Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1869-04-03
THE BACHELORS BUTTON.
An Involuntary Theft and what
Came Of It.

oOIHe years ago, Wnen was single
man, and dreaming las some single
men do of double bliss yet destined
to arrive, l went to a concert in Music
Hall, in Boston. Music Is poetically y
and prover6ially "the food OF love-
and In my sentimental state I con.
sumed a great deal of it; not that had
any subject in view. Mine was alb.
stract love; / cultivated it; I Iincreas-
ed my stock, so that 1 might have q
good deal of tender passion on hand,
whenever / saw an eligible opportu-
nifty of investing 1t. Well, to return
to the concert, it was crowded to ex-
cess, and the rush on leaving, to reach
the cabs and carriages, was very
great. 1 wore, on this memorable
night, blue coat with brass buttons,
and fiattered myself there were worse
looking men in the room. / tell you,
candidly, admired myself, and next
to myself, the other party was struck
with was a girl, with dark eyes and
black hair, who sat with some young
friends few forms distant. Ihoped
she noticed me with my blue coat
with brass buttons. l looked at heI
often enough to attract her attention
to both; and being, as my friends
would say, in rather spooney state,
worked myself to a towering passion
of love. But now was / come to the
object of my admiration, for was as
difiident, as devoted, as shy as l was
vain," as an overcandid friend once
said. Hail Columbia, which conclu.
ded the concert, surprised me, as un.
prepared as at my first glance, to i'm
prove the occasion, and the company
were shoaling out, while stood gap.
ing after the object of my love al
first sight. She and her party eddied
for while by the inner door of the
concert room, and were then drawn
out into the retiring current and lost
to view.
l followed quickly after, lest
should lose forever all opportunity o
identifying my idol, but alas ! the
lights in the outer corridor were few
and far between, so no glimpse of my
star could get. pushed and elbow
ed my way fiercely through the crowd
with a view of getting to the outer
door before my fair ones party
emerged, and thus gain one more
slgnt OF my sweet one.
" Hang itw l muttered impatient.
ly, as l felt tug at my coat tail and
was instantly conscious of one of my
hind buttons having hitched to some
lady's dress; my progress being sud-
denly arrested. How provoking"
said l, as was brought to stand
for could not push on without losing
a button, or tearing dress; show pro.
voking the modern fashion "a lady
now has as many hoops and tentacles
about her apparel as sea anemone.
1t was with some irritation that
stopped to undo the button, but my
hurry made the task more difficult
and instead of undoing l only
bungled and more twisted the loor
around the button.
"Please let me try" said the lady
herself, as bungled over the business;
she ungloved her hand; it was a
sweet white hand, so / looked at her
face. Stars and garters! but 1t was a
fair one--the very black hair and
dark eyes L was in pursuit of. A.
she stopped over the entangled
button, slight blush tinted
her cheek. o, it was delicious ]
hoped she would never Undo the loop,
and indeed thought she never would
for her fingers We're twiching nervous.
ly, and my heart was beating audi
bly,; tried to help her; our fingers
met.
please to make way there" shout.
cd u gruff voice behind. We were
blocking up the passage. Was there
ever such an unlucky spot for an en-.
tan9lement?
"You hinder the people from going
out, Anna" exclaimed one of heI
companions, with some asperity.-
"Plague upon the tiresome loop break
it;n and, suiting the action to the word
the speaker leaned forward, caught
the sleeve other beautiful friends dress
in one hand, and my coat-tail in the
other, and, giving a quick and deci
ded tug, severed us.
The crowd bore on, and we separa
ted-not, hover, before l gave my
" starr look which l intended to
speak volumes. l thought she die
not seem conscious of my meaning
our eyes met; | knew that this
was the only consolation left me, fol
Immediately afterwards l lost heI
and her party to view in the dark
ness outside.
That night scarcely closed my
eyes, thinking ofmy "bright, particu
lar star" and by what means / shoulC
find her out. | knew little of the
city, which was large one, and to
expect to know the name of my fail
nna hx, m, apa Iaacpintin,, Nvao hnnnlaSS
as there doubtless must be grea'
many with black hair and dark eyes
within the "bill of mortality" ther,
as elsewhere.
My love grew more violent in tn,
course Of the day; but tired out
ut length with my search, returned
to the hotel, and took out my port
manteau, to feed my flame even with
the contemplation of the inanimat,
button that had detained the black
eyed divinity SO long. 1t was will
no little delight that | now dis
covered what did not before catcl
my eye-a fragment of the silk looI
of her dress still adhered To the but
ton, around the shank. | pressed Il
to my lips-it was lilac-and stopped
to diseutangled 1t from the bit o
brass rs though il We're tress of my
beloved ones hair, when something
chinked In my pocket. Gracious me
What do | behold? What did tax,
out? A gold chain and bracelet?
You could have Drained me will
my lady's fan. saw at n glance how
matters stood I'm the excitement anC
furry of undoing the clasp of her owl
bracelet, which had not unnaturallN
fallen into the coat skirt with which
she was engaged; and doubtless, on
missing it, instead of regarding m,
in romantic light, she put IL dowi
that | was one of the swell mob, an,
had purposely entanglcd myself II
her dress to rob her of her jewelry.
Here was an anti-herOic position L
find ones selfin, when I wished to b,
considered tba most 1pVntaI a