 approached nearer; it wa
evident that he did not recognize me, II
the least, without my clothes. Tow, Tow
Tow, Tow, Tow" said !, pleasantly, good Ole
Tow, you remember me but the brute, lk'
the friend whom we have known IN better
W.
el. only shook his head in a menacing man
ner and showed his teeth the more. 'Towser
be quiet, sir; how dare you-ToW, Tow, Tow
-Tovser-(hers he nearly had Bit of %,
calf offl-you nasty, brutal dog 60 away
sir-go amt you ashamed of YOURSELF
Drons of fam oozsd through the teeth Of tn
ferocious monster as he stood up with Ia
erect at these reproving words, but he mar
Tested no sign of remorse or sorrow. ID
situatioA became serious in the extreme
what If he chose to sit there, on my person
al apparel, uIIsil---l At this idea, 10
terrible to be concluded, profuse prespiri
ton broke out all Over me. Presently, fee
ing little cold, I went lack into the lax
again to consider what was to be done, an
revolving the fell design of snticing ToWse
into the water and there drowning him.
Abuse and hattery being equally throw
away upon him, tried stones; heaved I
him with all my force the largest pebbles
could select, the majority of which he eva
ed by leaping from side to side, and thoI
which struck him rendered him SO f1riQI