The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1883-04-19
RUDELL'S PROPOSAL:
London SOCictu.

BUDELL'S PROPOSAL:
This time two years ago our Square
Club was hourishing; now | am sole
member. Budell, Marby, Smithcrs and
myself had formed ourselves into q pri-
vatc bachelors club for the purposes of
whist and other intellectual occupa-
tlons, and n very good time we con-
trivcd to have together. We hadn't
many rules and bylaws for our club.
We were sworn bachelors, and each of
us had TO allcgc n reason why he did
not intend to we'd; but we had so far
recognized the possibility Of a change
in our sentiments as to solcmnly bind
ourselves to inform the club at once if
we should ever mediate "halving our
pleasures and doubling our expenses"
SmitherS said he hadn't time to marry;
regarded as our romantic member, gave
us indefinitely to understand that
"blightcd Affections stood between
him and TIC hymcncal altar. Budcll
at first laughed at the idea of assigning
reason; and he wished to allegc as his
that he hadn't met Mrs. Budell vet.
That was unanimously rejected by the
rest OF the club; whcreupOn he insisted
upon our accepting as an alternative
that he was afraid of ladies. We were
willing to stretch n point in favor of
Budcll, who was one of the iollieSt pos
slble fellows at bachelor supper, and
so we received this second reason. For
the rest we nObly resolved not to fly,
but to withstand temptation; our max
im was that every lady is charming so
long as one is not married to her; and
we were all ready to go into society,
and even sustain the reputation of be-
ing "dancing men," We use to relate
to each other over our cclibatc pipes
wonderful stories of narrow escapes
from gullctul women every season; but
if these were all rs dependent upon the
narrator S fancy for their important de-
tails rs mly contributions 60 the CONVEX
SatlOn, the escapes were somewhat more
than hairs 's-brcadth. Budell was cs-
pecially q favOritc in society; he
was one of those rare phenomena,
young barristcrs with some practice,
and he had besides 4 very comfortable
allowance from his father. Like the
rest of the club, had at first taken rs
joke his assertion that he was afraid
Of ladies'; but | gradually came to see
that there was some ruth in it. So
long as Budcll was in urge company
in q ballroom or any place like that
he was quite at Lis ease, and as bold
as lion; but if by any chance he hap
pcncd TO fall q temporary captive to
solitary damScl's bow and spear, he was
almost overwhelmed with nervousness,
and his usual powers Of conversation
completely deserted him. | once met
him at the Royal Academy, cscorting a
very pretty young lady, and looking as
uneasy rs if he had had worse con-
science than King Hcrod; and / have
seen him trcmble az a mere passing
mention of the conservatory by his part
ncr at q dance. However, in the Square
Club he was our most enthusiastic mem
Der; and horror and Indignation filled
our souls when we realized the dircful
fact that Budcll was in love, and doing
his best to be married.
Had we been women we might prob
ably have seen the symptoms of the adj
vanclng malady; but we were only OBJ
tusc and short-sightcd men. Now rs |
look back over these months recall in
cidcntS that might have been warnings.
The gradual decrease Of BudclP3 hilar-
ity at the club, and the gradual Increase
, of his excursions into society, could
hardly, indeed, have been pOrtcnts, for
Budcll always did go more into society
than the rest of us. The first alluSion
that he made to me about the lady who
was afterwards to play Beatrice to his
| Bcncdick was at q COnCCrt-Or rather in
| the clOak-room, aftcra concert. "That's
what l call Il pretty girl, he whispered
to me; "thcrc, that darI-cycd girl over
there in tho warm, nrccy. brown shawl
none Of your ilimsy white opera
| o1n m Cri,I
fresh and piquant sort of way; and even
excused for being pleased at re-
greeted Budcll with. Again, not many
deS b0ttc$--" Met rather an interesting
girl last night, quite agrees with me on
the subject of names" | may be cX-
cuscd for ncglcctinG this hint; Bud"ll |
think would have found q mollusk
interesting" if it had only agreed
with him that there was nothing more
Objectionable than to have ones name
murdered. He was ncrvously anxious
that his name should be pronounced
with the accent on the second syllable;
and I afterwards found that he had
been introduced (for the second time)
to this interesting girl " as Doodle. "
"Just as though lrhymcd to "n0odlc "
as he Indignantly expressed it. But the
most important hint was given the night
after Mrs. BurtOn's ball, at which we
had all been present. We were loung.
ino in Budells rooms, and Smithers was
giving us a highly colorcd and graphic
illustration Of the frivolitY that passes
| for conversation between young me-