Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1885-12-17

Major Clinton was one Of the ffost
courageous fellows in the world, accord
ing to the men who knew him; but
when the ladies of his acquaintance
heard his opinions they laughed him to
scorn, for they considered him the
most timid creatures they had ever
seen. He was very fond Of ladies' 80
ciety, they said, or he would not spend
all his evenings at parties or making
calls; yet no one lady. old or young,
single or married, had ever known him
to express his regard in any way that
was not extremely decorous and formal
Flirt? They would as soon think of q
tombstone or a telegraph pole attempt
ing to Airt. Most of the Majors male
acquaintance carried scars on their
hearts, us results either of attacks more
honorable than judlcious, or of sudden
surprises by fair shirmishers; but no
one could imagine the Major to have
suffered any such mishap, for he not
only made no reconnoissances, but he
always retired precipitately within
himself at the first fash of a pair of
eyes leveled directly at him.
The truth was that the brave Major
was not only as modest as maiden,
bnt he was painfully bashful besides
The one desire of his life was to marry,
which he was financially able to do,
but the important preliminary step of
proposing was one he had never dared
to take. Until he reached adult years
he had met scarcely any women but
his two orphaned sisters, to whom he
had tried to he as a father, and upon
whose rare purity and sweetness he had
based his IDEAS Of womanhood. Both
married and went far from their old
home, so they could not help him to
gain wife by disabusing him of his
impression that all women wore too
good for him. To Clinton nearly every
woman appeared saint. lie worship
ped one after another, although only
one at time, and his tastes were 80
correct that he was obliged to change
his divinity about once in three months
to avoid worshipping another mans
wife. Whenever an old scar healed
and delicious throbbing of the heart
told of new dart that had found its
way to his heart he vowed solemnlv to
propose at once and vary the dreadful
monotony of having another man step
in before him. And each time he de-
iayed Just for day Or a week, or be-
cause he feared too much or hoped too
wildly and every time he waited lit
tie too long-evcry time but one.
For when the Major met Alice Wall
eraon he felt that to lose her, too, would
be more than his life could endure
She was pretty, as all women eeemed
to the Major. She was good and she
was sweet, jor was sure, else why
we're all other women unusually fond
Of her7 Best of all, she seemed the
most modest and bashful maiden in his
whole circle of acquaintance, and thro
these qualities would be able to offer
him sympathy with feelings that all
other people regarded with provoking
smiles.
But how should he propose? Being
a woman, her bashful nature must be
far more sensitive than his own, so
even if he were to nerve himself to the
ordeal, how could he be enough of
brute to conflict greater trepidation
upon her, if he loved her? Even were
she favorably disposed toward him, he
was sure that listening to proposal
would put her heart in terrible tu-
mutt; how much more dreadful it
would be, then, for her to listen to him
should she not be favorably disposed.
He knew that she always looked at
him pleasantly; he felt that she had
even been grateful to him one evening,
when both at party. and both thro'
timility retired to the same half bid
den corner Of the drawing-room, each
innocent of the approach Of the other,
and each over anxious on meeting to
show that the affair was mere acci-
dent. This was the onl " basis of Clin-
tons hope, and yet-he had been dis
appointed 80 many times he could not
bear think of failure now.
He made several calls with the in
tention of proposing, but every time his
courage failed him; besides, Mrs. Wal
! lerson, or Alice's sister Nell, were al
ways in the parlor. Of course he could
not say before two what he dreaded to
say even with single hearer. Worse