Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1871-09-23
roo BAsHFUL.

do?n
A great handsome, good-naturet
fellow was Charlie Winter, but so very
bashful that In the presence of the
gentler sex he never could have tolt
whether be was standing on his heat
or his heels. Just now his failing wa,
immensely aggravated by the fact
that he was over head and ears in low
with Clarice Wilmer, the sweetest
prettiest, most bewildering littls
beauty In all tine region round about
10 dear, ! wish I knew Q way tc
tell my love, and not b. there myself
Deuce take the girls They bother
you on purpose, ! believe, and always
manage 80 your courage 0ozes out d
your fingers ends before you are quite
ready to ask the fatal question:
"Why don't you writer"
"Write? / shouldn't l'now q word
to say; and then I'd never dare to
look her In the face again.
"Oh, what spooney. Simply say
you love her, and ask her II she will
make you happy. Then face the mu-
sic like man, and meet her next
time as If nothing had happened
unless she answers yes, and then, oI
course, you'll act as Ii something had
happened"
Charlie groaned despairingly.
EASY enough for you to talk" he
muttercd obviously. "You who have
been married seven years-with me
the case is different. tell you, Tom,
you don't know anything about it.p
"Yes I do, didn't Nell act just as
Clarice does, bewitching me at one
moment and almost driving me to SUI
icide the next? You're a lunatic, you
are, and Ihope Clarice will give you
the mitten."
'.I'm afraid she will"
GIANT heart never won fair lady"
quoted Tom Ridgeley, Indignantly,
as he arose to take his leave. "Seri-
ously, however, advise you to put
your heart on piece of paper, and
forward it to Clarice by the post"
Charlie thought about 1t after he
was gone. The more he thought o.
1t, the better pleased he was.
It's terrible, but suppose must,'
he groaned, seating himself ut his
writing desk and clutching wildly al
paper, pens and ink.
An hour Of torture. Charlie begar
q dozen billet-doux aud tore them up
then wrote dozen more and tort
them up also.
"It's utterly useless, y he moaned a
last, and then the great BOBBY lait
his head upon the desk and fairly
sObbed.
"I'll write aud ask her to go to tn,
opera with me to. morrow night, any
way, and then, perhaps, -" Ia
dared to think no further.
My Dear"--no that will never do
was ever mortal so perplexed as am
/ wish the girls We're at the bottom o
the ocean and Eve had never beef
created"
"Well, I'll begin again."
This time he was successful. Hi
note was short enough, and som,
young ladies might take UNI brage a
such an Invitation, but Clarice knew
his bashfulness. 1t read as follows
and was not dated at all
"Will you be kind enough to homo
me with the acceptance Of my escOr
to the opera tomorrow eve?"
And that was all besides the sigma
ture.
"Well, there" said Charles, as h,
got 1t down, ~ promised sister Min
ME would write to her this week, $,
1 will do 1t now while my hand is I'm
And tossing the note to one side, b,
soon began his letter.
"Sister Minnie," (it ready "Yours o
the 18th came to hand, and / hav,
meant to answer 1t before. The fac
is, am deep in love with young
lady, Clarice Wilmer, of whom yol
have heard me speak, and I'm afrail
she don't return 1t. You know 1 an
SO confOunded bashful daren't write
Sometimes / think pve got the nee
essary courage, but when meet her
It vanishes like dew before the sun,
and Pm bigger fool than ever.
know she thinks Pm q fool, but
can't help It'll had rather face bat
terry Of mitrailleuse, or any other de
structive engines, than a pretty wo
man at any time. Clarice Is the fair,
est, sweetest and most beautiful young
lady ever saw"
Here followed three whole pages Of
lovers rhapsody, interspersed will
wailings of despair, and then the let
ter wound up as follows:
Pve asked her to the opera to NOR
row night, and If she goes, tits posi-
BILE that may learn my fate"
"Three o'clock-can II be possible?''
cried Charlie, CHANGING at the clock
and stufiing his letters into two envel
opes, which he backed in awful haste
''rhe mail goes out in an hour.
shall be late as sure as fate.n
And paying no heed to the rhyme
and little to the letters, he graspet
his hat and started for the post office
Clarine smiled her brightest wheI
Charlie called for her next night, bu
he fancied there was mischief in he
eyes, which perhaps was quite all /
fancy. At the opera she talked an,
laughed between the scenes in such ,
way that he was quite bewildered.-
He did not learn his fate, and after Ia
got home felt worse than ever.
Next day he got a letter from hi
sister.
az am very sorry" wrote she, "but
1 could not well come on a hundred
miles simply to attend an opera.
suppose however, the invitation wa
intended for another person, and it,
"Jove, / am undone! 4" said Charlie
dropping the letter to the floor, an'
breaking out In cold persplration
~ sent the letters wrong, and Pv
done IL brown. What will Claric
think Of the letter."
Driven to desperation at last, h
plucked up courage and hurried b
Clarice's residence.
SIS Miss Wilmer In ?" he asked tn
servant who answered the bell.
"Ies,n and he speedily found him
self In the parlor, face TO face with hi
linamorata.
T-I-did you receives note frou