Year: 1868

sion 10 MISS simmons. Th0 fact 16 tnat was
absurdly bashful, and had a habit Of blush
ing, which, as | we'll remember, was one Of
the greatest tortures of my life. Tinker was
very different being. was silent, he was
voluble. My arms were In my way, my legs
were disobedient, and could find no refuge
for my hands. Tinkler's arms were always
getting around the young ladies' waists, his
could have found constant employment
for half dozen pairs of hands,
had he possessed as many. We had quad
rifles, the young ladies dancing with each
other for want of other partners, while one of
their number played very much cut Of time on
the piano. Tinker kept the whole set laugh
ing while / could oaly remark to my partner
that the weather was cold, and ask whether
she was fond of dancing. Tinker skipped
about like Pierrot, in manner excessively
ill-bred, and supremely grotesque and absurd.
| could not for the life of me lose my self
consciousness sufficiently to do more than
walk through the figures as if we had been at
grand ball instead Of at a small evening
party. The contrast between eur relative con-
ceptions Of the character of cavalier Seul was
most striking; and am bound to confess that
ii mine excelled his in dignity, his appeared to
be by far the more amusing and popular.


do not suppose that should have hated
Mr.. Tinker If he had confined himself to
eclpsing me in general sort of way. But





his fun, he paid the most particular attention
to Miss Simmons. He waltzed with her again
and again to the admiration of the whole COM
pany q cannot waltz at all), steering clear of
all obstacles in that compact but small apart
ment, in a manner most wonderful to behold;
and he took her down to supper, and sat
down beside her, and fed her with chickens,
and tongue, and fummery, and custards and
all the rest of it; and altogether appeared to
me to find even greater favor in her eyes than
in those of the other ladies present, and that
is saying very great deal, am sure.


And so it came to pass that before the even
ing was over hated Tinker, hated myself,
and felt half inclined to hate Miss Simmons
also, and give my affections to Miss Corker.
/, How came it, then, that before l retired to
rest that night became indulgent and kindly
towards Tinker, in eostacies with myself, and
more desperately in love with Miss Simmons
than | had ever been with anybody in the
world before?


/ II was in this wiser


When the party broke up it was found that
the servant whom Miss Simmons had expected
to attend her had by some accident not ar
rived; so when she came down stairs warmly
wrapped up in shawl and furs and looking
even more bewitching than she had appeared
in her gossamer muslin, Tinker and l came
forward at the same moment, offering to escort
her to her home. Tinkler's manner of course
expressed not the slightest difidenoe of him.
self, or doubt that he was the proper and only
person to pay her this attention; while l was
very tmid and awkward about 1t, and fully
expected snub. What was my surprise and
delight when, very coldly declining Tinkler's
offer, she, with the sweetest of smiles, placed
her gl0ved fingers on my arm in way which
set me tinglipg from top to toe Tinker said
something very witty and very impudent,
suppose, as it set everybody laughing except
Miss Simmons and myself, who did not hear
| it; but though / felt myself blushing to the
tips of my ears, did not care, for in another
moment we had left the house, and Miss Sim
mons and | were alone together in the clear
moonlight.


The very first thing she asked me was,
what l thought of Mr.. Tinker


Twas about hypocritically to reply that he
appeared very nice and amusing young man,
when she interrupted me with


"Oh, can't bear him The rude, ill-bred
fellow wonder that he gets into any
society at all ~


confess that did not scruple after this
to express similar opinion, though Won
dered somewhat why she had waltzed with
him so often, and had allowed him to pay her
80 much attention during supper; and then
we dropped the subject and began to talk
about moonlight, and poetry, and all sorts of
sentiment to such degree that before long
actually, for the first time in my life, found
myself making love viUd roce.


must not dwell on that walk to Miss Sim
mons house. Suffice it to say that before /
parted from her at the door had actually be-
come bold enough to squeeze her hand Won.
derful to relate-the squeeze was returned
That squeeze clenched and riveted my love to
such degree that under favorable oiroum-
stances | think ii would never have got loose
again; and from that time forth, for | am
afraid to say how long, | could think of nothing
else, could dream Of nothing else. My whole
soul was, so to speak, saturated with the love
of Miss Simmons.


Yet Notwithstanding all this, months passed
away before l was bold enough absolutely to
ask her to be mine. | never found her in 80
tender mood again, and though obtained
permission to call at her house, when / was
there some third person was sure to be pre-
| sent. Also Miss Simmons had some money,
and therefore her father of course wished her
to marry a rich man. 1 cherished the hope
| that she herself was not insensible to my love;
but II was painfully conscious, whenever !
allied to see her, that nobody else in the house
wanted me; and accordingly l soon began to
draw my happiness or my misery scarcely
! know which ii was-from nocturnal rambles
in the neighborhood of my charmer's dwell
ing, with the hope, too seldom realized, of
catching glimpse Of her candle when she re-
tired to bed. / believe | should never have
proposed but for the following circumstance:


One day met by chance in the Strand my
| old schO0liellow Jack Brown. We dined
together, and drank rather more wine than
| was accustomed to; so that, without being
| tipsy, was decidedly little elevated. AS
we afterwards walked through the streets arm
| in arm lack who was alWaVR tha mORt onan-