| Show ha I 1 ll 11 I 1 pro from O once oa a lWe W cli t I 1 quil an adverta bot got a wire io is the tomb of love aa modern DON novelist of high but with every respect for arity rity I 1 be beg to say it was j in my case wone years ago I 1 was sita ff fireside fire side bottin tolling up inn annu u acres ages of my bachelors iring book taking exercise helicon 1 I ti conlon long columns of pet items of car mh brials briols metal tacks and jious fp S antii until tired and wea 1 dived ive at t the e sum total and b 00 on the e mantal piece althe same time I 1 placed my 1 l of iby PV out a leat leathern ern case and ye e well having lit the Lp placed laced my feet on the fen III i ig hed heil I 1 exhausted by my 0 lc it c domestic accounts I 1 was as 11 business a small i ii business then itis a large 4 1 et one mornings tot I 1 10 ind bath bricks of metal tt 1 mutton chops mould tire I 1 land and times more than thanteen twe i irs of honest ledger worn work I 1 1 ayol from love but from lat iy ay tell e 11 y you ou the truth I 1 had bad I 1 v in I 1 love ov es Is this to go on iSug ht 1 I as I 1 took my third tV looked dreamily throng through h ja asal ascended behind belei lei ind a large print of the which hung over II 11 aty j y piece f spend my prune prime in totting 9 VAs 1 l is and computing carrots ti trolling cashing ashin bills i I 1 iff kain tin and in in the act off flew i 1 rj of my neck band as tho i 1 I bior bior power had seasonably I 1 ident to remind me of my Ivon settled the business ly I 1 i it sapped sl aped down inside my I 1 assed with its mother lo 10 0 ies over oer my beartie heart bear tit it for a I 1 ab ejk greatened reat ened to chill my matri main in lution I 1 pitied my own e an and pity we know is is i ci C but how ho V was the maty it 4 L accomplished most men lotair would already have ad ajl i r inclination on to some ob it bavin having made up their n counted the cost little more 1 f 1 remained to be done than i alpon the da day an and lay hold license irlis this however ir agte me case wit with h me I 1 had occupied too idle or ii i tnt antto to devote demote the time to ta i oil th jin P effort to form an attach y attas was through no II 11 difficulty riffi difficulty culty to be pleased for 0 4 oung lady idy 1 of moderately i powers taken the trouble I 1 lyhane 1 e rl I 1 ly have married me long ere I 1 y Ts should bould even have been iltz 1 her for taking the trouble ym t ds but I 1 was too bashful 13 11 f ie initiative isi i bashful man this weak fa t from the same cause as li namely a want stant of 1 I 1 aice ice with female soc society i ety s e lit t arose from another cause na namely niely too close blose an adap ap efio ft 0 business aref magly Mn angly gly I 1 th thought ought of an ad yet vilh no practical practice tica t eldoi choing Dg business but as I 1 1 I 1 lem I 1 myself for joke so rep t with a pencil on the back pit ry y 11 fe t a wife none but pran beld apply the advertiser ne ef require cash but only a I 1 ran ani t I 1 ri he is is six and evver twenty y t abot F sung single I 1 vr he thinks he ca can y tv t fi n to married life As A men I 1 he be has a ll 11 moderate od era e jihei ic ti emper 7 and want of optime time is is ho boy iason ason for having r recourse IS p I 1 if shapers sp apers alte H e has enough coursed I 1 hirn himself self and a second ar r j ianth 11 xii ing ng to treat at aton ceHe cypre r e that a great many at tempts to his honest intentions into an extravagant joke will be made but he be warns all rash intruders in if he be finds a man bai hardy ady enough to make sport of his affections she be will thrash him ifa if a woman he will forgive her lie he has a heart for the sincere a horse horsewhip Nhip for the impertinent in either case cae all applications will be promptly attended to if addressed to P P to the office of cf this paper I 1 felt proud of my con composition position and puffed away my prin ape with a varue i ague glee aee and anticipation of something thing coming out of it I 1 had no ery greg great aidea idea that anything but tun fun would result and I 1 certainly had 11 not 0 t the sligh slightest tes t notion of involving myself in a personal collision with wilk any one still the presentiment that it was not destined to be alia all a barren joke pressed upon me on saturday Satu iday the adv advertisement eru appeared and I 1 heard its style canvassed by all my friends and it was jokingly suggested by more than one that I 1 was the domestically destitute individual who put it forth on monday rooming morning I 1 sent a boy to the nein newspaper shaper office for P P s letters I 1 expected he might amigh be f followed 0 I 1 by some curious curi ous and an it inquisitive qu is persons so I 1 told him bim on his way back to call at a bachelor neighbors of mine for a hook book the trick told the lad was followed by some persons who bo never lost sight of hirn him until they y run him bim to my friends and then they went back and announced not n ce d that he was the advertiser I 1 thus discharged in in full one or two practical jokes which my neighbor had bad played upon me the answers were ivere of the usual character several seeking to elicit my name and still more suggesting places of meeting where was to exhibit myself with a flower in my buttonhole button hole bole and awhile a handkerchief in my hand one only looked like business busi it was from a lady who proposed an interview in a neighboring city about forty miles north alio 51 ca ail tharo xina coine me thing so 0 frank and straight fur for ward in my advertisement that she was a 3 con convinced incel it was real and she could coul d rely upon my her name seer secret et it if after we met nothing came of the meeting she would therefore I 1 see me at the at on a certain day and if mutual in u approbation did not follow the interview why hy there was as no harm done most people would haveit have put down this as a trap to g give ne me a journey journ ey for 1 or nothing I 1 did not A presentiment compelled me to accept and keep the engagement this was in the old coachi coaching Dg days w when hen a man had time to make UD tin acquaintance ua ingance in forty miles not as now when h e n you are at your journeys end before you have looked round your company in a railway carriage there were but two inside my myself elf and a pleasant talkative honest faced elderly gentleman shy and timid in female society I 1 was yet esteemed animated and agreeable enough amongst my own sex we had no trouble therefore in makin making ourselves ours gurse elies hes agreeable to one another so much so that as the coach approached pro ached G and the old gentleman learned that I 1 meant to stop there that night he asked me to v waive alve ceremony arid and have a cup of tea with him after I 1 had dined at my hotel my fair engagement ni was as not till next day and as a s I 1 liked the old id gentleman alem I 1 accepted his offer after my pint of sherry I 1 brushed my hair bair and went in search of my coach companion and my promised cup of tea I 1 had no difficulty in in finding him out for he was a man of substance and some importance tance in the place I 1 was shown show n into the drawing room my old friend received me heartily and introduced me to his wife and daughters all spin spinsters sir said he young ladies whom an undiscriminating world seems disposed to leave upon upon my hands if we dont sell papa said the jel eldest dest who with her sisters s seemed to reflect her fathers fun it is not for want of puffing for all your introductions are advertisements at the mention of this last word I 1 felt a little discomposed and almost regretted my engagement for the next day when that very night perhaps my providential opportunity had arrived arnved I 1 need n not ot trouble my readers with all our sayings ggs and doings during tea suffice su effice it to say that I 1 found therna them a very pleasant friendly family and was as s surprised to find forgot all my shyness and ti timidity encouraged by their good tempered ease and conversation they did not inquire whether I 1 aas ivo marri edor sa le for 1 aher there were ora fie mated dait daughters r s tb the question seem invidious I 1 however in the freedom of that moment volunteered the information of my bachelorhood I 1 thought I 1 had no sooner commini communicated the fact than the girls passed rounda round a glance of arch intelligence from one to the other I 1 c cannot annot tell you OH how odd I 1 felt at the moment i my sensations were nvere between pleasure and confusion as a suspicion crossed i ny my mind an and d helped I 1 fe felt t I 1 to color my cheek presently however the eldest with an assumed indifference which cost her an effort asked aked where I 1 was staying at the hotel I 1 answered with some embarrassment it was with vilh difficulty they restrained a laugh they bit their lips and I 1 had no longer a suspicion I 1 was certain so after having baving some music when I 1 rose to depart depar tj I 1 mustered courage as I 1 bid them good goo bye to say aside to the eldest shall P P consider this the in te iview A blush of conscious guilt I 1 should rather say innocence told me that I 1 1 had sent my random arrow to the right quarter so I 1 pressed the matter no further at that mon moment bent but I 1 did her hand band I 1 remained in at my hotel next day until an all hour after the appointed time but no one made their appearance then thought I 1 brushing my hair bair and adjusting my cravat since since th the e mountain will not come to mahomet mahomet must go to the mountain so I 1 walked across to my old ld friends the young ladies were ill all in the eldest was engaged with aroe some embroidery at the window I 1 lad had therefore an opportunity as I 1 leant ant over the frame to whisper S S is not punctual the crimson in in her face and neck was now so deep that a self would no longer doubt I 1 need say no more that even evening inc in her fathers father Is garden she clodfe confessed ased that tha t she and her sisters had conspired coll to bring me up to G on a fools fool errand never meaning of course to keep atie then said I 1 since since you designed to take me in dinou you must cons consent ent to make me happy and what did she say papa asks ak s my in second daughter who Is is now I 1 on c rig over my 3 as T write rite I why you 1 little copse gop eal se she promised r 0 in 1 to be your rn mamma and ana she has kept her word vord ll 11 |
