Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1886-03-23
MISCELLANEOUS.
Too BashfuI.
Br HARLAN E. wAkD.

A great, handsome, goOd-natured,
honest-hearted fellow was Charlie
Winter, but so very bashful that in
the presence of the gentler sex he
never could have told whether he was
standing on his head or his heels.
just now his failing was most i'm.
mensely aggravated by the fact that
he was over head and ears in love
with Clarice Wilmer, the sweetest,
prettiest, most bewildering little
beauty in all the region round about.
Z" Oh, dear, wish knew a way to
tell my love, and not be there myself.
Deuce take the girls! They bother
you on purpose, i believe; and always
manage so your courage oozes out of
your fingers end before you arc quite
ready to ask the fatal question"
Why don't you write?'
" Write? 1 shouldn't know word
to say; and then I'd never dare to
look her in the face again."
80, what a spoony. Simply say
you love her, and ask her if she will
make you happy. Then face the
music like a man and meet her next
time rs if nothing had happened"
Charley groaned despairingly.
easy enoigh for you to talk" +" he
mtittered obviously. "You who have
been married seven years-with me
the caseis different. Itell you, Tom,
you don't know anything about it."
" Yes 1 do. Didn't Nell act just
as CIarice does, bewitching me one
moment and almost driving me to
suicide the next? You're lunatic,
you arc; and hope CIarice will give
You the mitten."
'' am afraid she will
" Faint heart never won fair lady,"
quoted Tom Ridgely Indignantly as
he arose to take his leave. "Serious-
Iy, however, I advise you to put your
heart on paper, and forward it to
Clarice by the post"
Charlie thought about it after he
was gone. The more he thought the
better pleased with it he was.
cts terrible, but l suppose 1
must!'' lie groancd, seating himself
at his writing desk, and cIutching
wildly at paper, pen and ink.
An hour of torture. Charley began
dozen billet deaux and tore them up,
then wrote n dozen more, and tore
them up also.
. 1t is utterly useless" he moaned
at last, and then the great BOBBY laid
his head upon the desk and fairly
sobbed.
"I'II write and ask her to go to
the opera with me tomorrow night,
anyway, and then, perhaps he
dared to think no further.
" Ny dcar-no that will never do;
was ever mortal so perpIexad as 1
am! l wish the girls were at the bot
tom of the ocean. and Eve had never
been created. Well, 1 will begin
again"
This time he was successful. His
note was short enough, and some
young ladies might take iimbragg al
such an invitation, but CIarice knew
his bashfulness. 1t read as follows,
and was not dated at all:
"Will you be kind enough to honor
me by the acceptance of my escort
to the opera tomorrow eve!"
And that was all beside the sigma
ture.
We'll, there said Charley, as he
finished it, - / promised sister Min
ME that l would write to. her this
week, so will do it now while my
hand is in" and tossing the note to
one side he soon began his letter.
{: SISTER MINNIE: (it read, }
r { . nF Tho I=4I, nor,a -
and had meant to answer il before.
The fact is am deeply in love with
a young lady, CIarice Wilmer, of
whom you have heard me speak, and
l am afraid she don't return it. You
know l am so confounded bashful L
daren't write. Sometimes 1 think
I've got the necessary courage, but
when meet her II vanishes like dew
( before the sun, and L am q bigger
fool than ever. know she thinks 1
am a fool, but can't help it'd
rather face battery of mitrilleuses,
or any other engine of destruction,
than pretty woman any time, and
/ Clarice is the fairest, sweetest and
most beautiful young lady I ever
saw"
/ Here followed three whole pages
of lovers rhapsody, interspersed with
waiIings of despair, and then the letter
wound up thus:
"PYe asked her to go to the opera
Tomorrow night, and if she goes,
it's possible that may learn my fate. -
''Three o'cIcck-can it be posi-
ble!" cried Charley. glancing at the
clock, and stuffing his letters into two
envelopes, which he backed in awful
haste. The mail goes out In half an
hour-I shall be late as sire as fate
And paying no heed to the rhyme,
and little to the letters, he grasped
his hat and started for the postofice.
Clarice smiled her brightest when
Charlie called for her next night, but
he fancied there was mischief in her
eyes. which perhaps was not quite all