The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1888-02-23
CAUGHT AT LAST.

Mr.. Harvey Thackston, bachelor,
had arrived home from the club, and
was about to retire for the night.
He had thrown off his vest, released
his collar and cravat, and taken off
his boots, but there his divesting pro-
cess had suddenly ceased, and we find
Mr.. Thackston sitting upon the edge
of his bed as motionless as a statue,
holding a boot in either hand, and at
times gazing silently from his boots
to the gas jet, and from the gas jet to
his boots.
A person might have surmised from
the bachelors appearance that lie was
in doubt whether to complete his di-
vestment and go to bed. or resume
what articles he had already taken off
and sally forth for little more enjoy
ment, or that he was racking his brain
over a question of more serious inter-
est. A few words from the gentleman
himself, however, will spare the tor
tme of conjecture.
80, so," he unused, looking down
upon his boots with smile of amuse-
.ment, and swinging them between his
knees like pendulums as he spoke.
$50 Ralph has gone-eh? Gone mad,
and been married? Well-well, who'd
have thought it? And I'm the only
one of The club left single. Ha, ha!
What Il grand triumph this is for me.
The lasti The only man of the whole
lot " no had the po ver to resist it.
Ha, ha! You're quite a hero, Harvey.
my boyi They all said you would 90
first, but you didn't! Several of them
vowed that they would he the last ones.
Several of them had the impudence to
VOW they never would be married.
But they have all succumhed at last.
Love, the conquerOr, has levelled them
all like reeds under the scythe,> or ten
pins before the bowling-ball. l stand
alone, the only survivor of the dread
fui carnage. Poor Ralph! Gone! and
he was captured so helplessly. Amelia
Weatherston's bright eyes and hand
some curls were too strong for him.
much as he used to profess himself in
vulnerable to score of Amelias. Ha.
ha! What helpless bit of clay man
seems to be, with Il pair of black eyes,
Il beautiful face, and cluster of curls
confronting hini."
Mr.. Thackston here stopped swing
ing his boots, and transferred his at
tention suddenly to the gas jet.
'Tbe flame of love-" he soliloquised,
his metaphor probably inspired by the
dancing gas-light-' flame of love
has devoured them as chaff, and here
sit a self-ronceited salamander-a
gloating victor. Your turn now
Ralph said to me, parting at the C lub
tonight. Yes. my turn, | know, but
a turn that will be totally. devoid of
event Not so,' they all said. You're
no more love-proof than we are, Har-
vey. You have had will enough to
stick it out to the last, which must
have been extreme torture, but you'll
succumb, never fear Never! Never!
l have lived bachelors life too long
to relinquish it in the very zenith OF
glory and delight.
"Whatl Surrender liberty for slav
cry! Give up my jolly life, that owns
not even the shadow of authority, for
that welded bliss which holds for the
innocent victim the gloomy prospects
of rigorous system, punctual hours,
spicy breezes, occasional hair-dress-
ings. cradles, soothing-syrup, and
much else too distracting to think of!
Step from Elysium into Bedlam! Ugh!
the thought makes me shiver. If l
should take such a mad step my con-
science would torture me to the grave.
I'd be playing false to my club, to my
night-key, and to the general principles
of good fellowship. Some people think
my sentiments rancid. Let them. i
have been called a woman-hater. l
am not! | can revel in woman's
smile and sweet talk as well as any of
them. / can look upon a woman with
as much true admiration as any of
them, but I can admire her from the
proud height of impartiality, and while
towing with the fatal hook, prove the
fact that 1 am ain extremely hard fish
to catch. Oh no-Pm not woman
hater. I'm a man of common sense
that's what | am.
With this sage reflection, Mr.. Thack-
ston threw his boots into a corner, ar
rayed himself in his night-costume,
put out the gas. and went to bed.
A few days subsequent, Mr.. Harvey
Thackston was enjoying his summer
vacation among the most fashionable
circles of Newport society. Handsome
and wealthy, courteous, joyial, and
generous in the highest degree. Mr..
Thackston always created marked
impression in whatever society he
chose to enter.
At Newport he was in his glory.
The jolly, happy -go-lncky, free-and-
easy beaux. the stately bellies, and the
Haunting coquettes, all locked around
him, the former to revel in his charm
ing company, and share his magniti-
cent wine, the two latter to endeavor
with the charm of beauty, and the
science of artifice, to snare him in
their nets. and effect the capture of
millionaire and his fortune.
For the first class Harvey cared
great deal To them he devoted his
heartfelt attention; for, rollicking care
less fellow that he was, he loved good
fellowship. and was bound to enjoy it.
no matter what the cost. For the lat
ter classes, lie cared comparatively
nothing. He was bachelor, a man
who, regarding the sublime passion,
possessed, it was said, a heart of ada
mant, invulnerable to charm, unas-
sailable to stratagem. What cared he
for their smiles and coguetry? Moth
ing. He let their cunning. articles
pass unnoticed with the utmost innO-
eence. If he met them, he paused for
a while, and chatted pleasantly; when
invited to their receptions (Which was
often the case,) he attended them II
possible, always taking his leave, how
lever, with an Indifference that was
lsctuallY astonishing exhibited. as it