Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1869-10-23
Ten Years Of Prudence.

one chIleu me Ifudence patterson then.
1t would have been in sarcasm if they
had, for prudence was not a part of nv
nature. l was impulsive, was roman
tic, l was all sorts of silly things, and /
was very happy. / have my miniature
by me still, taken at that time. Highly
imprudsnt, by the way, for young tel
l'w with my salary to pay forty dollars
for a miniature Of himself. suppose
was fattered, for it was very handsome,
but had apple-red cheeks, sky-blue eyes,
and golden-brown hair then, / know.
Well, well, no matter. The red faded a
little in my cheek as soon as l went to
uncle divers establishment.
"Your great fault" said my uncle Oil
yer to me in his first private lecture,
"your great fault, Paul, is ilnprudence.
You act on impulse. Never act on i'm.
pulse; always take time TO think. Would
! have prospsred as have, otherwise |?
No."
Uncle Oliver was the great man Of our
family. listened with reverence. So
was not so impusive, not 80 imprudent,
when five years after met Jessie Ash.
burton. 1t was holiday time for us,
and had week at Saratoga. She was
seventeen, and was there with her grand
father for his health. He came to the
springs not for fashion, and boarded with
a widow in a pretty cottage-not in
hotel. She and I-Jessie l msan-were
the only young people. She was the pret-
tiest creature | ever saw; your first love
always is, / suppose. Her hair was
black; her eyes were black she had rich
brunette skin, and her lips were vermil-
lion. Oh, her dainty waist and tiny
hands and feet Oh, her smile. am a
boy again when | think of them. fell
in love with her and she knew it. felt
sure that she liked me. As we parted,
if had been the impulsive creature that
l was five years before, should have
fallen on my knees on the porch in the
moonlight, and asked her to decide nv
fate. The words were on my lips;
took her hand in mine; / felt it tremble.
81 shall be gone before you are up to-
morrow" said !, 81 must say good-by
now."
She said, "Good,by, Mr.. Patterson"
/ wanted TO kiss her. She did not
look as though she would be very angry
but my uncle's letters on prudence had
had their effect.
| relinquished her hand and put my
own in my pocket for safe keeping. Such
taper waists are temptation.
81 may call when you return to see if
your grandpa is better?" l asked.
And then we spoke of many other
things.
AS / whirled cityward next dav l
thought OF her constantly. At least she
was very young. She, believe, had no
love. We could wait. l could until cir
cumstances warranted an offer of heart
and hand. But went to see her as soon
as the parlor shutters of her grandfather's
were opened, and she received me with
that pretty smile of hers, which was one
of her greatest charms.
In month | felt quite sure that ]
should never be happy without her, and
that with her should be the happiest
fellow in the world.
Prudence could not quite obtain mas
terry. did not make love to her in
words, but / wooed her with my eyes
and voice, l know. saw her color
change at my coming. knew she liked
my society. At Christmas time, when
the oldfashiOned hospitality of the home
gathered troops of friends together be-
meath its roof, l was there also She
cared tor none of her handsome cousins
for none as she cared for me. How
happy that made me. That Christmas
night felt that l must tell her so. ]
had enough to live on. l was rising in
consideration at our place. | should be
rich one day. Impulse became my mas
ter. | hurried through the rooms look
ing for her, found her playing chess
with cousin-who had the impudence
to look tenderly at her. Only a cousin
by courtesy, too. His mother had mar
ried some enc whose first wife was an
actual cousin.
| watched the game through, then l
offered her my arm.
"You'll sing for me?" / asked.
She smiled. l led her to the piano
it was vacant just then. ...
Before you sing have something
very particular to say"
She flushed suddenly. She looked
down, trifling with her watch chain.
Then j paused. The words did not
come easily. hesitated.
"Will you-dare |? ?" stammered.
Just then rustic and sweep of silk
fell on my ear. Two old ladies passed
arm in arm. ...... ..... ..s
"Such an imprudent match" said one.
ale had nothing. Every one prophe-
sled they'd come to want. and they have.
How foolish young people are"
They passed, but heard the words
l thought of uncle Oliver "Marry on q
mere salary! Madness, absurdity."
SIT is this, II want to hear it sung"
stamlnered, and snatched piece Of mu-
sic at random from pile beside me. 81
i admire it so.''
"Then cousin. Ruth must sing it, am
not German scholar" said Jessie, for
l had :aken up . sony in that language,
which knew nothing about, by mis-
take.
After this / was very prudent. !
worked tor my grand object, wealth. l
kept Jessie, as it were, in sight Always
q dear friend, never betrayed my love.