Year: 1873

I
women We're placed upon earth prin-
clpally In order to cause unhappiness
to men; and this / say both from OBJ
servation and to speak candidly, from
sad personal experience. Nor do things
improve as one grows older; for. In
my opinion, first love, puppy love,
or Whatever else you may chose to
call 1T, ls II disease much more easily
cured than that divine madness which
sometimes seizes upon the masculine
sex in later years.


About three years ago, having dis
covered that an angel vision visited
my lonely pillow every night, and
scarce ever quilted my side by day.
even during business hours, upon a
close examination of my inner self I
concluded that l too had become a
victim to that fell disease from which
no man may live his allotted time
upon earth in freedom. Tn plain Ian
guage | found myself head and ears
In love with delightful young girl of
| sixteen.


Moreover, finding myself already
past the sad Rubicon Of thirty. and
actuated by the mournful reflections
above stated-that to escape this uni
versal disease is impossible, and that
when warled off until later years it
becomes only the more fatal gave
way to the malady which had seized
upon ME, and so far from driving away
the image which dwelt continually
with me, did all in my power to in
vlte the celestial spirit, and further
more, deliberately made up my mind
to request the actual presence Of the
fair original whenever the proper time
should arrive; that is to say, when
| ever she should have finished school.


Now this request, iii Imagination,
very easily made; but, somehow or
other, when it came to the bona Gde
carrying out thereof. found myself
suddenly so weak in the isnees that
had not been seated | should Ger
tainly have lost by balance and fallen
to the ground, and had not the sofa
upon which | was accustomed to sit
been a remarkably comfortable one
would have experienced Il sensation
OF faintness amounting to osea-sickness !;
and from this any one may Judge Of
the vehemence Of my emotions.
Thanks, however, to the comfortable
sofa, and more perhaps, to the rcsolu-
ton that | would put matters off until
next evening. never actually either
fell upon the floor nor tainted quite
away.


The object Of my worship. who on
these occasions was scated beside me,
pcrceiving nothing Of these internal
sensations, save a pallor which spread
itself over my countcnancc, and which
from oft repetition became an habitual
thing. This, however, only caused
me to appear poetical and interesting
in the eyes of my beloved, thus caus-
ing the roses to bloom more beautifully
than ever upon her cheek, and her
eyes to shine more rightly than they
would otherwise have done.


The effect produced was electrical
and mutual, and being thus prepared
my readers will not be astonislled to
learn that one evening, the gas being
lowered, on account Of the mosquitoes,
l.avinia's father and mother having
gone to church, the younger children
in bed, the servants i'll the kitchen,
and there having been for some time
no oring at the door bell, in consequence
Of this exquisite combination Of cir
cumstances, Lavinia and l found
ourselves, neither Of us could tell how,
our hands clasped, the ice broken, the
roses blooming with astonishing bril-
liancy on both our checks, and-if I
should say more | would spoil what
I have said. | only know that an in
stinct warned me Of the approach Of
ten o'clock, at which time her father
and mother mi ght be expected to enter,
and therefore left her, but not until
| had imprinted one dear, delicious,
bashful kiss upon her lovely lips.


How closely united i'm this life are
the romantic and practical! Follow
ing upon that evening came the next
morning, during the course of which
found myself closeted with the father,
and discoursing on stocks, bonds, real
estate, business prospects, and other
kindred matters, upon all Of which ]
was armed to the teeth and fully pre-
pared.


Thus the affair was settled, with
but one saving clause, which was that
on account Of Layinia's youth the
grand finale should be delayed for
the space OF two years. Her father
also made request Of me, which l
thought 4 cruel one, but being from
tie force OF circumstances in u sub
missive and yielding frame of mind l
gave way. This was that in consid-
Grafton Of her youth l should not sec
my divinity for the space Of that time,
during which her character would ac-
quire strength, and her affection for
me, if real, would only increase.


Being man Of honor | determined
20 keep my promise, and knowing
this to be impossible unless some i'm
passable barrier divided us, l resolved
to place the roaring ocean between
us, and moved also by considerations
Of gain, went to China. Meantime
7 ,r,;+oI with lifficu1fx- fhn rnffinU