Sugar planter. [volume] (West Baton Rouge [i.e. Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Parish, La.]) 1856-1925, 1868-08-15
JOKE

AllE AA@ BbEf'tb vi p NNN'1~' 49, @
n long and interesting debate the ques-
ton seemed about to be decided IN its
favor, when o gentleman. whose singular
melancholy aud detected air at oucs at
tracted our attention, related the follow
ing story :
Ia my younger days | was remarkable
for my foudness of practical joking, even
to such a degree that | never allowed a
good opportunity to pass u%nimproved.
My orphan cousin, Robert, to whom
was foudly attached, was Of a very differ
ent nature from this. Hs was sober, Sc
date and graceful almost TO a fault, very
thoughtful and very bashful. This stu
pidity, as l called it, was often a check
upon my natural gayety. and it was sell
dom | could induce him to join my boyish
sports, though he sometimes did, merely
to crafty me. Poor Robert the green
turf of bis native valley-ou whose bos.
om the %fairost flowers that England could
boast Of have blossomed and withered,
and passed away to eternity, leaving be
hind them a lasting impress OF their love
Iiness-bow cover his molderiag ashes.
Yes, Robert is dead, and am the cause
Of bis .untimely end the circumstances
Of which will serve to convince you Of
the folly Of practical Joking.
1t was late one evening in early Sep
TENDER, that Robert and myself retired
to our room to talk over the exciting
scenes of the day, for it was the night
after the election, and a fine HOLIDAY it
had been to US. l had just returned from
o visit to some friends 10 the city, and
had, Of course, brought with me many
curious things which Robert had never
seen or heard of. Among them was a
mask, the use of which | explained to
my simple cousin, who laughed and won
dered why the people could wish to look
horrible enough to wear que.
| was in my gayest mood, Just ready
for an adventure, and seeing that be was
disposed to make fun of my mask, l pro-
posed an experiment.
What p exclaimed my cousin, "you
do not intend TO wear it in bed, do you y
Far from it'll replied !; lit is you
who should wear the mask, not |. am
quite ape enough without it,"
"a very just remark, indeed be OBJ
served, gravely.
| had never seen him ia better bumor,
and thought it best to unfold my plans
at once. At our next door lived e very
wealthy gentleman, with whose daughter
my bashful cousin was already smitten.
That very night, as we passed by, on our
return from the village, he had called
and hidden her goodnight, and received
in return one of the sweetest smiles from
the happiest eyes and most charming lips
] ever beheld. | was his bosom friend,
and to me lie always entrusted lis secrets,
(alas | how little have | de- rived such
confidence J yet he always blushed when
| spoke Of Julia.
Some evil spirit, | know not what else
it could have been, prompted me when
proposed to have a little sport at her ex-
pense. My plans were these be was to
dress himself in a suit of clothes to cor.
respond with the mask, which, by the
way, vas the most frightfu! looking thing
| eve saw ; repair to the dwelling Of bis
friend, and call her to the door by rap.
ping. was to stand near and witness
the result, and participate in the joke
He blushed, hung bis head, and Of
course refused. | had expected this, but
4iattered myself that / could easily per
suade him to the contrary. 1t was, how
ever, a harder task than | had anticipated
for his unwihingness seemed greater than
ever /; the reason ] readily understood
/ pooaed ! and shaved and finally
threatened to expose to all the boys bis
cowardly disposition, as I pleased to tern
it, and his tender feelings to Julia, which
as yet, meme Of them had discovered
This last araament proved more success
full than the other, for he well knew tina
1 never suffered the idlest threat to re
main anfulilled and the fear of being
laughed at, besides ~betraying that which
he most wished to conceal conquered
he yielded, though reluctantly, bis con
sent. even exulted ever my triumph
though | have often since wished my lip
had been struck dumb before | had utter
ed those words that sealed the after tatt
of two pure beings. But in my thought
lessness, l rushed heedlessly on in what
ever | undertook, regardless of conse
quences. My wild, reckless spirit hat
never been tanned.
Finding that there was but one alter
native, aud that, to submit cheerfully K