The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1885-09-19
MY PROPOSAL.
HOW / Asked for Nellie and Her
Mothers Answer.

am modest man. Modesty is in
many people virtue; in me it is an
absolute fault. have spent all my
life in New York City. have been in
society for years. / have been dry
goods clerk, an advertising agent and
Custom-horse broker. and yet am,
under certain circumstances, a sufferer
from modesty, or bashfulness, or what
ever PEG pie may call it.
Notwithstanding ordinary good
look1, respectable manners, good
buBiness and plenty of affection, 1 re-
manned unmarried, and even unen-
gagged, for years after the day 1 deter
mined I had been single man long
enough. ~
Not that did not fall in love- for I
loved often and ardently; but it always
happened that before l could muster
courage sufficient for a declaration and
proposal, some other man would be
smitten by the charms of the lady /
was adoring, and could do nothing
but hasten to relieve my heart of affee.
ton for another mans wife.
undAAy poSah W NtounS rWneCner i
should ever get wife, at all. lacked
but a few years Of middle age, and
what tender, susce' Ytible girl, such as l
should hope to Wan, would marry an
old manP
Frightened f>y the thought, I SOL
elmly resolved that, should ever again
fall IN love, / would promptly declare
my posiuon and earnestly press my
suit.
My r.esolution had not time to cool
befor.e l succumbed to the resistless
po' yer of Nellie Mayton's eyes. Nellie
f41d not Purposely look witchingly at
me with her deep brown eyes-girls
never do such things purposely-but by
some fortunate accident she gave me a
glance which Immediately made me her
adoring slave.
As she was an old acquaintance, !
did not think a deliberate counting was
necessary; on the contrary, 1 deter
mined to tell my story at once, come OF
it what might.
AS entered the parlor Nellie was
at the piano. .-.-.
She turned quickly upon the stool.
''Nelliel' exclaimed, but 1 could
not remember another word of the
tender declaration had composed be-
fore leaving home. e. - lsr
was conscious of flushing violently
and of opening my mouth to speak
words which would not come; but her
searching eyes which were fixed on
mine read my story then and there,
and the ripe, tender lips below them
broke into pleased smile. As she
arose from the piano, |, with an inn
plorihg look, threw my arms about
her. and the dropping of Eheg beautiful
head upon my shoulder answered al
my unspoken questions. 49, =
] led my darling to sofa. and there
with unloosened tongue / whispered
to her not unwilling ear {
story which seemed to interest hel
greatly. In the enthusiasm which
possessed me after 1 had regained m,
speech, | went beyond a mere declara
ton of love-I asked Nellie to be m,
wife. She answered in the sweetes
whisper in the world, but in wcsGz tn
most terrible:
Eyes, if mamma is willing" 1ffc
In an instant l was shivering VIC
lently. Ask Mrs. Mayton's consent!
had rather have proposed to half tn
manageable ladies in New York! No
that there was anything frightful abou
Mrs. Mayton; on the contrary she wa
the impersOnation of politeness, good
ness tact, kindness and all other vii
tues, as well as being brilliant, witty
and, despite her forty years, extremel
handsome. But when she listened t
any one it was with look whic
plainly said mo nonsense, now.
When she found occasion to use sal
casm, she was most numerically shar
and bitter, and her power of mimicr
was such that she could initiate to pei
lection every tone of her miserable viz
tim. To think of facing her with an
possible risk of her disappearing of m
suit was simply dreadful.
The twilight had faded into darkness
OF course hadn't match; but Nell
insisted upon the gas being lighted, an
left the room for one. Out of the darl
ness coniured up dreadful visions I
Mrs. Maytop in every pose and featul