Year: 1861

few Sundays, ago young man belong
ing to one of the very first families in Vir>
ginia and imbued with that description OF
early piety which induces youthful mascu-
lines TO attend fashionable tabernacles, at
tended morning service in one of the prin-
cipal churches IN Richmond. The affable
and gentlemanly sexton of the institution
met him at the door, and escorted him with
all due solemnity to a luxuriant pew.


The pew was uninhabi,ed at the time
but scarcely had the young gentleman ta-
ken seat when there entered a beautiful
young lady of the most fashionable pattern,
who gracefully waved her hand in token of
her unwillineness to disturb him and subs
ded delightfully."- iato seat near the head
of the private box-we mean pew.


Our hero was as pious as a Virginian ca n
afford 10 be. and entertained cue sense of
the solemnity of the time and place but he
could not help casting glance now and
then toward the fair stranger; and when
she was SO kind as to hand him a hymn
book, an overpowering sensation caused
his vocal praise TO resemble anything but
music.


The hymn being finished, the clergyman
raised his hands in prayer and slraight-
way the lady and her aGmirer sank upon
their knees in the manner prescribed by
polite standards OF devotion.


1t is believed that the young man heard
little of the petition, as the worshippers in
other pews observed that instead OF looking
devoutly upwards he stared persistently in
an oblique direction over the left wing of
his mustach. At any rate, he looked bold
10 in that direction on rising from his knees,
and was somewhat surprised TO find that
the young lady still remained in the aui-
tude of deep devotion and made no appar-
ent attempt to resume her scar. At first he
fanced that the minister's prayer, which
was OF particularly soothing character
had hushed her TO sleep but upon look
ing more closely al her he discovered that
she was trembling violently, and betrayed
every symptom Of great mental agitation
"Can il be-" thought he, ''that some elo-
quence of the preacher, which / have fail.
ed TO perceive has touched the innocent
heart of this young creature that she dare
| not arise lest her dewy tears should attract
the attention of the congregation 2"


Sand still he gazed, and still the wonder
grew"


until the beautiful kneeler's emotion was
suddenly augmented 10 such degree that
she actually threw one of her fair hands be-
hind her, and made divers convulsve clut-
ches at her dress Purely devotional fer
| vor would not account for this, and the
young mans astonishment was fast leading
him toward idiocy, when the young deyo-
tee spssmodically beckoned him TO ap-
! proach her. Vireinians are not generally
troubled with bashiulness and when we
| say that our hero slid in The direction OF
his kneeling companion with unparal eled
alacrity, it will be preceived that he was
no exception to the general rule.


Finding him beside her, the fair girl
turned to him face rivaling the most glo-
rious sunse, iL lis rosy hue, and falteringly
subjoined:


"Please help me, sir. My dress has
caught, and-oh, dear IL can not get up"


The bewildered youth "saw the point at
once" Though properly pious, the devou'
maiden was not above those vanites of the
world which induce woman kind TO wor
ship Fashion and their Maker at the same
time, and she had honored the former by
coming TO church in an extensive hoop
skirt and a pair of high-heeled CATERS =
While in the kneeling attitude, the heels o.
her CATERS had caught in one OF The upPel
hoops of her skirt, and thus rendering her
unable to rise, each effort TO release herself
making the matter worse Her only re-
course was to ask the aid of her companion
and thathe promptly and efficiently render
ed, no one will hesitate TO believe. II
short the young gentleman achieved th'
feat in way tina: would have caused ih'
lady to call him an awkward, stupit


thing" had he been her husband, and sh'
thanked him, as she regained her seat, will
blush more eloquent than words.


HAVE YOU ENEMIES 7-Go straight on ant