Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1883-05-24
The Starp Teller.
BUpELL's PROPOSAL.


BUDELL's PROPOSAL.
At this time two years ago our Square
Club was hourishing now I am the only
member. BudeH, Marby, ,!Smithers and my
self had formed ourselves into private
bachelors club for the purposes OF whist and
other intellectual occupations, and very
GOOD time we contrived to have together.
We hadn't many rules and bylaws for our
club. We were sworn bachelors, and eaen
of us had toallege reason why we did not
intend to wed; but we had so far recognized
thepossibility of change in our sentlments
as to solemnly bind ourselves to inform the
club at once if we should ever medltate
"halving our pleasures and doubling our eX-
penses." Smithers said he hadn't time 70
marry was too poor; and Marcy, VINO
was regarded as our romantic member, gave
ma indefniteIy to understand that "blighted
affectiOnsn stood between him and the n.y.
meneal altar. Budell at first laughed at the
idea ofassigning reason and he Wlshed
to aIlege as his that he hadn't met Mrs. Bu-
dell vet. That was unanimously rejected by
the rest of the club; whereupon 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 jolliest possible fellows at bache,
lor supper, and so we received this second
reason. For the rest we nobly resolved not
to fly but to withstand temptation; our max
i'm was that every lady was charming so
long as one was not married to her and we
were all ready to go into society, and even
sustain the reputation of being dancing
men," We used to relate to each other
over our celibate pipes wonderful stories OF
narrow escapes from guileful women every
season but if these were all as dependent
upon the narrator's fancy for their important
details as my contributions to the conVersa-
ton, the escapes We're somewhat more than
hairsbreadth Budell was especially ia
vorite in society he was one OF those rare rare
phenomenal young barristers with some
practice, and he had besides a comfortable
allowance from his father. Like the rest OF
the club, + had at first taken it as a joke that
he was afraid Of ladies; but l gradually
came to see that there was some truth In IL.
So long as Budell was in a large company
in ballroom or any place like that-he was
quite at ease and as bold as lion but II by
any chance he happened to fall temporary
captive to solitary damsel's bow and spear,
he was almost overwhelmed with rervous-
ness, and his usual powers of conversation
deserted him. I once met him at the Royal
Academy, escorting very pretty young Ia
DIV, and looking as uneasy as II he had q
worse conscience than King Herod and L
have seen him tremble at the mere passing
mention of the conservatory by his partner
at q dance. However, in the Square Club
he was our most enthusiastic member; and
horror and indignation filled our souls when
we realized the direful fact that Budell was
in love and doing his best to be married,
Had we been women we might probably
have seen the symptoms of the advancing
malady; but we were only obtuse and
shortsighted men. Now as l look back
over these months / recall incidents that
might have been warnings. The gradual
decrease of Budell's hilarity at the club and
the gradual increase of his excursions could
hardly, indeed, have been portents, for
Budell always did 90 more into society
than the rest of us. The first allusion he
made to me about the lady who was after
ward to play Beatrice to his Benedick was
at concert-or rather in the cloak-room
after concert. "That's what call pretty
girl" he whispered to me; "that dark
brown shawl-none of your himsy white
opera cloaks." The girl was pretty, in a
fresh piquant sort of way; and even a
sworn bachelor might have been excused
for being pleased at receiving such a frank
smile as she. greeted Budell with. Again
not many days after he remarked to me
apropos des 6ottes-"Met rather an interest
ing girl dast night; quite agrees with me
on the subject of names" l may be eX-
cused for neglecting this hint; Budell, l
think, would have found mollusc Inter
esting' if it had only agreed with him that
there was nothing more Objectionable than
to have ones name murdered. He was
nervously anxious that his name should be
pronounced with the accent on the second
syllable; and afterward found that he had
been introduced (for the second time) to
this ''interesting grip as "Boodle." "Just
as though I rhymed to noodle "-as he
Indignantly expressed it. But the most
important hint was given the night after
Mrs. Burton's ball. at which we all had
been present. We were lounging in Bu-
dell's rooms, and Smithers was giving us
highly colored and graphic illustration OF
the frivolity that passes for conversation
between young men and maidens. "That's
all nonsense" broke in Budell; "it's your
own fault at any rate: Why, last night /
had quite serious and interesting CONVEX
sation about women's education with
maiden" I even quoted Scripture to her
"Bet YOU hat you misquOted," said the
irreverent Smithers, who thought every
one was ignorant as himself.
"No; Pm not joking; it's a fact; and
got an idea or two, let me tell YOU" Had
he only told us that he had ventured into
the conservatory in order to carry on his
conversation without interruption, l am
convinced that at least should have sur
missed that the acquisition ofan idea or two
was not the only result. However, I was
not long in my state of Ignorance. One
day, month or so after, Budell hunted me
up to confide to me that the bachelors cluf
was all bosh; he was over head and ears
in love, and did think he ought to tell the
other men? Then there followed shower
of apologetics in which "soft, brown eyes
and goodness knows what other persona
attractions were prominent. When l re
covered breath assured him that though
it quite incumbent upon him to inform thu
club. was rigid and cold with him fo1
can ;..dinnonf. II was almost an inSul