Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1885-12-19
SELECTIONS.
BASHFUL.

dHIoHg tne girls, on account OIL DIS
curly hair, languishing eyes and
" love of a m~ustache,n and, but for
one thing he would have been all
right enough but my hero was at.
ficted with the most provoking OF
ailments-e xtreme b%ashfulness,
which excited alternately the pity
and amusement of his various &C.
quaintances.
Among Mr.. Champions friends
was a damsel of some eighteen sum
mers, who had made a decided i'm
preston upon his susceptible heart.
She was a tiny little fairy, with d
profusion of light, flowing hair, and
m%ischievous blue eyes which struck
q strange thrill to the heart of our
poor hero whenever they we're turn.
ed in his direction.
The consequence was that, after a
short acquaintance, Mr.. Champion
was desperately and overwhelming
ly in love with her. AS Pat very
sensibly remarks, he couldn't sleep
for dramin' of her," so you see, when
matters got to that crisis, they must
have been pretty serious.
Having thus surrended his heart,
Mr.. Champion was thrown into a
perfect turmoil Of doubt, perplexity
and distress. One thing was need.
ed to make him happy, and that
was to ascertain that his love was
returned; but, alas! here came the
tug of war; for with his extreme
bashfulness, he would sooner have
walked up to the lannon's mouth
than to have declared TO Miss Phebe
May his love; at the same time he
was quite positive that he could not
possibly live without her; so my
poor hero's predicament was decided.
~ an unpleasant one.
Things went on in this way for
sometime, until finally he felt
that he could stand it no longer He
resolved with true herolsm to over
come bis %bashfulness for once, and
learn his fate so, one afternoon,
summoning all his fortitude, he ar
rayed himself in his best" Sunday-go
t omeeting" suit, arranged IN the
most faultless. manner, and, taking
his gloves, sailed forth.
beg pardon the last few words
slightly incorrect. He got as far as
the door; but here his fortitude sud.
denly felt the emergency too great,
and retired precipitately, leaving
poor Mr.. Champion in a chair at the
farther corner of the room!
Five mortal times did that heroic
young man endeavor to cross the
threshold of his door, and as many
times did his courage fail him, and
he inevitably found himself at the
end of Il few moments back in the
chair, shaking from head to foot,
and nervously pulling at his gloves,
thereby threatening their ultimate
destruction
But-to his everlasting renown
be it ~spoken-the sixth time he de-
termined that he would 60 on /; and,
with 4 great effort, succeeded in
making the start.
The residence of Miss Phebe was
but a few blocks off, and his courage
sustained him until he reached the
very corner, and then-I don't know
whether it was that the side street
offered such an inviting promenade,
although Pm Inclined to think it
wasn't that-but, at all events, after
fuctuating on that precise corner
for about a minute he started down
it at a rate that threatened soon to
precipitate him into the Atlantic
Ocean or fetch him up among the
Antlpodes.
Our hero continued this headlong
pace for about five minutes; then,
as his scattered senses began to
come back to him he stopped for a
moment to think.
"This will never do p he exclaim-
ed at last. 81 must know my fate
to-day )" and he turned back, and
finally reached the house.
With trembling heart he ascend
ed the steps and rang the bell. He
was admitted by a servant, falter
ingly inquired for Miss May, and the
next moment found himself alone in
the parlor.
After a lapse of about five min
utes, a light step was heard on the
stairs, and Mr.. Champion knew that
his divinity was coming. AT thai
sound, his impulse was to rush for the
door; but, controlling himself with
a great effort, he waited her coming
We will mention just here thai
our hero's attachment for Miss May
much returned by her; and she had
been for a long time awaiting his
} proposal although, knowing his ex
{ cessive bashfulness, she feared thai
hopnx- momapt wNut6 uoyor oama