The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1869-03-31
! sRRsTLovE..
"A chspter from the Autobfos aphy of
F Small Boy. ~ p.
m CHARLES DICKENS.

: The frst party ] ever attended ws
e a remdrkaljle festival 1t was Of hun
9 bic Dimensions, but it seemed to IN
then more glorious than the most o.
ficlal bal Il ever attended since. ]
-bilghtez3ed the whole. prospects be
, tween 1t glorified it into too limit
!, ed nge snchantment. / could tall
of nothing else. The taiforst an,
milliners devoted to my department
of decoration were called in; and L wa
even allowed the exercise of my pri
vate taste in the selections of the var
ious adornments. Indeed it is only
Justice to mention that this indication
on my part was held to be sign O
grace that deserved encouragement;
token of civilization; and orders wen1
forth that any reasonable wish on my
side should be attended to.
1t was on this occasion that the
richly-braided, blue superfne, extra
finished jacket came hGme, adorned
with velvet collar-my suggestion, OF
rather indiI ectly the unconscious sug.
gestion of William Goodman, my ri
val and enemy, who could only "sport'
watered silk one. 1t was supported
by the blue and silver poplin waist
coat, long a celebrated article in the
family-a yestiary bagometer, as it
were, by which the scale of occasions
of distinction and the rank of festival
were determined AS thus: cam 1
to wear the blue and silver 2" or with
grumbling: 81 am sure needn't wear
the blue and silver for that" Lovely
jean trousers, glistening like silk,
snowy as snow itself, completed a cos
tune of almost theatrical au'y-that
being my highest standard.
This taste may seem mystery, as
indeed it was to many in the house
hold. There was something in it in
consistent with my known habits.
Alas for time dare not own the
dread secret to myself. Suffice it to
say-a fine phrase which | was fond
of, ard seemed to combine logic with
suffice it to say, then, that l
had been suffering, hopelessly, cruelty
that l had been secretly burned, cal
cined with the devouring fires of love.
Gentle flame, indeed Those chron-
iclers who dwell on its symptoms lit
tie understand the way in which it
licks md curls about the Junior heart.
1t all began this wise:
OHeone occasion word had come
aloft that the offspring were required
below for exhibition to strangers All
hands were, as usual. piped to clean
ing and frocking, and L was also, IS
usual, dragged from some unclean
haunt, and submitted to compulsory
dressing under violence. When we
entered in the usual fashion q in the
rear, scowling, and as it were, seeking
the shelter ofjungle at the edges Of
the room }, noticed there were three
ladies present Two were mortals,
awful, repelling and odious, like or
dinary strangers in the drawing-room;
but the third was celestial, supernat-
ural, like the queen of the bowers of
the bees in the pantomime. She was
looking upward, and turned the full
glory of her charms upon me. She
came up, bent down to me with quite
the air of the Buzzemena, such was
the name of the fairy queen, and from
that moment L was destroyed.
To describe her would be useless.
Suffice it to say, 1 saw her yesterday,
and she seems pretty much the same
She had the richest black hair, wavy
and rippling, and very oval face, Ia
pering to the chin, with a general
light and brilliancy in her face, that
seemed to me then not to belong to
this earth. l gazed stolidly at her as
she spoke, my finger to my mouth, the
favorite attitude, not able to resist the
spell. She had coaxing, easy way,
that seemed to me exquisite; she de-
voted herself to me, to the prejudice
Of the sisters, and drawing me over
to the window, said costly, "Now
we'll sit here together, and you tell me
all about yourself and Mr.. Black
stone," (my tutor,) started, and
blazed with color. How did she know
these things? Why did she thus dis.
me9 1 have noticed since
that ladies do thus encourage little
boys in preference to girls, and
should like to know is this some of i
tlC Oh Eve COtiliCIllohllCSS, II W S1S,
keeping its hand in? |
My tongue was soon loosed. Her
name, as she told me, in answer to in
1uiry, was Ada Burkenshaw. She |
.aid mine was a charming name.
out it was not as pretty as
Ada. I told her; every thing OF, inter
st about myself, how / liked this and |
lisliked that, who were my friends,
md what walks / fixed, and what 1
vas TO be--a tarrister, with a view to.
he Chaneellorship. I also told her
hat sang, naming the Pilgrim Of
Love, ditty soon to be TOO appropriate
O my situation, as my fayorite per
ormahce. She was eager to hear it
N the spot, but in presence of the
hollow crowd, it was agreed it could
lot be done; bit it was indistincfy }
Irranged that at more private in
erview it should certainly be done. h
This Irritation, so conspicuous and
ven audacious, soon attracted notice, 7
With many an "upon my word y and
Il declare, Miss Burkenshaw! ]" But
was emboldened by my newborn (
passion. She declared. that she was
Iuite proud Of cher new beau and
would not give him up for any one.
What, not Captain ,Bulstock ~ it
vas asked My brow darkened.. Who
vas Bulstock A, captain, tool I /
hould have liked to. destroy him, un-
ler fair conditions that would equalize
f-aHr- 10.