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He met her at a party; his resolution was fixed. "Yes, I'll propose to her in the course of the evening. But How?"

Now, with some men, it is, perhaps, the most difficult, the most embarrassing, the most IMPOSSIBLE thing in the world, to pop the question to a lady. A man who would think nothing of fighting giants, leaping over mountains, swimming across seas, or eating lions, finds his courage fail him entirely, when he wishes to ask a lady that little simple question, whether "she will take him for her wedded husband?”

So it was with Mr Edmund Sanderson, on the present occasion. He danced with Miss Almira Elizabeth Millikins twice,-and twice attempted to put the question to her, but to do so then, he found was entirely out of the question. He could not hit upon the exact set of words, in which to clothe his proposal. He had fixed upon “Oh, Almira, will you be mine?" but it struck him that that speech would come in so oddly, after some such little sentence as "what a fine day we had yesterday!". or, "did you ever see such a love of a cap, as Mrs Enunismore is wearing to-night," that he was obliged to think of some other. He felt, too, very uncomfortably so; very warm knees were taken with a trembling fit!

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"No" said he to himself, "it wont do put it off, to a more convenient opportunity. I can't go itto-night. There's no mistake about that."

Several weeks passed away, yet Mr Edmund Sanderson remained a bachelor, and a disengaged man. Twenty times had he called upon Almira Elizabeth, but some-how or other, his heart always failed him, when he wanted to come to the point. Almira declared openly, that she thought he was grown very stupid, of late; and her mamina agreed that the young man appeared quite lost at times; indeed, she must say,

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you know-wild sort of a look. "There was no mistake about that."

At this juncture, Miss Lucretia Mehitable Spokelford returned to the good city of Boston. Mr Sanderson called at her father's house, the morning after her arrival.

"Don't you think my Lucretia is looking very well, Mr Sanderson?" asked Mr Spokelford, regarding his daughter fondly. "Don't you think her journey has improved her very much?"

"Yes, indeed" said Mr Edmund, warmly, “There is no mistake about that, Mr Spokelford. I never saw

Miss Lucretia look so well in my life."

Lucretia blushed (as ladies always do, when their good looks are referred to,) and laughed.

"I wish I could return the compliment, Edmund," said she, casting her large black eyes upon Mr Sanderson's lean cheeks. "What is the matter with you? you really look like a man in love! Pray, who is the lady?"

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"What a question!" thought Sanderson. admire to hear a you speak, in that way, Miss Lucretia," said he, looking very foolish. "But the fact is, I called to know if you are going to to-night. I shall be most happy to "Oh, yes!" returned Miss Lucretia, hastily "Papa has been good enough to secure places for us. box is No.

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very well, I shall see you then again. Adieu! for the present.

"Psho!" said Mr Edmund Sanderson to himself, as he walked slowly along Beacon Street," What fine eyes Lucretia Spokelford has! I do- yes, I do like her amazingly. There's Almira Millikins! I don't know how it is, but I cannot muster up sufficient courage to propose to her. I had got as far, yesterday, as, 'Miss Almira, you must have observed, from the pecu

liarity of my " when she burst out a laughing, and cried "Oh, say nothing about it, your manner has indeed, been very odd of late. Both mama and myself have repeatedly declared, that you were either going out of your mind or else you were in love. the latter supposition was too preposterous, surd! Mr Edmund Sanderson in love!! Ha, ha, ha!"

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"What the devil" (those were the precise words Mr Sanderson used, upon my veracity) "what the devil did she mean, by saying, that it was too absurd to suppose that I should fall in love? I've as much right to fall in love, as any man in the State of Massachusetts. And I AM in love. Lucretia Spokelford is the finest girl in Boston. I like tall women. And black eyes! I doat on black eyes. What a look she has! I admire to see her look at a person. She seems to look right through and through one. After all, I think she would make a better wife than Almira Millikins. Almira is so pert! Besides, I cannot-I cannot, for the soul of me, bring myself to pop the question to her. There's no mistake about that."

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NIGHT came, the theatre was crowded; Hughes, as usual, warbled like an angel;- Mr Sinclair went through his part with great eclat; the choristers did their business famously;- Mr Ostinelli and his band performed wonders! Mount Vesuvius was not in the humor, and, therefore, did not "spit fire" quite so fluently, as was expected. Nevertheless, the performance went off, for a first or second representation, (I forget which.) very well, indeed, admirably! "There's no mistake about that.”

Between the acts, Edmund Sanderson wandered from one box to another. Now, he was by the side of, and talking to, Lucretia Spokelford. In a minute or two afterwards, he was in the same box, and conversing with, Almira Millikins.

"Beautiful! both beautiful!" muttered he to himself, as he wandered about the lobbies. “Upon my life! I don't know which to choose. I love them both, equally alike. But what a good-natured soul that Lucretia Spokelford is! I never saw! Then Almira ! — I should not care so much for Almira, but, I think Master Alexander Comfit is trying to be mighty sweet in that quarter. I should not like to be cut out by such a fellow as that! - Alexander Comfit! Psho !"

The play was over. As the ladies were putting on their bonnets, or calashes, and shawls, &c-a whisper went round, "Do — do, pray, come over to the TREMONT, and take some refreshment — a little chocolate, for instance, DO!"

That do was irresistible. The ladies laughed, and accepted the invitation. In a few seconds, to their great surprise, they found themselves in a magnificent saloon, (the ladies' dining and drawing rooms in the TREMONT had been thrown into one,) brilliantly lighted, and so forth, and already occupied by a large party of ladies and gentlemen, their friends and acquaintances ;-- of course, the most approved fashionables of Boston. A band of music was in attendance, so that it was pretty evident to the fair guests, that they had been invited for a very different purpose from that of drinking that exceedingly muddy beverage, ycleped chocolate.

"How delightful!" "What an agreeable surprise!" "Well, this is charming!" and pithy little expressions to the like effect, were heard all over the room, ners not excepted.

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"Exceedingly well managed, indeed; - great credit due to the getters-up of the entertainment," said Mr Spokelford to his daughter. "There's no mistake about that."

The dancing commenced. Mr Edmund Sanderson danced the first cotillion with Almira Millikins. He

was in high spirits, and danced beautifully. In fact, he out-danced his usual out-dancings. Lucretia Mehitable, who was dancing in the same set, was struck with admiration at the uncommon neatness and precision of his steps, and the elegance and finish of his capers. She sighed! I shall say no more, than that it was not the first time I have known a gentleman carry off a lady's heart on the point of his TOE! "There is no mistake

about that."

All of a sudden, Edmund Sanderson made up his mind! "I'll take a glass, or a couple of glasses, of champagne," said he to himself," and then I'll propose to Almira; - I will not be cut out by Alexander Comfit. There, -now Almira is sitting alone on the sofa, in the corner yonder. I must not lose such a glorious opportunity.

Having primed himself with champagne, Edmund cautiously approached the spot where Almira Elizabeth was sitting.

He had, as he thought, "screwed his courage to the sticking place." He sat down by Almira.

"What a very pleasant party!" said Miss Millikins, "I am sure we ought to feel exceedingly obliged to the gentlemen of the Tremont, for such an agreeable surprise."

"I am going to surprise you, perhaps, a little more, Almira;" returned Edmund, looking at his shoes-ties, "and I hope, the surprise will prove equally agreeable." "So far, so good," thought he, "there's no mistake about that."

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"Another surprise? Well, I love to be surprised. Alexander Comfit surprised me just now, by a display of wit for which I had not given him credit." "Curse Alexander Comfit!" muttered Edmund, between his teeth.

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Well, why don't you begin, sir? Come, surprise

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