The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1881-09-20

Oh man LiEln ever nave been since. L
wore a long-tailed coat, and boots Ito
which the appearance of spurs was gener-
ally added, moustache was quite visible
on my upper lip, and consciousness of
ripe maturity never left my mind. Twas
studying for the legal profession, but at
the time of which | write was spending
my Summer vacation at my fathers house
i'll the country.
Though SO manly almost soldier-like
rs | fancied), in my appearance, my inner
was by no means so stern as my outer
man. loved my mother with her child
ish tenderness, and sooner than pain her
pious heart, unmurmuringly accompanied
her every Sunday night to the village
church, to listen to long sermons of which
| could not hear word, for the tremu-
lous accents of the very aged minister
who conducted the services were so very
faint as to be inaudible from where we
sat. Though melted by love and duty to
submit my self to this weekly penance
(well deserved by my weekly sins), my
conscience yet did not prevent me from
Willing away the time by such amuse-
ment as lay at hand, namely, that of OBJ
serving and speculating upon the coun-
tenances of my neighbors, an occupation
of which was fond
The physiognomy which interested me
more than all the others was that of a
young girl who sat not far from us and
was accompanied by an aged lady, prob
ably her grandmother-obiect of her ever
watchful G are. The girls face from the
first eliciting my careless admiration,
gradually absorbed my whole attention. 1t
was very beautiful, but apart from that it
had interest for me. Never had seen a
countenance which denoted so much SEN
sibility; each motion of her mind was
plainly written upon it, by its quick, del
icate changes; nothing was wanting but
the key of a corresponding degree of SEN
sibility in the beholder to read her tender,
innocent soul like an open book. For
hours | gazed and speculated on that fair
young face-I thought how sad would be
the lot of so sensitive being, should fate
unite her to one who would not know
how to read Alright what was so delicately
written-to whom the varying express
sions of that sweet countenance would
be able to see it only in its coarser part
beauty of feature. There was no end to
the reveries into which those swift COM
ing bushes led me-
Sometimes, by chance, the fair object
OfmX bus fancies would catch my eye,
or without looking at me, seem to know
OF feel that was gazing at her, and l
wickedly delighted in noting the blush
which dee pened on her cheek till / with
drew my eye.
One Su nday happened, in coming out
of church, to be close to my lovely neigh
bor-imniediately behind henry hand
actually touched her unconscious gar
ments. / felt an irresistible desire to
force her in some way to notice me-to
speak to her-to occasion one Of those
charming bushes -anything-I know not
what In short, like an impudent cox
comb as | was, stepped forward, with
insufferable insolence, which blush now
to remeui Der, and whispered in her ear:
"You are very pretty"
Never was more surprised than when
she calmly replied
al kno ow it ~
was absolutely startled. had ex-
pected silent, conscientious blush-an
indignant glance rather than
this cool IS / know it."
was puzzled, bat | had plenty Of time
To turn the matter over in my mind, for
in few days / returned to college /
can truly say it was the one problem
which tn roughout the term gave me most
trouble to solve and cost me most
thought.
Another year elapsed ere returned
home, ard again sat in the little village
church. Ny personal appearance was,
meanwhile, somewhat altered / sill
wore my mouAtache, il il true, bat my
coat tails were not, or did not seem
quite so long, and ! had left Of my spars.
Ny mother and ! were early seated in
our pew and impatiently waited for the
arrival d my lovely enigma tried 70
prepare myself for disappointment II
have been thinking and dreaming about
an ideal,7 sasd TO myself - doubtlsss
! when the young lady herself appears, Nh