The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-01-04
AN IDEAL.

seraphina. young and lovely, with fortune At
command,
Had hos, Of ardent suitors, each aspiring to her
hand:
But she smiled not on their wooing, and she cared
not for their woes,
For she loved bright ideal. with a naughty
,man nose.
In her waking dreams she saw him-tall. with
raven locks above.
While beneath his brow majestic curved the nose
And all other men grew hateful. and with longing
look she cried.
Come: life's devotion waits thee! come and
claim thy willing BRIDE"
Love. with soft ntreating accents. sought in vain
the ma dens heart;
Eyes rent ont their killing glances. manly figures
All in va n: her virgin fancy by the nose was c,p-
tive led.
And to each who came s-wooing. Nor was oil
S,crne>t Fate brought retribution. At brilliant
ball. one night.
scraphiua met he; hero-that loved nose beamed
Colonel Montagu Augustus name as high-bred
as his looks:
What ply truth mu-t spoil it by that vile eogno-
Tail. with raven locks and whiskers. and-moet
potent charm of all
Roman nose: whose grand proportions held her
Vel. he story needs no telling: each seemed to
the other drawn.
Talking: wa king. gancing. dancing, coon the
Colonel Monta,u Augustus, in the graceful role
II lover
>eraphina gazing fondly a. the nose that lowered
above her.
Meeting upon meeting followed; luckless lovers,
on by one,
Saw The ,cr re~s OF her fancy yield ere siege was
Ere the whit SHOWS had vanished, ere the bios.
soming Of spring.
At her side his nOee was carried, on her finger
shone his ring.
Mid the disappointed ruitors who for seraphina
pinned.
One rash youth 70 schemes Of vengeance bad de-
vote heart and mind.
Words are useless. 20 he answered to the
friends VIII, ~ouli advise
Words are useless while my rival Aaunts that
nose before my eySs!
And he fastened from their presence with such
anguish in his air
That he filed III m with fOrebodings dark and
deep a. his despair.
That same evening Seraphina and her charming
Montagu.
Tired of crowd. and gay c infusion, stole an hoar
"a bill and coo:
Side by side. their hands cloee clasping, he then:
= Dearest. nan.e the day."
She. cnraptured softly signing. Who that
knows thee could say navy"
In that moment. bark! footstep, then q hand
seraphnas cast off sutton gazes on her face once
more.
Mr.. simpkins!' cries the maiden; unexpected
pleasure this
Colonel Snooks glad to see YOU (thongh she
didn't look her Bliss.
SinpknS answered not her greeting. Onward,
with single stride.
Past the chair she would have offered, he had
reached the Coloaels slice.
Something strange in his dcmc amor thrilled poor
SeraphInas heart
With sense of ming evil, but in vain her
scream and start.
Seraphina. have lost YOU Simpkins mutters,
As he stands:
well. know what came between us''-wildly
clenching both his han IL.
But If | might wreak my vengeance on the
cause Of all my woe.
Pun that nos. once: then. contented, could from
your presence co.
Quick thought his hard is lifted-he has
graSped hat lovely nose
See he starts. he pales! he trcmbes! zee his
nervele<s grasp uncOse!
While poor Montagu Augustus, Groaning sinks
into chair.
With too little nose to speak Of, and face of
white despair.
But the crnmbling waxen Fragments as from
Simpkins hand they fell.
And were scattered DER the carpet. had their own
sad tale TO tell.
Seraphinas scream of terror died in anguish sore
away:
Where's YOUR nose:" she questioned family,
then IN deadly swoon she lay;
For the fearful truth had smote her. as she caught
the Colonies eve
He had lost his nose in battle; che had loved .
waAen lie.
-Haypers Magazine for January.