Year: 1869

W
any young man would. Went to see her
badly affected with "the blues" and in less
than two weeks had come to an explana-
tiOp, learned that she did not dislike me
in short, we became affianced.
1t was not very prudent of me, for my
worldly circumstances made long en-
gagement certainty. But then love and
prudence harmonic about as well as oil
and water.


Wekepto on our course for many months,
fiattering ourselves that our love strength
ened with time. My pecuniary prospects
began to brighten, and ] commenced to
speculate mentally about the prices of
household goods, etc.


But the affair came TO an end, with q
most wondrous abruptness And here is
where expect and deserve to be laughed
at For | myself have to acknowledge
that more crazy trick have never heard
of.


II will here be necessary to let the world
know that was not perfectly immaculate.
| do not believe that was much ofan un-
mitigated reprohate, either, but l confess
to a goOdly array of faults L never was
careful enough about appearances, and
army life had formed acquaintances for me
that some of my other friends would have
styled common"


With this explanation, will state that
two of my former company comrades had
arranged to give ball, and had made me
sometime before promise to attend. 1t was
under mental protest that / did so, for the
style of people who would attend it,
knew, would be quite unsuited to my
tastes. But l was yielding, and they ex-
acted my word to go, and also arranged to
have partner for me.


never attended that dance and yet it
was the cause of my ruin. Let me try to
give lucid explanation of a transaction
which / can hardly myself, even now, un-
derstand.


Late in the afternoon of the day before
the time set for the ball referred to,
received the following note from my
MON cheer dndRt-I am delighted ~
tell you that have been favored with Il
invitation to the affair Of HIS tomorrow
evening, and have accepted for you and
myself. You must be at our house by
eight. Janaais tfdele. MARY"
Being modest, Miss Stubbs, it will be oh
served, always put her tender passages in
French. understand that young ladies
of the present age generally do.
Well, of course, such an invitation
amounted to command. 1t was already
late in the afternoon, so it behoOved me to
write an acceptance to my beloved, and a
letter explaining and declining to my
other friends; and this must be done that
evening, to have the notes reach their
destination the following day.


The fates were certainly against me- |
had just seated myself TO write my billets,
when / was interrupted by the visit of an
old friend-a former fellow-oflicer in the
scrvice-whOse residence was in the cOun-
try, and who was only to be in town till
the next morning. We became engaged
in an animated conversation, which
lasted till supper time, my unwrtten notes
having been utterly forgotten.


Then my visitor insisted upon my taking
supper with him at his hotel, ami spend
ing the evening with him.


This could not refuse to do We ac-
cordingly supped together, and then ad-
journed to the billiard room, where we
played few games, and also INDUCED in
number of potatiOns.


was not in the habit of drinking, and
it did not take very much liquor to affect
me. certainly was not intoxicated, but
my head was far from clear.
Towards nine o'clock we were debating
Z, III,
in drawing forth my handkerchief, the
note had received from Mary Stubbs fell
from my pocket to the floor The sight
of this brought to my mind my uniulfilled
| intentions in relation to the two parties
and with an apology to my friend | pro-
cured pen and paper from the office, and
seated myself at table In the bar to in
scribe the notes. | first commenced
that to my charmer, and the liquor had
imbibed had two.fold effect. 1t made it
difficult to write at all, and n ade me also
somewhat inclined to be warm and demon
strative in my language. My friend, in
the meantime, sat on the opposite side of
the table, laughing at my difficulties. He
was little if any more sober than myself
However, l managed at last to finish the
first page of the note. had no blotter,
so passed it to my friend to hold to the
stove TO dry, ere / wrote on the other
side.


While waiting took another sheet, and
began writing my second note. This was
of different sOrt-written in free and
| easy language, such as l deemed suitable
to the party addressed. l must add, in
self-defence, that the turn of this note was
probably considerably influenced by my
condition at the time.


| 1t was but the work of minute or two
to finish the first page of the second note
then passed it to my companion for
the drying process, and requested him to
| return the other. He made a careless re-
mark about its being not quite dry, and at
| the same time called to the barkeeper, and
we had another drink


| All of this is not very creditable to me,
but prefer to tell the whole truth in this
confession.


After another moment he handed me
back the first note, and | finished up the
| few remaining words required in quick
| time This note / sealed up and ad-
dressed.


Then / completed the other in the


same manner We then both sailed down


to the postoffice, and L duly posted my
! letters.


| We went that night to the theater, and


from thence TO the hotel again, where |


spent the night with my friend.
He returned home the next morning.


/ trust his headache was not so bad as my


own.


! l passed dull, stupid day, going
| through my routine of business in a me.
chanical, spiritless way. l looked for.
ward also to an uncomfortable evening.


My foreboding was hardly necessary, as


/ ultimately discovered.


Something occurred toward evening


that rot only relieved the day of its in


sipidity, but obviated the necessity of at


tending the party at H--'s.


The carrier of letters, on his last rounds


brought me two letters, both with the city


postmark. One was addressed to me in