The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1877-09-20

into which all the pretty and vrtuous
Women's names in New York, written on
slips Of paper, had been poured, as draw
from them met by chance at party, at
church or in the street. If it is my des-
tiny to be married, the right pair of pretty
feet will 10y and by catch my eye tripping
along and challenge me"
Thus solloQuizing, took my seat by
my window in a huge leather arm chair,
and drawing Il match across the sole of
my boot | Ilghted a cigar and gave my
self up TO reflection and inspection of the
paSSers- by.
''Alrs. Bracegirdle is right" | eiaculat-
ed at the end OF ten minutes she is un-
doubtedly quite right. ought to take 4
wife. Bat whose wife shall | take as
young Sheridan asked his father.
AS the clouds OF azure smoke curled
above my head, coniured up, peeping
out OF each curl, the faces OF some dozen
fair girls had known or still knew AS
their features blended with the wreaths
had passed in retrospectiOn before my
eyes, deliberately rejected each, pass
ng Judgment upon them us they ascend
ed and melted into thin air beneath the
ceiling OF my room. One had Il nose too
blunt; another Il FchUusse SO far as to
turn up: a third was too tall u fourth
had too large 4 foot; a fifth had bad
teeth; a sixth laughed too much q
seventh talked too loud an eighth had
big lnucllles; a ninth had moustache ):
a tenth a sweet girl -coul(n't bear the
smell of assaftrtda, and of course. was
out of the question for u doctors wife
an eleventh had bad breath; and the
| u !,
in Il young girl.
| These feminine faces all assembled above
my head, and disappeared slowly into
thin air - evaporated with the smoke
which had reproduced them. Yet, some
how, a sweet face seemed to lingcr in the
| blue cloud that curled from my chair
Her blue eyes, her pleasant smile, her
graceful head and shoulders, her exquisite
hands and Incompatible feet all We're
once more visible to me It's | had before
seen them, and almost fallen in love with
their possessor But, alas She was my
cousin, and | had been informed by
| Fanny's Puritan mother that it was Il
mortal SIN to marry cousins, for the Bible
said SO. SO let this sweet face also melt
away toward the ceiling IAN ascending
angel), and sighed, half resolving to turn
Roman Catholic, that | might get a ''dis-
| pcnSltinn' from the Pope "to marry
cousins" But her mother and the Bible,
how could go against both! 50 | saw
| the features OF my fair cousin fade away
With SORROW.
Not one OF these will do, said, shab-
| ing my head and also shaking the ashes
off my cigar. ! then carelesslY glanced
out OF my window preparatory to review
/ ing another dozen OF marrying acuuaint-
ances. At that instant a lovely girl was
going by on the opposite side of the street
/ recognized her at once as a mysterious
and graceful girl who had so often passed
my window | had never seen her face,
as it was concealed. How, then, did |
! know she was lovely YOU ask Because
| her feet We're the most captivating little
| members my critical eyes ever rested up
on. Such feet could only belong to a love
| ~ body-a lovely body, to match in sym
meuN the tauItleSs feet. must be crowned
| by Il superb and lovely head and face.
| From such cogent augmentation there
can clearly be no appeal. had often
| pointed her out To some OF my friends,
more than once said | would be willing
| to marry her without seeing her face.
The fair promenader now made use Of
her little feet With exquisite daintiucss.
| Their movements realized fully old Sir
John Sucllling's admirable lines
Her feet beneath her petticoat
Like little Ilicc pceped III and ont.
The first day, two months before that,
saw them, was, at once taken captive.
IL at length, said to Harry Hamilton.
my friend, "bchold the beau ideal of my
imagination. The perfect foot which |
have in vain looked for in the Medcan
Venus, in Powers "Grcek Slave in
every work Of art illustrating feminine
beauty, is now found q"
1t was gathered in close fitting gold
en- bronze boot, with neat heels like little
walnuts. and as She walked heard their
nutlillc tap. tap" upon the pave. As
| she now came opposite my window, she
slightly thc least perceptible motion in
the world) elevated her skirts to escape
possible contact with a patch of coal dust
| which DR.. Bung, my NiS-a-yis friend and
rival, had caretcssly permitted to remain
after getting down his coal Such ankles
Of grace and beauty were never before
beheld They were titnates to the twink
ling feet. As gaZed enchanted, the fair
promenadcr, whose form was slight, sym
me1rical and graceful, us became such
lovely feet, turned Il corner and vanished
| am not usually an impnlsive man.
My uncle who was q physician, had told
me that impulse and eNcitability We're
fatal to the success OF a doctor Of medi-
cine that ought TO cultivate calmness,
imperturbability and cool elf-posscsSion.
"Glavity and dignity, slowness Of gait
and deliberation in opinion, are the high
est qualifications in 4 medical man." he
used often to say.
therefore, at my present age, eight
and twenty, was quite Il Galen for gravity
and dccorum of visage and manner. But
must confess that upon sight of the fair
possessor of the beautiful feet | sprung
from my arm chair, tossed my cigar into
the CRATE, seized my hat and stick-a gold
headed doctor like cane, with my name,
''Doctor J. Y. 5. DodWel, Jr," in full
thereon and rushed into the hall and
made for the street door, resolved |
would this time follow her to the worlds
end but that discovered who she was :,
Mrs. Braceglr'lle was standing in it, chat
tering with Il woman for fruit Of some sort.
As crowded past her she looked at me
with amaZement, and cried out in alarm.
''Who is hurt What is it, doctor Is
anybody run over ?"
"No, am after my wife ~ | answered; ;
and leaving her mystitied, pursued at
a rapid step the course taken by the
twinEIing golden bronzes. Upon turning
the corner met her full in the face, re-
turning, as if she had taken the wrong
street. | was SO taken aback to use a
sea term that | stopped perfectly still,
confounded by the recontre, and she gid-
ed past me without even glancng at me,
slightly deviating to pass me, Us she
would have done by barrel that stood
{ in her path. Her face was concealed by
Il brown veil, worn, as the fashion Of
young girls is, double over the face,
though for the life of me how they can
see to walk SO blindfolded is a mystery
After she had passed Inc ! recovered my
self-possession, which this unprepared
Il H., i Il