The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1883-04-18
BUBBLES PROPOSAL.

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BUDELI'S PROPOSAL.
This time two years ngO our Square
Club was nourishing; now I am sole
member. Budcll, Marty, Smithcrs and
myself had formed ourselves into pri-
waite bachelors club for the purposes of
whist and other intellectual occupa-
tons, and Il 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
as had to allcgc II reason why he did
not intend TO wed; but we had so far
recognized the possibility of n change
in our sentiments MS TO solcmnly bind
ourselves to inform the club Mt once if
we should ever mediate "halying our
pleasures and doubling our expenses"
Smithcrs said he hadn't time to marry;
was too poor; and Marby, who was
rcgardCda as our romantic member, gave
us Indefinitely to understand that
"blightcd affections stood between
him and the hymcneal altar. Budell
at first laughed at the idea of assigning
reason; and he wished TO allcgc as his
that he hadn't met Mrs. Budell yet.
That was unanimously rejected by the
rest of the club; whcrcupon he insisted
upon our accepting as an alternative
that he was afraid OF ladies. We were
willing TO stretch point in favor of
Budell, who was one of the jollicst pos
siblc fellows at n bachelor supper, and
so we received this second reason. For
the rest we nobly resolved not TO fly,
but to withstand temptations; our max
i'm was that every lady is charming so
long us one is not married to her; and
we were all ready to 90 into society,
and even sustain the reputation Of be-
inc "dancinm men" We use to relate
to each other over our cclibatc pipes
wonderful stories of narrow escapes
from guilclul women every season; but
if these were all as dependent upon the
narralor's fancy for their important de-
tails as nly contributions To tho CONVEX
sation, the escapes were somewhat moro
than hair s-brcadth. Budcll was cs-
pecially favorite in society; he
was one Of those rare phenomena,
young harriStcrs with some practice,
and he had besides very comfortable
allowance from his father. Like the
rest of the club, had at first taken as
Joke his assertion that he was afraid
of ladies; but | gradually came TO sec
that there was some truth in il. Sc
long as Budcll was in large company
in ballroom or any place like that
he was quite at lis ease, and rs bold
rs Jon; but if by any chance ho hap
pcned to fall temporary captive to n
solitary damscl's bow and spear, he was
almost overwhelmed with nervousness,
and his usual powers of conversation
completely deserted him. | once met
him Mt the Royal Academy, cscortng n
very pretty young lady, and looking as
uneasy rs if he had had n worse con
science than King IIcrod; and have
seen him trcmblo ~ mere passing
mention of the conservatory by his part
ncr at Il 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
vancing malady; but we were only OBJ
tusc and short-Sightcd men. Now as
look back over these months ] recall in
cidcnts that might have been warnings
The Gradual decrease of Budclrs hilar
i,y at the club, and the gradual incrcas
Of his excursions into society, coul
hardly, indeed, have been portenta, 10
Budcll always did 90 more into soclGl
than the rest of us. The first alluso
that he made TO me about the lady VIII
was afterwards TO play Beatrice to hi
Bcncdick was at n cOnccrt-or rather !
the cloak-room, aftcra concert. "lhaC
what | call pretty girl, " he whispcrc
TO me; "thcrc, that dark-cycd girl owe
there in the warm, ncccy, brown SHAW
none Of your llimsy white opcri
cloaks." The girl was pretty, in
fresh and piquant sort of way; and eve
u sworn bachelor might have bee
excused for being pleased at r.
ceiving such n frank smile as s
greeted Budcll with. Again, not man
days after, he remarked to me, a prop
deS hotties -" Met rather an intcrcs'ln
girl last night; quite agrees with me o
the subject of names. | may be a.
cuscd for ncglecting this hint; Budnll
think would have found n molluS
"intoresting" if it had only agree
with him that there was nothing mo-
Objectionable than to have ones nan
murdered. He was ncrvously anXiol
that his name should I've pronounc,
with the accent on the second syllabl
and l afterwards found that he h;
been introduced Qor the second TIM
to this interesting girl" as Doodle
"Just as though lrhymed TO "noodlc
as he Indignantly expressed it. But d
most important hint was given the mig
+ after Mrs. Burtons ball, at which '
had all been present. We were loun
/ ing in Budell's rooms, and Smithcrs W
# giving us q highly colored and graph
s illustration Of the frivolity that pass
for conversation between young m