five plantations and fifteen hundred darkeys."

The father seemed fiercer than ever; but, as a counterpoise, the daughter was lovelier. She had grown a little taller, and her figure had become somewhat more developed. The same genial glow of kindly feeling, the same liveliness and piquancy of expression illumined her features. In her manner there was the same girlish sense of pleasure at all she saw and heard; modified, perhaps, by the better knowledge of the world which a year of society and travel had produced, but merely modified into selfpossessed grace, without any of that constrained dignity which young females so often think it necessary to assume. I felt that the die was castthat it was useless for me to resist, and that, if I had admired her before, I must love her now, and that nothing could prevent it; and, accordingly, with the view of putting myself into a proper frame of mind for an ardent and despairing lover, I immediately repaired to my room, and there, by playing several melancholy tunes upon my flute and gazing for an hour or two at the belltower, I gradually worked myself up comfortably into the requisite state of unhappiness.

And then I took courage and resolved that I would seek an introduction to my charmer; I would scrape acquaint ance with her father; I would craftily so guide my conversational powers as to produce an impression of superior intelligence, and induce him, of his own accord, to proffer a presentation to his family. No matter if he scowled and looked fierce; he had no business to scowl fiercely upon me, who, equally with himself, was an independent citizen of the nation; and he had no right to seclude his child from all rational pleasures of society. It was barbarous and unnatural-a kind of Turkish des

potism and should be resisted whether he would or not.

Accordingly, I descended to the saloon. Colonel Bartillian was there, striding up and down with a tremendous cigar in his mouth. His hands, clasping a heavy cane, were behind him, and he looked as though he were seeking an opportunity to fall upon some one and pulverize him upon the spot. I trembled a little at the sight, but plucked up courage as I saw him nod to a friend of mine. That friend of mine, then, was acquainted

with the colonel and could introduce me; and no matter how violently disposed the colonel might be, he could surely find no excuse for manslaughter in a mere introduction.

So I crossed over to my friend and stated my desire for an acquaintance with the colonel. My friend assented, and, taking me by the arm, walked with

me

across the saloon. The colonel saw us coming, and he stopped. He looked fiercer than ever; and I cast a glance at the bar-tender, in the hope that, if an affray happened, he would witness it and testify in my favor.

"Colonel Bartillian," said my friend as we drew near, "allow me to make you acquainted with—”

"Certainly," said the colone holding out his hand; and I could not but notice how soft and gentle was his voice, while, somehow, his hair did not seem to stick out as rigidly as before. • Certainly, I shall be very happy indeed-"

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To make you acquainted with Mr. Isaac Inklespoon, of this city," continued my friend.

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"Eh? What?" exclaimed the coloonel, holding out his hand, Isaac Inklespoon, did you say? Bless my soul and body!"

Why did Colonel Bartillian say "Bless my soul and body?" I knew not. Perhaps he was about to explain himself; but, at that moment, a very particular friend of his rushed up, and, seizing him by the hand, began to make particular inquiries about his health, family prospects, and all that; and, as I saw that the colonel was just as ready to question that gentleman in return, and, as I knew that I could, thus far, have excited no peculiar interest through the fascinations of my conversation, I determined to postpone prosecuting the acquaintance until a more suitable time; and, therefore, making by bow, I retired. The colonel and his new friend went off to drink a social glass or two together, and I climbed up to No. 783, in order to indulge in a little melancholic reverie over the house-tops.

In one respect, I felt that I had been agreeably disappointed. Instead of knocking me down, the colonel had received me with an affability which I had seldom met with, even among the most affable-looking gentlemen. It occurred to me, then, that possibly I might have been once more wrong in my analyzation of character, and that the colonel

might, perhaps, have certain amiable traits, such as are commonly possessed by other men; that, in spite of his erect hair and curling whiskers, he might be tolerably susceptible of kindly impulses; and that, after forming a due degree of acquaintance with him, I might be able to hint at the pleasure which an introduction to his family would give me. I determined that I would watch the colonel, and seize the first opportunity of prosecuting my acquaintance with him. But when I came down in the evening he was absent, having gone to the opera with a friend, as the clerk at the office told me, and in the morning I observed that his place at the table was vacated. He had already gone on to the Springs with his daughter; and, as they commonly returned home by another route, I felt that I would be obliged to wait until another year. Some faint idea of following them to the Springs came into my mind; but it happened that the great case of Jones vs. Potters, by her guardian-ad-litem, Sakon, in assumpsit, was before the courts, and I had been retained as assistant counsel-my business being to hand up the several papers as they were wanted, and to look as wise as I could, generally-and so I could not leave.

But why did the colonel say "Bless my soul and body?" Was it that my name was a peculiar one? Was there anything ludicrous about it? I asked my friends whether it was not a very good name after all.

"Perhaps so-though it would not rhyme very well to anything," said my friend the poet.

"Perhaps so-though I don't think it would be worth much on the back of a note," said my friend the bank-clerk, oruelly alluding to the unsettled state of my finances.

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Stay!" said my friend the editor, who patronizes the poet, and who, at the time, was full of a political defeat"Wouldn't Inklespoon rhyme to Gone Coon?"

"You are all very kind, indeed, gentlemen," I said sarcastically; and then I thought again. There could not be anything against us as a family; for the Inklespoons were always exceedingly respectable. They came into the country full a hundred and fifty years ago; and though, for a time, the first of the line was a cobbler, the fact was not generally known out of the family-since,

upon genealogical tables, he has always been represented as an extensive dealer in hides. Then, there was one who was a judge in tolerable standing in one of the northern counties. As for my greatuncle Walter, who ran off with some government funds, he can hardly be called a member of the family, since we all, at once, repudiated him. And then there was old Abram Inklespoon, who distinguished himself at the battle of Long Island, by gallantly chasing a party of British through a lane; and, when he got to the other end, found that he was taken. In fine, the Inklespoons had always been rather distinguished; and it was impossible, therefore, that any ridicule could attach to the mention of the name.

Finally, having seen the name of Bartillian among my father's papers, though

in what connection I do not remember, I established for myself a comfortable theory. My father must, at some time, have been acquainted with the colonel,

had, perhaps, in past years, saved the colonel's life-the colonel would remember the fact-would, of course, introduce me to his daughter-I would then win her he would bless our union

and we would live happily ever after on one of his plantations. It was a bright picture; and, hugging it to my soul, I waited impatiently for the year to come round again.

At length, about the usual day in June, I saw the colonel's name upon the books of My Hotel; and, assuming a careless air, I said to the clerk at the office :

Hem !-that is, I see that Colonel Bartillian has again arrived."

"Yes," answered the clerk, "and his daughter-from Georgia-bound for the Springs-comes here every year-owns seven plantations, and twenty-five hundred darkeys."

With the same assumption of indifference, I strolled into the saloon. There, as I had expected, I saw the colonel striding up and down the hall, with the customary big cigar in his mouth, the same big cane in his hands-and twisted behind his back-the same frown upon his face, and with his hair sticking up fiercer than ever. But, somehow, I felt no longer afraid of him; I looked upon him with reverence, rather--as a man ought to contemplate the form of his prospective father-in-law, upon whom he depends for the happiness of his life.

The moment was favorable for an interview. There was no one by who would be apt to interrupt us; for the only persons present were the bar-keeper, casting up his receipts, a waiter, cleaning the globes of the chandeliers, and two half-fuddled young men, trying to read newspapers upside-down.

I advanced to the colonel-somewhat confidently, as I then imagined, though, if I now recollect aright, my knees shook under me a little with the magnitude of the approaching interview.

"Colonel Bartillian"--said I. "Eh?" said he, taking the long cigar from his mouth.

"I believe," said I, "that at a former period I had the pleasure of an introduction to you in this house.” "Ah!" said he, bringing one of his hands from behind his back.

"I do not know whether you remember me," said I faintly-" Isaac Inklespoon, at your service."

"Isaac Inklespoon!" he exclaimed, stretching forth both his hands. "Isaac Inklespoon, did you say? Bless my soul and body! Do you belong to the Inklespoons of Westchester county?" continued the colonel.

I answered that I did.

"I thought so," said he. "Have never heard the name in any other section. My dear young friend, I am sincerely glad to meet you. I knew your father very well."

My heart leaped.

was my uncle. John was my fatherbut-"

"Eh?" said the colonel. "Bless my soul and body! I--that is, IThere! There!" I heard him mutter to himself, "Too bad! Have hurt the young fellow's feelings!-No apology will do, of course. I-that is-"

He made a motion towards me, then retreated-stood for a moment irresolute-and then, abashed with confusion and sincere regret, strode through the saloon and out at the door, without attempting another word. It was in vain that I made sundry subsequent attempts to meet him, and explain that the whole matter with my father might have been a misconstruction, and that, at any rate, I bore malice for what he had unintentionally let out. It was no use. Whenever the colonel saw me coming, I could hear him mutter, "Bless my soul and body! There is the young fellow whose feelings I hurt!" and he would vanish in any direction. His sensitiveness upon this point was such, that he changed his place at the table to a location where we could not see each other; and I really believe that, to avoid me, he departed for the Springs much earlier than he would otherwise have done. I felt that all was over, and I resolved to remain through life a blighted being.

And thus the next year wore away. We were nonsuited in the case of Jones vs. Potters, by her guardian-ad-litem, Sakon, in assumpsit, but I did not care. Every month I paid my gratuity to the office clerk for managing the affairs of My Hotel; but I took no pleasure in the contemplation of my plate, and rosewood, and mirrors. I passed No. 32 continually, but I never looked forward to occupying it. I leaned out at the window of No. 783, and gazed upon the bell-tower, and sugar-refinery, with hate in my heart, and took no interest in the occupants of the humbler roofs below. My waiter came out in a newer, larger, and glossier cravat, and patronized me more condescendingly than before; but I had no heart to resent it. And I no longer played whist and sang lively songs as of old.

Until one evening, in the middle of June of the next year, as I was going up to my room, my friend, the bankclerk, said to me:

"Afe you aware that your good-looking girl from the south is here again?

Saw her go into No. 32 a while ago."

"Into No. 32?" said I; and, as we passed that door, I saw, sure enough, a little pair of india rubbers set outside to be blacked. But, alongside of the rubbers, stood a tall pair of boots! I stood aghast!

"Are you sure?" said I feebly. "Those boots-"

"Yes, sure!" said my friend. "There was a good-looking young fellow with her, and so I suppose she is married."

Still, a lingering hope, that my friend might have been mistaken in the room, flickered in my mind; but, at that moment, Colonel Bartillian himself came and rapped at the door.

Gone to bed already-and not eleven o'clock!" he muttered, as he received no answer and saw the boots. And then, as he caught sight of me, I heard him say, "Bless my soul and body! There's the young fellow whose feelings I hurt!" and he went off in the other direction like a flash.

I ascended to No. 783; and wisely considering that, as all was now over, it would do no harm to make the best of it, I resolved to become a man again. I sent for my friends, the poet

and the editor, who patronizes the poet, and we resolved to make a night of it. Cards were brought out, and we sat down to whist. Wine was brought, and we became merry. We laughed, and cracked jokes, and sang; and of all, my laughter and songs were the loudest, and my jokes the most frequent. And, after a little while, our neighbor, the German wine-importer, being attracted by the revelry, came to the room upon pretense of seeking a match, though I knew that he had plenty of his own. We invited him to sit down and join our party, to which, after a feeble resistance, he consented. Then he brought out some of his old Curaçoa for us to try; and then he sang, in a deep growl, a song purporting that women might deceive, but that wine, generous wine, was at all times man's best friend. And I am afraid that I acted upon the sentiment; for, about halfpast twelve, I just closed my eyes for one moment, and when I opened them the next moment, I found that my friends had departed, and that I was lying in bed with my clothes on, and that it was six o'clock, and that the rays of the sun were already streaming in at the windows of My Hotel.