Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1875-08-13

kept valse for mef"
" Kept a valse for your" think to my
self, almost laughing at the righteousness
of the question. Z" / wonder whether you
would have asked me did you know that l
have not single name down on my pro-
gramme."
However, do not make this humbling
confession 20 Mr.. Eyre, but gravely an
swer: "Oh, certainly-delighted
one, if you like" And in another min.
ute l experience the delightful sensation
of being whirled round in his muscular
arms, | am not u bad dancer, and thor
oughly enjoy IL; and when ! snatch a
glimpse of myself in one of the side
glasses excitement has made me quite
pretty. The valse comes to an end only
too soon; but Mr.. Eyre puts down his
name for two more, so / am happy.
have other partners brought up TO me dur
ing the evening, with whom | dance; but
l am thinking all the time of those that are
in store for my brown-eyed friend. Alasl
they too quickly come and are over and
we find ourselves waiting in the hall for
the pony carriage to be brought round.
"I hope the damp won't take the curl
out of our feathers" whispers Maud con-
fdentially, referring TO the bonnets.
hope not" say indifferently, not
caring much about the matter, and
look round for papa, for whom we are
waiting.
He appears after few minutes with Mr.
Eyre. The latter sees us into the carriage,
and then says good-by and re-enters the
house.
First-rate fellow that" says my father
He asked leave to call, so / said | was
sure we should all be delighted to see him.
Was right, eh, girls?"
"Quite right papa" answers Maud
quietly, while / say nothing, but a secret
feeling of delight possesses me.
"And how have my pets enjoyed them
selves?" continued papa.
Obi so much" exclaim. 81 don't
know when l have spent so happy an
evening; do you, Maud?" And then,
not waiting for an answer, ramble on:
And Mr.. Eyre is such delightful part
nerl l danced three times with him, and
/ shall never forget the valses we had
shall you, Maud? Oh! by the bye, how
many times did you dance with him W
But Maud does not answer my question;
her eyes are closed, and she is apparently
asleep.
Never mind" say to myself consol-
ingly, at this unsympathetic reception of
my enthusiastic condolences. "He is GO
ing to call soon-perhaps tomorrow !" and,
as l say the words feeling of happiness
comes over me, and do not speak again
until we reach home.
"Ah, we'll the world is not such bad
place, after ALL"
How often one uses the most common
place expressions when wishing to convey
the greatest idea of happiness. Such is
my case.
1t is six weeks--six happy weeks, since
last made use of the above ejaculation.
/ am sitting again in the little parlOr,
again l am looking out on the broad lawn,
and again l make use of the same words;
but how intensified their meaning is to me
now-how different are my feelings as /
say them from what they were thenl Yes,
l am sitting in the little parlor, but not
alone.
With Maud, of course, you will say to
yourself. Allow me to correct you; not
with Maud Shall let you guess? No,
l will tell you myself. Not with Maud,
but with my brown eyed friend, Mr.. Eyre
Wo arc SittihS dido by dido, oI0so together
too close, you will most probably indig-
nantly exclaim. But calm and compose
yourself and will tell you all.
Mr. Eyre came and called, as he had
promised, not only once, but two or three
times, until, finally, he seemed to spend
hostess. This was state of affairs highly
agreeable to both Maud and myself, espe-
cially as it excited the envy, in much
stronger degree even than the blue bonnets,
of the younger portion of our female ac-
quaintances, and afforded the old maids
much qualification as a field for gossip
and speculation. Whenever they went
out they would cluster around Maud,
shake their heads, curls and fingers at her
and exclaim:
"Oh, you sly pussl not to tell us any
thing about it. Well, never mind, my
dear He is most delightful young fel-
low, to all appearances; at least we are
sure you think so. And Miss Helen
here" turning to me- I" it will be her
turn next; and, meanwhile, | am sure
she will be charmed at having so nice
brother-in-law."
"Ohl charmed" | would answer; and
all the while | used to smile to myself
and think-l was not sure-but still
thought that perhaps they might have to
direct their congratulations in another
and very surprising direction.
And it was all true. l was not mis-
taken, and have lover at last, and such
lover! No ideal that have ever pict
ured to myself could come up to this real,
dear Charlie (that is his name) whom l
love so much, and who loves me-yes, in
spite of my plain face, in spite of all my
unloveliness-for myself Really, the
way in which he has endeared me to my
own face is wonderful | have entirely
forgiven it for its want Of beauty, and am
sorry to say that | have acquired quite a
habit of gazing at myself in the glass.
This, however, assure you, does not in
any way add TO or fiatter my vanity.
| think no one is more delighted with
the present state of affairs than my father,
and it seems to have quite rejuvenated the
dear old fellow. He is as brisk and lively
as possible; has taken to give us twenty
minutes more sermon on Sundays (this
proof of delight Charlie is wicked enough
not TO rejoice at), and five minutes more
family prayers every morning and even
ing. The only one do not quite under
stand is Maud; she is little silent little
pale, and not so high-spirited as usual.
She says it is the heat; and perhaps she is
right; only her conduct has seemed to me
strange. However, l am almost too happy
10 let anything damp my spirits-even the
remembrance of Maud's paleness-espe-
cially on this morning, as Charlie and / sit
together in the little parlor. We have
been talking oh! so delightfully."- of the
pleasant times to come and of all the hap
piness which the future seems to have in
store.
"I wonder" I say, "what made you
first take an interest in me?" and then /
: add, with terrible earnestness, for the
thought has been haunting me for some
! time: "Ohl Charlie, tell me one thing.
Was ii, could it have been the blue bon
metz"
But this question is received with such
shouts of laughter on the part of my
fiance that look and feel foolish. Al
this moment Maud enters the room, and,
seeing us, glides silently out again.
, jump up and follow her, for there is moth
E ing so disagreeable to me as the thought
: that everyone must contrive to leave Us
alone together. find her upstairs.
: Maud" exclaim, "why did you &c
5 away? l wish you wouldn't be so un
sociable." And walk to the glass willis