Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1869-06-24

Y
well-dressed, and with heavenly cur
to his hair, he interested Miss Brandon,
who forthwith smiled upon him, and
baited her Irritation hooks with most
delicate fascinations. With shade Of
surprise, she observed that her intend
ed victim succeeded in reaping the full
benefit of the bats, and yet refused to
be caught. Upon this. she became
shy, and he commenced promiscuous
assault upon the. affections of every
available young woman he encountered.
AS soon as it was evident that they un-
derstood each other, they began to
laugh. Consultation followed. From
laughing at one another they turned to
laughing at Miss Brandon's troop OF
suppliant admirers. l am sorry to
say that the young lady betrayed con-
fidenee. She told him how one especial
ly devout adorer was continually quot
ing Scriptural pufs to her; and how
another, of chronological turn of mind,
would insist on comparing her to new
and exquisite specimens of bugs.-
Then he told her, quite maliciously,
how precarious her rule was, and cru
ely likened her position to that of a
keeper in lunatic asylum, whose
strength lies in his confidence that his
suhordinates, having lost their wits.
possess no power of combination anon g
themselves to defeat his plans. Oc-
casionally Miss Brandon was a little
tart; sometimes Mr.. Langford was a
little rude; but they usually kept with
in amiable bounds, and were under
stood to be excellent friends-nothing
more!
Not one of Miss Lucy's devotees
ever thought it worth while to look
upon Henry Langford with eyes of
green indignation. He was in no de-
gree rapturous about her; she often
snubbed him. An infnitesmal quar-
rel between them had once been de-
tected. Besides, he was not resident,
only a visitor, whose opportunities
were thus limited.
Moreover, it is a fact that no two
persons were more profoundly con-
vinced Of their absolute Indifference
to one another than Miss Brandon and
Mr.. Langford themselves.
They had given much private thought
to the subject There was the danger),
and had satisfied themselves that they
we're. as everybody understood, excel
lent friends--nothing more!
Nevertheless it happened that Mr..
Langdon was suddenly overcome by
sense of shame at his want of family
feeling in so long neglecting his Win
ston relations So he endeavored to
repair old errors by frequent visits, and
established an extensive acquaintance
in the neighborhood. He grew fond of
social gayeties. He cultivated all Win
ston. At every important gathering
he was made welcome.
At last the winter came, and every
body knows how delightful the winter
is in New England country town,
where the thermometer never by any
excess Of exaltation gets more than an
occasional degree or so above o; where
frozen noses are to be met at every
corner, and are deemed neither un-
common nor unornamental, while froz-
en- toes are accepted almost in the
light of a luxury; where ice-cream is
indissolubly associated with breakfast,
and where for many months life is but
perpetual shiver. Mr.. Langford,
anxious to experience all these joys,
came up to Winston in the middle of
February to remain two days, bringing
with him baggage sufficient fer three
weeks, to which term, after much in
terchange of entreaty and expostula-
ton, he was induced to extend his
visit.
The first time he met Miss Brandon,
he tempted her with the suggestion of
a sleigh-ride. Said he, "a sleigh-ride
in winter is seldom amiss," and was
thereupon sharply criticised for admit
ting the possibility of such thing at
any other season. However Miss
Brandon consented she would ride with
nlIu Ln6 HeXC dtteTlOOH.
In the morning Mr.. Henry Langford
gravely inspected the family stable, but
found nothing therein equal to his own
idea of the magnitude of the occasion.
At the public stable he was more sue
cessful. At first he contemplated the
luxurious magni6cence of span, but
an irresistible impulse subsequently in
duced him to settle upon single
courser. Zone horse may be driven
with one handy 1t is difficult to imag-
inc what impelled him to seek with
such pertinacity as he did for the mar
rowest sleigh in the collection.
At four O'Clock p. m. thelight-hearted
young pair dashed away, as full of
good natured glee as the sleigh was
full of them-and they fitted very
compaotly. Miss Brandon, knowing
the country more intimately than her
companion, undertook to point her way,
a manner of proceeding quite agreea-
BILE, in view of the male creatures
total ignorance of localities. They
glided on, turning hither and thither,
until ere long they left the clustering
cottages of Winston quite distance
behind. For a while both chattered
and laughed with vigor that put them
into a precious glow; but by -and-by
Mr.. Henry stopped short. in an unac-
countable manner, and left miss Lucy
to do the defamation, contenting him.
self with watching the sparkle of her
eye, or the pretty curve of her lip, as
she threw out incessant little smart
sprinkles of feminine wit. Presently
he observed with wonder faint sus-
picion of hutter trembling through
him, and attributed it to their rapid mo-
ton, recollectipg similar sensations in
earlier youth, caused by swinging.
He must have expressed something
odd in his countenance, for, of sud-
den, Miss Lucy cut short her fun, and
subsibed into dim, oblivious tranquil
|ty. Just one minute after, it flashed
upon Mr.. Henry Langford, that he had