The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1873-11-29
Ia Love witt, a picture.


Sybil, when Apollo first belleld her
But / calHot describe face; | never
could examine beauty analytically, az
you would Il mineral or piece Of eX
Quisite mosaic. can only say that
saw and felt it was very, very lovely
My poor FREUD Fletcher was in al
ecstacy.
''I.ook at those cyes!" said he
''look at those lips. Now l never
kissed a Girl in my life; hut ii could
but seeaA pair of lips like those, with
blood IN them | know | am Il sworn
old bachelor, Moses /; but do you really
suppose It il from nature? Let us see
that cataloguc-No. 20 3-here it is, No.
73-'Mis> Ellen Vincent lis pref
ty name, isn't it? But did you ever
see so beautiful Il fice?''
''Oh, yes answered, "a thousand
times"
"Name her, then"
hesita;cd. In truth, | could not.
was compelled TO yield.
We pursued ON respective ways
home for the innerhoT had arrived,
aud had 10 idea Of sacrificing the
substantial enjoyment Of brace of
patridgcs to tie more refined perhaps,
but, to my sordid taste, less congcnial
one Of g4sing at woman's lovely
face.
Ny reflections concerning my tnfat-
uated fricnd we're sombre enough, as |
pursued my homcward walk. was
bound to him by ties, stronger than
those which unite ordinary friends.
We were the two only old bachelors
IN the ncighborIlood. aud hid together
maintained the brult of many u wordy
contest in defence Of our celibacy, |
had long regarded him as firm mem
Der of our honorable but prosecuted
fraternity. He had witnessed every
rrial, he had ovcrtome every tempta-
ton. Ii was.only week before that
be assured me no lady had ever made
an impression on his heart which
lasted two hours after he had left her
presence. Julius. Amelias, Sarahs,
Emilys. Marias. Jaues-all had at
tackled him, and al in vain.
Yet. after all this, after having sus-
tained every contest. aud having come
off victorious in every encounter; after
having passed msclllied through the
furnace, Seyen times heated, to fall in
love with a picture IA piece ofcanvas!
daubed over with paint and OLA
thing that any school boy might spoil
with his inkstand. 1t was too much.
1t was like u noble ship, which having
crossed the ocean through storm aud
tempe>c and having triumphant!;,
braved 4 thousand danger of the sea,
should b. wrecked witllin light of her
intended laven, and upou III insignifi-
cant shoal. which had not been consid-
cred of sufficient importance even to be
avoided.
When | dropped in upon my friend
the next morning, touad him still
raving about the portrait. | remon-
strate0--l attempted to reason with
him. Alas how little lad reason to do
either with his mmlady his DISPOSE
tion! reminded him Of the many
ilustrious men who had been proud
to enroll their names on the undying
record of eelibacy. 1t was all in vain.
tried ridicuIc-but he was unmoyed,
told him of the certaiaty with which
WAS followed by family quar-
relSdnd pctticoat government. 1t was
void and of no effect. Fletcher was
crazy more--he was il loye-a thou
sand times worse, for there are plenty
of lunatic asylums; but, alack for the
boosted philanthropy of the age, who
ever heard of a lore 1Sg'maI How
much time and how much money have
been devoted to ameiioatiHg the con-
dition of those who are bereft of rea-
son, and yet nothing has been done for
the victim, Of the passion, as ifa mans
brains were Of more Importance than
his heait.
have digresscd. Had almost any
other CalanIity hciell my friend, there
could have been some remedy. Had |
ne broken 4 limb, it might have been
pended: a broken bone will knit to-
yether in nine days; had he cracked
his skull, it might have been fixed by |
,repanning; but Fletcher was in that
peculiar situation for which there was
10 present remedy; he was out Of hu-
nanity's reach.
But there was one consolation; he was
only with portait. This
vas far different from falling in love
With u little witch in flesh and blood.
The portrait could not talk; there was
difference, surely; it couldn't take
lis arm of q moonlight evening, and
walk out of everybody's hearing; it
,ould not receive long letters, and
write longer answers; In a word, it
ouId ''neither marry, nor be given In
marriage" l had forgotten all this
While that there was an original to
hat portrait; Fletcher had not.
Some months passed away, and my
FIend was as crazy as ever. Time,