Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1868-12-15
VERY MUCH IN LOVE;
Or, A Slight Mistake.

|
once | am at fault in understanding you
Nov, Cotton Mather Royastone, that is
a-a-well, if it is not a fib, it is at least an
equivocation. [ mean there is no use in deny
ing that you are an lore-deeply, inextricably,
mortally, dreadfully, in love. I've been aware
of it-let me see-ever since that first party at
| Mrs. Swans. Anybody with two eyes in their
head ought to have made the same discovery.
| You are mortay in love with Rosale Ander.
son." And the chatterbox of speaker-viz.,
| Ophelia Stewartson, held her pretty finger up,
and shook it at her cousin meaningly, and sau-
cily, too.
If blush is any acknowledgment of fact,
| then Cotton Mather Royalstone aoas in love,
for the tell tale blood mounted even into his
fine temples, and he cast his eyes down, and
played with his watch guard almost as modest
ly as a girl might have done. Anybody would
have joined Ophelia Stewartson, and declared
our hero to have been in love at that very mo-
ment.
'But. Cousin Cot" pursued the girl in that
same teasing tone, Rosa has gone away on a
visit to Niagara. She won't he back these
three weeks; but that's no reason WHY, you
reason in the world. Act like sensible fel
low, and for that short space of time resolve at
least to forget her. There is no use in weeping
one S self to death over what cannot be helped.
Stay here, and we'll do our best to entertain
you. I'll sing with you, fish with you, walk
with you, read to you, and, if need be, fight for
you. You won't find more self denying friend
anywhere than I'll prove myself to be, if you Il
only stay here, and be sensible and we'll be-
hayed, as young man ought to be during the
absence of his lady-love. I'll even write to
Rosa, and beg her, for your sake, not to stay
too long. Now, amt exceedingly obliging p
nd ~ Jrf1a in hot
hands and waltzed across the room and half
way across the garden before her grave cousin,
with that grave, reverend name--Cotton Math-
er Royalstone- could reply, or stop her. At
length he caught up with her, and said, "1'll
stay and be sensible, Phele-stay, and be en-
tertained famously, if you'll promise me one
thing: Don't write to Rosa. [ don't want it
to be the means of curtaihng her enjoyment
Instead of writing to her, you may talk to me
about her; that will do just as well. -
agreed" said the girl, "and now, bear it
in mind, dear Cot, shall exert myself contin
ualy to be vastly entertaining. You, on your
part, are MOTTO be love sick In the least, You
are to be grave, sober, unoxacting, and most
easily pleased ;you are not to mention Rosa
le, or WATERFALL or any other obnoxious sub
ject during the whole time, although l may
now and then speak upon the forbidden theme
myself
'sHold hold |" cried Cotton; 'turn about
is fair play. I've heard that doctrine preached
from my childhood. l have no idea Of pledg
ing my word that I will not talk upon any sub
ject, while your tongue is at liberty to rattle
away at will. A pretty restriction you would
place me under, truly. No, no, Miss Ophella,
I demur seriously" and the young man drew
handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his
face.
but I shall talk senssbly, you know-give
you good advice, &c. Indeed, | expect shall
be deeply and engrossingly entertaining when l
touch upon that subject while you, on the con
trary! Oh, who has not heard of the rawlings
of a love sick soul? Who has not, indeed?'
The young man laughed hearty laugh.
''Well, Cousin Phele" he said, ''you are de-
termined, see plainly, to have things all your
own way My best policy will be to yield as
gracefully as can; but don't be too unmercl-
full If you are, shall, like the lord Of the
forest, break away from all constralnt, and at
terwards prove more untameable than ever.
s'Oh I'll be very discreet, indeed; never
fear me- and the girl began her fairy like
dance again upon the green sward-a dance
which seemed an appropriate expression OF her
young and happy heart
Ophelia Stewartson was one OF those fresh,
laughing, Hebe like creatures, whom 1t does
one good to look upon. Carefully nurtured
from her earliest infancy, she knew little OF
grief or care Life looked to her sunny path
strewed with flowers. She coquetted and
laughed until the dimples seemed playing bo,,
peep in her full rosy cheeks. She had word
for Everybody and everything-a word which
sounded marvcllously like the sincere expression
of her heart, but which, strange to say, never
gave offence to anybody, but always caused a
laugh
Cotton Mather Royalstone was-hem! Well,
they said they were cousins, and |, not being
very we'll versed in their genealogy, am not pre-
pared to disprove it. Maybe they were cous
ins-cousins somewhere In the sixteenth de-
gree. One thing was very apparent: there
was great affinity between the two, whether
of heart or blood it matters not. Cotton was
Just from college, and for the present was safe
ly domiced in the nelghborhood where Ophella
resided He generally escorted her to parties
and it was at one of these reunions that Ophe
liza professed to make the astounding discovery
that Cotton was in loyge-dreadiiully ln love.
For days afterwards, Opheha, true to her
promise, did her best to entertain him; but her
sly raery was unceasings and perhaps nobody
but Cotton Mather Royalstone could patiently
have endured it. But endure it he did-en>
dured it with very good grace. And, gentle
reader, was not this another proof positive that
he a1ds distressingly Tin love?'
The weeks of Rosalie's absence had nearly
glded away she was expected home in few
days but, nevertheless, Ophelia came in one
day and stood at her cousin S side, with very
serious, condoling air upon her sober face
"Oh, Cousin Cot" she said: I've just heard
something SO dreadful L m sure you'll cry
when | tell you about it. Poor fellow you
have my sympathies-l give them to- you be-
forehand it is really. too bad
"What is too bad?'' said the young man,
wonderingly II cannot imagine what has
happened. Nobody's dead, | hope"
s'Oh no but old Mr. Anderson-the strange
old mertal-he's thrown cold water over all
your matrimonial prospects, for sure
s'Why, what has he done p asked Cotton,
in tone Of surprise.
"Why, he amt going to let you marry Ro-
salie; he's going to object, prove obstinate. as
many an incorrigble papa has done before him.
I'm afraid you'll have to make runaway
match of it yet
To Ophelia's surprise, the grave young man
laughed short laugh over this piece of infor
nation, and evinced no very great concern
But he kept OH questioning her, nevertheless.
1T ism possible that the old fellow objects
to. clever young chap like myself, is it, Cous
in Phele? What does he say against me p
ooh he doesn't like you at ALL Cot; he
never will consent to your marrying her IN the
world
The young man bit his lips, and said, more
gravely while he looked into his pretty cous-
in 5 upturned face: Hell wait until | ask
him, [ suppose, before he refuses me his
daughters hand? p
''Ask him why, it was all settled that you