Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1877-10-02

| l devoted myself rs 0SslduouNly Us newly
elected member for a Radical constituency
given to deputatious devotos himself to the
House am betraying 80 confidence when
| say that Miss Blrstow, hAa the immortal
Barkis, was exceedingly ling Other
swaius hovorcd round A,g, for, like Mr..
Lockers heroine, size was
can angel IN q fro,s,
With a fascinating cock
To hDr nose
but Gccrqi, seemed 10 prefer your humble
servant
| proposed to her at a gard party We
had i.,v driven in hy The rain. and were hav
! ing afternoon ten in the house, and | was
| staudus with George al one Of the French
Windows opening ON 10 tAe lawn, when l
made thc plauge. She balanced her tescup
thoueltfully for n moment Lr1 then, TO carry
out ths acquatic metaphor, she Jumped in with
me. For the twenty-fomlA tine in my hfe
was an engaged man, and ur)n my word l
breathed more freely after iL WAS so used
| 10 il. You see that J felt g..t uncomfortable
without a young woman attached, as 1t were,
/ To my fortunes.
George and had one brief bright hour Of
/ bliSs-that is to say OF eng. "a bliss. We
| had experienced uucng,s-d - to any eItent
previously. but We only had au hour after the
/ fatal words were spoken fox an old aunt
| with whom She was STAYING carried her of at
the end of that time. aud lett me disconso-
/ late However. / had no ti,ae TO NOPE, az
we were due at ball that night some dozen
miles oil and though I knew | shonld not
meet George there, tclt IN excellent trim
/ for tLt festivities. WAo knows, thought,
/ but thsi | may meet SOME congenlai splre
/ who will cheer tho lorl0-u lover during his
| lady's absence, AMI csad ih. forlorn lover
was cheercd with "a veng-AA--, rs you shall
| see
Iweut to the hail The ra'a laid down by
| that excellent and easy 2'.ug poet Mr..
/ Thomas Moore concerning t. lips that are
near when we are far from thos, We love, has
been mine through he. On this occasion,
the hvs that wer1 nclr were those ot a young
thing whose dancing vas Of the most sylph:
/ like character. and whose conversation was so
beautifully besprinkicd with scraps Of poetry
that had hard work 90 keep myself up to
her level The Barst1w WAS blonde, petite,
and prosaic my new friend was brunette,
rather over the average size, poetic and ro-
mantic-a complete contrast in fact, in every
wav. Under such Influences become poetic
and romantic myself; and Gs / engaged Miss
I.eland-for that was her u1lue-for dance
+ after dauce. / need not tell You how my sus-
ceptibo heart comported itself, and now,
after two quadrilles, two wa.tz-s and galop,
was hopeessly in love.
! Il happened in the conservatory. / have
ALWAYS been peculiarly susceptible TO the in
| fuence of conservatories and the moment
W. sat down among the camelhas | knew
what would have TO happen. Miss Leland had
! been quoting Hyperiod and what could do
/ but. like Paul Fleming, tell her that the stu
dent Hieronymus was lying At her feet!
did not quite mean TO propose, you know,
| but she took me up directly and instead OF
PLAYING the role Of Mary Ashburton, she re-
| cIned her head gently on my shoulder Il
ought TO have said my arm Was around her
waist and for the tweuty-t..h time was
I an eurared man. or couise ] never remem-
bered George Barstow lu, my thoughts
| won't la K 10 her with q sudden shock when l
| discovered that Miss L.AGi : name was also
/ Georgiun. aud that she too expected TO be
called "Georcie' Il then occurred to me
also fo~ the frs. time that lad carefully
! err.p my,eM % two lGdie It once, and
| that tn ,u..s. Quouc-s might be 8 little awk-
ward.
went back to town mex; day with what !
! bclieye i is de r.g1lrur TO call mingled feel
| ings - and mine were Ccr'... y gcod deal
more mingled than was pleaSau-. Here were
| two charming girls both Wiling TO be Mrs'
Bingo-I don't mean together hut separately
and / really didn't know Which to choose.
/ Never surely was mortal man lmpaled on tho
/ horns Of livelier dilemma; -Ad the more
/ looked "a. it the less / liked II.
The plot thickoned next morning when tho
/ post brought Inc two letters. They had both
written. bless their hearts: and III two differ
ent hludwritings q little tlutt.rer renamed,
at the end Of a charming ep's,e, my ,'ahec-
| tionot, Georcia." Al any rate, these letters
I must he answered while | made up my mind
on tho matter SO in o sg.rt OF harness,
uLicL I ,iink deserves conan ulation, des-
ratchel the same neat little to both. only al
/ tarinp n. subscription. One ieorgie should
not crow over the other, if trey ever COM
/ pare notes. if / could prevent d.
In the meantime. | never fet moro per-
piexed in nv life. Frequently as | had been
engaged before. they had been only one lady
in each case. and now had two on hand at
once A too susceptible heart was certainly
a VERY dangerous organ. Nor could consult
anv ore. / mentioned my difficulty to one
friend bopinp he would be touched by my
nosition and give me some good advice, but
! e. received the news with demoniac laugh
ter. and persisted in calling me ''Bingo the
| Rioamist = which he declared would make
capital title for play.
The more thought the matter over the
more awkward it seemed; and IN the mean-
time. of course, both engagements went on.
| Each of the dear creatures wrote every day,
and | was kept at work answering them. The
same letter would not do after the trst, ana
WAS always afraid of mixing up the
letters and referring to the tender inquiries
of Miss Barstow in an answer addressed 10
Miss Leland. The prosaic George Number
! One clashed with the poetic George Number
/ Two i'm my mind in the most confusing man
mar and it was all l could do to keep them
| distinct received two engagement rlngs,
and duly returned two, both OF precisely the
same pattern: and lockets also, the ]eweier
erinninp in most aggravatlng manner "nen
! ordered them. Both of the Georges sent
photographs also and altogether was
] driven nearly Wild.
At last there came crisis. L received two
letters from their respective mothers. Num-
/ her One hadn't father, and Number Two.
/ male parent didn't appear to trouble HI:
bsod much about the matter; and they in
formed me they were both coming 10 toWr
on the same day, arriving at the same station.
/ / was in despair; the only comfort was, .aey
were not coming by the same train. Miss
p Was 70 arrive in the morning, and Miss L,
ia the afternoon There was nothing for II
bu, to pluck up courage and meet them both
and did So I met George Barstow, ana
was received rapturously. l iunched with
/ ber and her mother at their hotel ana tore
mvsalf awav from her on the plea OF press