Year: 1860

of the company who smiled, then giggled and
finally Toared at my discontinue. She, how


ever, locked kindly upon me, her eyes twink


ling and her lips working. Gently inclining


her head she said softly only an accident to


which | could only brokenly reply very


1t took me a long time to rally from that


evenings embarrassment, and when next l


looked upon my divinity it was at spelling


school. She beamed upon me so with that


face of hers, that could think of nothing else,


so that missing word after word 1 meekly re-


tired behind post where / might watch her


beauty and be freed from the raillery of my


companions.


At the close of the school I buttoned nv
coat tightly over my breast to keep my heart
from jumping out tucked my red and yellow
comforter inside the eollsr, placed my hat


firmly upon my head, and grasping my lantern
proposed to myself the pleasure of escorting
her home; but alas for the failacy of earthly
hopes. Just as I bad planted myself exactly
is front of her and was about to undergo the
ordeal now described in polite language as re-
questing the lady to insert her FIVE digtals
and a portion Of the contiguous arm in the
angular aperture formed by crooking the el-
bow against the perpendicular portion Of the
snisial Frame tlashing town fellow whom l
hate to this day and who had been lingering
near ber the whole evening" stepped up aud
with the most perfect seifpossession placed
her hand upon his arm and walked off leaving
me to wonder how on earth he did it so easily


After several weeks / had the bliss of help
ing the seraph over a fence, how 1 squeezed
the little hand in mine and only wished this
life to he ore continued series of climbing fen
ces.


Then ! veBtured to call at heF home one
night on pretence of seeing her brother John.
How uneasIly l sat on my chair before the
wide hearth-stone, devoutly wishing John and
the old folks in Botany Bay SO that might
tell sweet Mary how l loved her but they per-
sistently staid up, protesting profound inter
est in the weekly paper just received from the
Office.


Passing over several months of hope and
fear / hastened to the finale. Having grown |
pale and haggard with loss of appetite and
sleep and intense mental excitement cosse=
quent upon the state of my affections. rush .
ed frantically TO her house one afternoon, saw :
her in the sitting room sewing in her little
roekina=chair and looking Ifaplier than ever
saw her before. Inspired with new hope !
stammered out, Miss AlaLy, please, can /
speak to you, only minute, out here in the
porch " Certainly, Mr.. Timmins- Oh,
how for1ged to elaep her to ny heart as she
advanced toward me so ralienf and beautiful.
She stood so near me that felt her breath
upon my check. poured out my soul to her
in wild tumu!tunus incoherence which she
seemed not to understand. Looking calmly
into my face with her clear hazel eye she said:


= " hat did you remark. Mr. TinrminS? :"


Then | told her in plain words how | loved
her ssrl asked her if she wouldn't please to
marry me. Bursting into merry laugh that
rings yet in my car she answered.


La, Mr. Timnlns, didn't you know l was
married last week to Charley Gray?"


My steps were long and rapid to the pater
nal mausion. then going to my room, locking
the door and turning the looking glass to the
WALL looked net upon the face of man for a
week, but su1jecting myself to tea and toast.
silently cherished my grief and at the expira-
ton of the time went forth a sadder man, but
not wiser"


Poor old fellow, wasn't he foriorn to be so
dashed in the beginning? Wonder what hap
paned to him next.