The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1869-10-29
TEN YEARS OF PRUDENCE.

My Uncle Oliver took me into his
place. An importer of dry goods
Uncle Oliver was when l was twenty
one. No one called me prudence
Patterson" then. It would have been
in sarcasm if they had, for prudence
was not part of my nature. [ was
impulsive, [ was romantic, l was all
sorts of silly things, and l was very
happy. [ have my miniature by ne
still, taken at that time. Highly i'm
prudent, by the way, for a young fell
low with my salary to pay forty dol
lars for a miniature of himself. I
suppose I was hattered, for it was
very handsome, but l had apple-red
cheeks, and sky-blue eyes, and gold
en- brown hair then. l know. Well,
Weli, HU Inas~---- 1'ho rod e. ded n If
tie in my cheek as soon as [ went to
Uncle divers establishment.
"Your great fault" said Uncle Oil
yer to me in his first private lecture,
"your great fault, Paul, i; imprudence.
You act on impulse. Never act on
impulse always take time to think.
Would l have prospered as l have 9th
erwise2 Nop'
Uncle Oliver was the great man OF
our family. 1 listened with reverence.
So I was not so impulsive, not so i'm
prudent, when five years afterwards l
met Jessie Ashburton. Itwas hol-
1day time for US, and l had week at
Saratoga. She was seventeen, and
was there with her grandfather for his
health. He came to the springs, not
for fashion, and boarded with wild
ow, in a pretty cottage, not hotel.
She and I-Jessie | mean-were the
only young people. She was the pref
test creature l ever saw your first
love always is. [ suppose. Her hair
was black; she had a rich brunette
skin, and lips of vermillion Oh, her
dainty waist, and her tiny hands and
feet Oh, her smile / am a boy
again when 1 think of them. I fell
in love with her, and she knew it. 1
felt sure that she liked me. As we
parted, if l had been the impulsive
creature that I was five years before,
L should have dropped on my knees
on the porch in the moonlight, aud
asked her to decide my fate. The
words were on my lips. I had her
hand in mine l felt it tremble.
Il shall be gone before you are up
tomorrow l sail, Il must say good
bye now"
She said, "Good-bye, Mr.. Patter-
son."
Iwanted to kiss her. She did not
look as though she would be very an
cry but my Uncle's lectures on pru-
dence had had their effect.
I relinquished her hand, and put
my own in my pocket for safe keep
ing. Such taper waists as hers are a
temptation.
"May l call when [ return to see if
your grandpa is berter?' 1 asked
And then we spoke Of many other
things.
AS [ whirled cityward next day, l
thought of her constantly At least
she was very young. She, 1 believ-
ed. had no lover. We could wait. l
could until circumstances warranted
an offer of heart and hand. But l
went to see her as soon the parlor
shutters of her grandfather's house
were opened, aud she received me
with that pretty smile of hers, which
was one of her greatest charms.
In a month I felt quite sure that |
should never be happy without her,
and that with her l should be the
happiest fellow in the world.
Prudence could not quite obtain
mastery. 1 did not make love to her
in words, but l wooed her with my
eyes and voice. l know. l saw her
color change at my coming. 1 knew
she liked my society. At Christmas
time, when the Old fashioned hospital
ity of the home gathered troops Of
friends together beneath its roof, /
was there also. She cared for none
of her handsome cousins-for none
there as she cared for me. How hap
py that made me. was rising in
consideration at our place. Ishould
be rich one day. Impulse became
my master. 1 hurried through the
rooms, looking for her. found her
playing chess with a cousin-who
had the impudence to look tenderly
at her. Only a cousin by courtesy,
too. His mother had married some
one whose first wife was an actual
cousin.
watched the game through; then l
offered her my arm.
"You'Il sing for me?" asked.