Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1870-09-16

hymn, book, and even the pleasant, dark
| eyes that had looked down for moment
| into hers. But she was not disposed To-
share her "reminiscences with the present
company.
aPlague take the strolling singerl" ex-
claimed Mrs. Barlow, to herself. 81 could
set dog on him with pleasure, for the
| mischief he has done. But why in the
name of common sense couldn't Hunt
ever be ready with little graceful turn
of that sortS To be sure, he couldn't do
the troubadour style with his bass voice,
splendid as 1t is. 1t takes tenor for that
kind OF thing"
Perhaps may as we'll mention here
that Mr.. Hunt married Laura Hathaway
the following Christmas. He fully be-
| lieves her the only woman in the world
who could have suited him and has not
the slightest idea that any agency but his
own will was instrumental in bringing
about q result which has made him the
happiest OF men.
Frr uI--THREE TIMEs, AND OUT.
1t was little past sunset when the
steamer from Pittsburgh touched at the
| little levee at C; and one Of her
| passengers, learning that she would be de-
| tanned until midnightin taking on freight,
| thought he might agreeably spend the in
| terval Of waiting in a stroll about the
town. The passenger, who was no other
than our friend Laurence Hardy, was on
his way to Cincinnati, to act as grooms.
man at a wedding on which occasion he
| was to have for his partner Miss Clara
Avery, that very dark eyed enchantress
of whom we found him dreaming year
ago. The twowere nos formally betroth-
ed, and their marriage was to take place
| in the autumn.
Indulging in lovers reverie, Hardy
strolled a long time about the moonlt
streets, and was returning to the landing
| through what seemed a private lane that
ran along the water. side He was saun-
| tering slowly ON in the shadow of some
gardens, when his ear caught the tin&ling
music of guitar, and, looking through
an opening in the shrubbery, ne beheld
the musicisn-a lady in light flowing
| dress, seated in the curtained recess of a
| window opening into brilliantly lighted
parlor. Her face was turned from him,
| but he could see the outlines of q graceful
head aud the little hand, lowering over
the strings, showed like lily In the
moonlight. In a moment she began to
sing and, to his surprise, Hardy recog-
niZed the voice Of the stranger in the VII
Iage church Of Benton. There could be
no mistake. The voice was one in a
thousand-a clear, bril- iant soprano, with
fiute-like purity OF tone, and GER
tain sympathetic quality which lett its
echo IN the heart as we'll as the ear.
Hardy was passionately fond of music,
and he was in mood to particularly en-
Joy whatever savored of romance or cen
timent. He listened breathlessly; and as
the last strain melted away a sudden i'm
pulse prompted him to reply. AS he
proceeded he saw, with amusement, that
the company within the room were listen
ing intently. He knew that he sang we'll,
and he was doing his very best.
"I would give something" he said, as he
finished his lay, and turned TO resume his
walk, "to know If she recognized my
voice as quickly as did hers. 1t is hardly
likely, fear. But who can she be? !
will certainly ask her next time, for have
q presentiment that l shall sing with heI
again. Three times and Out ! they say"
At this moment, and while he was still
some distance from the levee where the
boat lay, he heard whistle and the rush
of her paddles in the water. He darted
forward and ran swiftly to the landing
but, on reaching it, found that he was
five minutes too late. The boat was 9
|
ing so rapidly down the stream as to rem
der vain any effort to signal her.
How Hardy cursed his own folly in dal
lying to sing serenades to stranger wher
time was 50 preciousl If he had moi
loitered by that fatal garden-gate he would
have been in time. There was no Other
boat until the next day at noon; he must
either wait for that, or drive twenty mile;
across the country to railway station
where he could catch q morning traiI
for Cincinnati He chose the latter plan
and gained the train, but only to encouu
ter fresh detentions-a damaged bridge
an encountered track-no danger; only
fatal delay. They missed connection
and, to make long story short, wheI
Hardy reached Cincinnati the wedding
was over, and the bridal party, including
Clara Avery, had been gone twenty-toul
hours 4 =" - = ~
But the worst was yet to come. Wher
Hardy failed to appear at the wedding i
became necessary to supply his place a
groomsman. The choice of substitute
fell on Jack Fillmore, ayoung lawyer from
st. Louisa handsome fellow, with
killing pair of eyes, pretty turn for sen
timent, the ability to waltz all night with
out tagging, and any amount of assurance
|
week she had transferred to him the Who'll,
, small stock of her affections; and when
, at the end OF fortnight, Hardy, agail
, delayed by business, managed to join tn
bridal party at Niagara, Miss Avery wa
engaged to his rival.
He was not a man to contest the posses
, sion Of such woman's heart. He ofFere,
! neither reproach nor remonstrance, bu
, proudly renounced all claim upon hel
, and departed in the very next steamer 70
Europe. 3 ~
But the poor fellow was hard hit. Fl
had honestly loved the shallow and selis
beauty, and, moreover, he hsd believed
her; and II is a sore thing 10 have q
ones dearest illusions, as well as hope
shattered at once. If he had been con
PEELED TO work for his living he woul
I very likely have found a speedy cure
employment, but, unfortunately, he ha
any amount of leisure in which to broC
over and magnify his sorrows. He ran
bled over Europe, seeking. out all Il
most melancholy places to 90 and |
wretched in, and finding kind of dism
solace in the thought that there was ]
solace for him. But he was too amiab
for r'misanthropy, and too healthy for pc
d petual gloom. Thackeray, that wi
Q student OF human hearts, tells us that, |,
7, ayoung man beeV so greata sufferer fro
7 the griefs OF love, there comes time W hS
d he begins to sleep sound o. nights, and
d have some relish for beefsteak. SO whe
II at the end of two years, Hardy yielded
,. the solicitations OF his parents and I
It turned home, he was really not Who'll
70 miserable, He still, indeed, regarded hil
II self as a "blighted being" He was fol
10 of turning off the gas and sitting alone
70 his window on stormy nights; of thin
t. ing what hollow world we live in al
a of believing that for him the dream W
Q. dreamed, the cup was drained, etc, O.
d He was very absurd / admit but tn,
N his wound had been deep, and he did n
st know yet how nearly healed 1t was.
He was little annoyed on first reac
q ing home, to find guest in the house
n friend Of his sister Julia. On being pI
sented to Miss Ada Morris, he motto,
W merely a quiet and very self-possess
~ young lady, who accepted his civil al
az taraaf fana Il. L.. 4