The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1872-03-13
MY BIG BLUNDER.

Az luc aSc vi tWcuby 1--WE Iuc ltte vi
London bachelor is seductive to a heathen
Imagination, but afterward, it grows less
pleasant to contemplate. One gets selfish,
and a selfish man deteriorates rapidly. So
1t was shock to me to brush a gray hair
one morning ont of my celibate whiskers
Abnormal? No; a careful investigation
showed that there were more where tha,
came frou. l sat down, brush in either
hand, and contemplated. When | rose to
complete nv toilet, L had determined to
marry Sarah Harry as soon as possible.
Sarah was superior girl; there was DO
doubt about that men called her strong
minded, eccentric, and were rather afraid of
her; not but what there was plenty of them
ready to brave any danger there might be-
She preferred historical, biographical, and
philosophical books to novels. She had
found out q simple style of dress which
suited her, and kept to it, only allowing
such notifications as were necessary to
avoid an appearance of affected opposition
to the prevailing fashions. The instinct
was true one, for her principal beauty lay
in a certain classical grace, soft dignity,
which l cannot attempt to describe, but
which would certainly have been marred by
florid dressing.
Though knew that other men had tried
and failed, l felt fairly confident. ''She had
none head than heart" said Maurice for
example, sand it will take clever fellow
to get round her, Exactly but was
clever fellow-in my own estimation.
To confess the truth, more conceited
coxeomb than your humbIs servant, at the
time am speaking of, never leaned over
the rails of Rotten Row. There were no
fewer than five young ladies whom l
thought could have fJr the asking. and
Sarah Harvey was one of them. was on
s,~<s sek, 1.a- "a
but directly l tried positive filtration /
found that she would not drop into nv
mouth quite as readily as had anticipated.
She was intelligent, friendly, lively, conf
fidential even to certain extent, but most
difficult to make love to. For example, we
were. engaged one day in art-criticism,
counting the leaves on pre- Rsphaelite ivy
bush to see whether it had realistic allow
ance, when took occasion to draw her at
tention to spO0ny couple, intended to be
the most prominent Objects in the picture,
and tried to make use of them. "What would
painters and poets do without lovc?"
began.
Il cannot imagine,n said she, SLOW
strange it is that the most unpleasant things
In nature, lovers and pigs, should be SO
pleasing in art!'
..You are hard on the poor things, sure
ly," said I.
sAm g' she continued. swell, fond
as am of Wards pigs. never could look
at the real animals without disgust"
"Oh, grant you the pigs" said ], feel
Ing clumsy 81 meant the lovers.''
well, can there be any spectacle more
idiotic than a couple In that condition 20
she asked pointing to the picture.
The question sounds cruel, coming from
one SO calculated to reduce a man to it.,i
"Ihere! she said, with frown. and a
petulant tapping of the foot; ssthat is the
worst Of beif girl one cannot talk freely
wlthout being suspected Of fishing for com.
pliments.,
OF course knew that Miss Sarah's senti-
ments would become modfi I'd when the
right man turned up; but was evidently
S nSt the right man at present, at all events
one was not TO be carried by assault as l
Had hoped. l must attack according to the
sui s,ee. Love must be disguised as friend
snipi h,ttery must be i'm piled rather than
expressed. Above all, | must maintain the
0ptnion which knew she had of nv abili-
aes ior she quite wOrshiped talent.
Harns the Afheneum by heart every SUN
uay. ! uld. MY memory was wonderful in
tn0se days. Aud Miss Heryy. who did not
see that journal, credited me with having
Fead an the books, heard all the music
nI r1.meo an independent judgment on all the
anu pictures, mastered the astrOnOm-
lSa,geoiogical and philosophical discoveries
cnLonic,ed In Its pages from week to week
NY plans were disconcerted hv tha IT,.
yys going out Of town. Mr.. Hsryy W was s' .
director Of a hundred boards. Mrsy unss,s Tas
was not Sarah's mother, but the soeorS orS
wife, with tendency to bronchitis euITnh wh;nn
sent the family to house they had near
Ventnor when spring returned with ali iI.s ;.s
sweets, east wind included, and the nar,n.S ,sS
Of migration had now arrived. But I Wa
not utterly chcckmated, for 1 knew that M =
friend Frcshet had q castle Somewhere 4,
the base Of the isfe-ef Wight, and would be
too glad to 60 there ii he could get any feI
low to stay with him, for that was his con
slant object.
! went to the club we both belong to, and
lound him playing at billiards and smoking
appe, with his coat of arms on it In ali.
relief. ] said the pipe was colorlng. |
praised his game. l spoke of Yachting,
which ne lived for. and promised to take q
cruise with him. We dfned together and
spoke Of the castle, which turned out to be-
Hlthln couple OF miles OF the Heryeys'
P,ece. He asked me to 70 down there win
Hm agreed. He said he would make nm
pasty, and wrote to the hous ekeener ~ n
Sooms ready that very eyeI,ing. Yon
es ao anything with Preshef II Won
Inv "a klxxS- 6frS '~sSSf y WV