Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1868-09-11
SEleftfd sstisfelIaup.
HOW 1 CAME TO GIVE HER AWAY.

y
about, or what sort of tale it was to be,
or how much copy" it would be desira-
BILE to compress or exc it out into had
worked up all the plots or subjects on my
list, and had no one to begin with. For
all that, took my seat at the accustomed
place, and meant to write tale. had a
very urgent reason for meaning to do so
on this especial night. A trouble had sud
denly fallen upon me; nothing could
remedy 1t; nothing could cure my heart
ache. But trouble multiplies its piercing
shafts to an idle man SO /, wounded and
manned, so to speak, went to my study
with the full purpose of forcing myself to
write-something. Goodness knows what
might have perpetrated, or how many
sensational incidents floated in the atmo-
sphere of my room, and presented them
selves insinuatingly, one by one, only to
be rejected. They had all been done be-
fore, better than ! could do them.
wasn't great at sensation moreover, was
not quite sure that it would be right to add
ever so small and obscure contribution
to that rabid style of literature. felt that
couldn't make man marry his grand
mother by mistake, or show forth the de-
licious horrors of "14 people poisoned by
young and beautiful girl"
was Illuminating in this undecided sort
OF way when my eye CHANGED to fall upon
a picture on the wall, and in moment l
knew what 1t was should write An in
cident from real life-my own life that is
10 say, an incident in which l was con-
cerned. One objection, however, occurred
to me; the hero of my story might proba-
lily recognize his portrait, and "cut up
rough" about it, for the thing was of re-
cent occurrence; but, after all, if changed
the names, did not see that it could mat
fer To him If hn nbanna1 70
Some short time ago, then, you must
understand, left town to pay visit to
the paternal mansion-I ought to say
maternal-since my mother was o widow.
l had been summoned thither by an ur-
gent appeal, and on an occasion of the
greatest Importance. My youngest sister
was going to be married, OF course it is
very wicked to have a favorite sister, but
confess the wickedness on my own part.
had favorite sister, and this was the
oungest-Letty-of whom l had heard
that she was about to commit matrimony.
In the first place, felt little injured on
the subject. had been building castle,
in which my pet sister reigned queen, by
my own fireside; and now that was
knocked to pieces. In the next place, my
conscience reproached me. l began to
think that ought to have managed to
be more at home, seeing that my sisters
were orphans and my mother was a
widow. They were not penniless they
might even, l thought, be considered
catches by adventurous wolves on the
lookout for prey and there were many
such adyenturers prowling about the
world, Ought | not therefore, to have
kept closer guard over the sheepfold?
And then, women are so easily taken in |
All these reflections made me uneasy,
and when got out at the small country
station and found no one to meet me,
though had specified my train, was not
in an amiable frame of mind.
The Send up your portmanty, sir,
presently" of the porter only elected
nod instead of the expected gratuity,
which, to be sure, he would get all the
same when his errand was done; but that
didn't matter. 1 was injured They
ought to have sent to meet me. They
were all too much taken up with this fool
ish affair to think of anything else A
nice, comfortable sort of time was going
to have of it
" Never to let me know the mans name,
nor what he is, nor any thingr
grumbled to myself, lashing up my
grievance. "Never to give me hint of
it till the thing is settled, and the day ac-
tually tixed-not, perhaps, beyond recall,
though. If l see that he"
And here found myself in the act of
repulsing very old friend, black and
tan retriever, named by wonderful
anomaly, Shepherd. He jumped upon
me with vociferous welcome, flung his
paws on my shoulders, and whisked his
tail in my face, as though he thought it
was the incest thing he could offer me as
l stopped to undo the fastening at the
gate
"Down, Shepherd" cried. "You old
simpleton, be quiet What was the use to
give you such a name as that, eh? You
are but false shepherd. Wolves have
got in, Shep. What have you been
aboutP"
But Shepherd didn't care. He licked
his chops, and slobbered at me as affec-
tionately as if had been praising him.
Then 1 went up the drive, and saw my
dear old mother at the drawing-room win
dow, looking out for me. The sight of
that good old face, smiling, and little
agitated ought to have dissipated my ill
humOr, but it didn't do anything of the
sort. 1t rather gave me an additional
stab. Lefty always used to come out to
meet me, and why didn't she do 80 now?
1t was too bad; too early to cast off her
old friends indifierently, simply because a
wolf had got into the fold, and meant to
devour her. She did come to meet me at
the door, however; she kissed me just as
heartily as if | had not been feeling cross,
and put out, and injured.
They're all in the drawing room" said
Lefty. "Come."
l hesitated. Did "all" mean that the
wolf was there? hoped not.
"Who are all, Letty?" l asked.
Mamma, and Caroline, and Dick" she
replied.
Dick was a Juvenile brother of mine,
and pickie-all Dicks are pickles-who
made an immense pretense of being al
sor6ed in study when went in.
When the salutations were over, an un-
easy silence iel upon us, as was natural
under the circumstances, and we were
driven to exchange ideas concerning the
weather. We'll" said at last, when
is 1t to be ?"
1t was unnecessary for me to he mora
explicit there was but one ait" for tbose
infatuated people just then.
"On Thursday" said my mother.
"Thursday |" said /. "Why, to-day is
Thursday, and l am whole week too
soon"
"You don't mean to grudge us a week,
Jamesg" said my mother.
To this speech made no immediate
answer.
al suppose it's rather sudden affair.""
before :"
"No it is not sudden" replied my
mother. "You know did tell you, when
you spoke of wanting Lefty with you,
that | ddn't think she would be avail
able"t
did youso said /. "But l never
thought why What is he?" (meaning the
wolff
We'll James, said mother, "the fact
is"
He is a former" broke in Lefty.
/ was using my chair as the fashioner
of it never intended il to be used, and as
turned sharply toward my mother il
gave remonstrative crack.
"Oh, James, your old tricks" she cried.
PRAY don't break nv chairs -