Year: 1864

~


ID New Years day / returned hon
l. from a Southern tour, and was 81
s ting in my room in the evening, WI
e ting to some friends, when femal
d cousin of mine came in and laid
II small bundle on my table. 1t wa
g a slice of wedding cake, done u
Q very neatly in gold edged paper.
"Ahp said l, what have W
e here ?"


wedding cake" said coz.


wedding cake" said [, "a genel
! Gus slice, truly. Who of my friend
I have been SO foolish as to commi
matrimony and when did this mel
ancholy affair happen ?''


Christmas eve" replied coz
''The card that came with the cake
will answer your first question:" anC
giving me an arch smile as she


pointed to the card, left the room.
| Indeed, my old chum married p


said / to myself, as took up the


card and read "Mr. and Mrs. George
| Adams. Ha, ha, ha! who'd have


thought George would have com.


mitted such an act ? Mr.. and Mrs.


Geo. Adams Ha, ha, really l should


like to see the fellow, just to bore


him bit. But who is the lady p


1t can't be Miss, nor Miss
they were no favorites of his. Let


me think" l continued, taking out


my pencil and putting on bit of


paper the names of our female ac-


quaintances. l went on whit


@There's Ellen Rice-can't be her;


Jane Green-nor her." until I had


written down the names of about


twenty girls without satisfying my
self as to the right one.


$50 then Adams is really marriedF'
said I to my self. l felt truly re-


joiced that it was SO, and l could
not help thinking how comfortable
it would be to drop in of an evening
with my lady," for had serious
notions then of getting married-as
you shall hear by and by-and have
social times. 1 planned out how we
would spend our evenings together
in pleasant intercourse. | deter


mined that his lady and my lady
should be the best friends; and Mrs.
Adams as a sister to me, and my
wife sister to him. In fact, such, a
picture of domestic happiness did l
draw-so bright and glowing with
all that is delightful did the future
seem in a married state-that l
threw my paper one way, my pen
another, jumped up and prepared
for visit to Maria Bailey, to whom
I meant to offer myself that very
night, and get married as soon as
the law and the minister would let
us. Having put on a clean dicky-I
it was cold night and I was in a
hurry sailed forth to meet my
intended. Maria lived with her
mother, widow. While on the
way to the house, / will make the
reader a little acquainted with Ma
ria, and therelation in which stood
to her. l will not praise her beau
ty--although as beautiful creature
as eye ever rested on-neither will
1 speak of her amiabIe dispositions,
accomplishments, etc. etc.


Maria and myself, from childhood;
had known each other and were
pretty intimate in our friendship
When l was twenty-five years of
age I determined to take a trip
through the South, and as | had
been indisposed for some time back,
with loss of appetite, no sleep, etc.
| made this my excuse-'sI travelled
for my health" When / made this
declaration, there was nothing like
travelling for health-everybody
recommended it. So I started, with
the intention of being absent from
home a year or more. Travelling I
must say, agreed with me complete
ly, for at the first stopping place I
made as hearty a meal as any of my
fellow passengers; and when l stop
ped for the night, slept sound as
a roach. To tell the truth feign-
ed sickness only for an excuse to get
away from home. The real motive
of my departure was, my feeling to-
ward Maria began to change; [ al
ways had a foolish longing to be
near her, and singular feeling of
regret when she was called away
from home when [ called to spend
a social evening; and then there was
a peculiar sensation about my heart
when I saw her engaged closely in
conversation with any of my COM
panions, or when she bestowed up
on them smile In fact I began to
feel something more than friendship
towards her. l did not let her
know the state of my mind, but
laughed and frolicked with her the
same as ever. Ny affection for her
increased daily. Not knowing, how
ever, but my love might prove on
ly momentary, and wishing to know
whether absence would wear it off
for it had always been my deter
mination when / welded, it should
not be merely a union of hands
l determined, without limiting the
object of my journey to Maria, or
even giving her the slightest reason
to suspect the nature of my feelings
toward her-to take the journey,
and if time did not alter my heart
when / returned, to offer myself to
her, 1 went on my jovrney-visited
all noted places-mingled in compa-
ny as much as possible-trifled with
the ladies in fashionable way; still,
though surrounded with beauty in
every engaging form-though fat
tered and caressed-after all a
thought of Maria caused throb,


which none of the lovely around me
could create. Her image kept al
fast hold on my heart, and would