The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1870-04-05
Friend-"Wh is the matter?'

the door!''
There was sound of hurried whis-
pers, the door was shut and the blind
pulled down with hostile sharpness.
If any critic falls on me for putting
inarticulate sounds in dialogue as
above, l answer with all the insolence /
can command at present, "Hit boys as
big as YOURSELF bigger, perhaps. such
as Sophocles, + lripides and Aristo-
phanoes; they be an it aud l learned it
Of them, sore against my will.
Miss Haythorns s scream lost a part
Of its effect because the engine whistled
forty thousand murders at the same mo>
men:; and fictitious grief makes itself
heard when real cannot.
Between the tunnel and Bath your
young friend had time to ask himself
whether his conduct had been m arked
by that delicate reserve which is sup
posed to distinguish the perfect gen
tleman.
With long face, real or feigned, he
held open the door-his late friends at
tempted to escape on the other side
impossible! they must pass him. She
whom he had insulted Latin for kissed)
deposited somewhere at his feet look
of gentle, blushing reproach; the other
whom he had not insulted, darted red hot
daggers at him from her eyes, and SO
they parted.
1t was, perhaps. fortunate for Dolig-
nan that he had the grace to be friends
with Major Hoskyns, of his regiment,
veteran laughed ut by the youngsters,
for the Major was to look coldly upon
billiard balls and cigars; he had seen
cannoa balls and Iinstocks. He had al
so, to tell the truth, swallowed good
bit OF the messroom poker, but with it
some sort of moral poker, which madc
1T as impossible for Major Hoskyns to
descend to an ungentlemanly word Or
action as to brush his own trwsers below
the knee
Captain Dolignan told this gentleman
his story in gleeful accents: but NJ ajor
Hoskyns heard him coldly, answered
that he had known a man to loose his
life for the same thing. THAT is moths
ing" cantinued the Major. ''but unfort-
unately he deserved to lose it
At this the blood mounted to the
younger mans temples, end his senior
addict, Il mean to say he WAS thirty y>fve;
you. presume. are twenty one"
Twenty five.
'''Tsat is much the sane thing you
will :5e advised hy me?
''If you Will ad,i ise me-
"Speak to no one OF shts, and send
White the ef.3, that he may think you
lost the bet''
That is hard. when wen ii.
do it, for all that, sir.
Let US die believers in human per
fectibility know that the diagoon, ca
pable of a blush, did this virtuous, ac-
ton, albeit with violent reluctance, and
this was his first damper A week af..
ter these events he was at a bail. He
was IN that state Of Fictitious discon-
tent which belongs to us amiable En-
glsh. He was looking in vain for la
dy equal in personal attractions to the
idea he had formed of George Dolignan
as man, when suddenly there glided
past him most delightful vision! lady
whose beauty and symmetry took him
by the eyes-another look: 'sIt can't be!
Yes 1t isi''
Miss Haythorn! (not that be knew her
name!) but VIII 1T an apotheosis.
The duck had become a pea hen-ra-
diant, dazzling, she looked twice as beau
tiful and almost twice as large as be-
fore. He lost sight Of her. He found
her gain. She was SO lovely, she made
him iil-and he, alone, must not dance
with her, speak to her. If he had been
content to begin her acquaintance in the
usual way, it might have ended in kiss
ing, but having begun with kissing it
must end III nothing. AS she danced
sparks Of beauty fell from her on all
around, but kim-she did not see him; it
was clear she never would see him
one gentleman Was particularly assidu
o,s; she smiled on him. Dolignan was
surprised at his success, his i'll taste. his
ugilness. his impertinence. Dolignan
at last found himself injured.
Who was this man? and what right
bad he to go on so? II e had never kiss.
ed her, suppose said Dolly. Dolig-
nan couid not prove it. but he felt that
somehow the rights OF property were in
vaded- He went home and dreamed of
Miss Haythorn, and hated all the ugly
successful He spent fortnight trying
to lind out who this beauty was-he new
er could encounter her again. At last
he heard Of her in this way: lawyers
clerk paid him little visit and COM
menced little action against him, in
the name of Miss Haythorn, for insult
ing her in a railway train
The young gentleman was shocked:
endeavored to soften the lawyers clerk
that machine did not thoroughly COM
p-ehend the meaning of the term. The
lady's name, however, was at last reveal.
ed by this untoward incident; from her
name to her address was but short
step; and the same day our crestfallen
hero lay in wait at her door, and many
succeeding day, without effect But
one fine afternoon she issued forth quite
naturally. as if she did it every day, and
walked briskly on the nearest parade.
Dolignan did the same; he met and pass.
ed her many times ON the parade, and
searched for pity in her eyes. but found
neither look nor recognition, nor any
other sentiment: for all this she walked
and walked, till all the other promena-
ders were tired ami gone-then her cul.