LEAF III. LOVE-MAKING- IN GEELONG.

Observer, Volume 7, Issue 234, 7 March 1885, Page 9

LEAF 111. LOVE-MAKING- IN GEELONG.

Juck Larkins, on arriving at Geelong, presented a letter of introduction to the liev. Dr. Anderson, who asked him to dinner, and introduced him to several of the principal people in the town. The rev. doctor asked our hero, when he called the following afternoon, what he thought of Geelong. Jack said he thought that if .he gave his candid opinion of the place, it might be offensive. The doctor, however, assured him that he would not be offended, and our hero then said :

" Greelong, in my opinion, is a very pretty little place, possessing a useful and beautiful harbour. But I cannot help being struck with the vast preponderance of places of public devotion over buildings of other descriptions. In fact, every other house in the town appears to be a place of worship of some kind — either in the form of a church, chapel, or public-house." "But, my dear sir!" remonstrated the doctor, "you surely do not class publichouses amongst places of public worship ? " " Most certainly, I do," replied our hero ; '•'for I firmly believe that a great many people worship at the bar of a public-house both more frequently and far more fervently than ever they did at a church altar."

"Ah ! " said the clergyman ; "looking at it it in that light, you are correct, I am afraid."

Among other families to which oxir hero was introduced, was that of the Sylvesters, consisting of Mr Sylvester, his two daughter, Mary and Amy, and his son Harry, and in this family our hero soon became intimate.

Mary and Andy were both remarkablybeautiful girls, or rather young women, and it was only natural that Jack Larkins, who, by the way, was a very impressionable young man, should be very much inclined to fall in love. • ' Bemembering the well-known lines — " He who would the sister win, "With the brother must begin," our hero set to work to make himself agreeable to Harry Sylvester, a frank and amiable youth of eighteen, and. he very soon succeeded, in fact they became almost constant companions. Meanwhile, our hero became involved in a rather unpleasant situation — he fell in love with both the sisters, and did not for the life of him know which he liked best. It was with Jack Larkins a regular case of — "How happy could I be with, either, were t'other dear charmer away.'* However, unfortunately for our friend Jack, t'other dear charmer was not away, and, under these circumstances, he observed to his friend Harry:' "1 say, Harry, what the dickens am Itodo ? lam more than half in love with both of your sisters, and I'm dashed if I know which I love best. I want to marry one of them, and I don't know whether either of them care for me."

"Well, Jack," replied Harry, "you had. better try and find out which of them likes you most, and try your luck with her." To this remark our hero replied : " How the deuce am I to find out a thing like that? My dear fellow, women are a kind of animal Ido not understand ; just as you imagine you have got to the bottom of them, you find yourself thrown clean out of your reckoning, and discover that you have onlysounded just below the surface. Now do, like a good fellow, see if you can find out if either of them like me sufficiently to marry me, arid get nic out of this fix."

Harry answered that lie would try what he could, arid would let Jack know the result the following evening. The whole of the next day, our hero was in a most uncomfortable frame of mind. He was in a constant state of fidgets, and jumped about as if he had been suddenly attacked by St. Vitas* Dance. As the appointed hour drew nearer, so he became more and more uncomfortable. The suspense was dreadful. There is, however, an end to all things earthly, and so it was with Jack's suspense ; but the change was one which our hero would readily have dispensed with ; for when Harry Sylvester burst into our hero's room, he exclaimed, "By Jingo, old fellow, you are in for it properly! You had better turn Mormoa at once ; for the hoth love you, and hoth want to marry you." The effect of this announcement on our unfortunate hero was immense ! He looked for all the world like a cod-fish in its last gasp. He would,, by his general appearance, have put to shame a dying duck in the woi'St thunderstorm, that ever was brewed.

For some minutes a dead silence held dominion, and then Harry said: " Never mind, old fellow, you must make the best of it. Make .up your . mind which you like best, and besiege her.'

" Oh, confound it all ! " cried Jack. " I can't make up my mind all of a sudden ; and what am I to do meanwhile ? "

" Don't show any preference to either," replied Harry. Our hero followed this latter piece of advice after a special fashion of his ownhe made violent love to each, alternately.

Of course, this state of affairs could nofc long go on, without attracting attention ; and, one evening, Mr Sylvester requested a few minutes conversation with Jack in Msprivate study. Jack looked rather blue at this request, and followed Mr Sylvester, with, a very sheepish sort of countenance.

Mr Sylvester opened the conversation by saying : — "Now, Mr Larkins, it is my duty as a father to ask your intentions with regard to my daughters. You have been very attentive to them both, and I want to know to which, you intend your attentions to apply. You must see that is absolutely necessary for you to restrict your attentions to the one to whom you intend to ultimately propose." Our hero, feeling a very uncomfortable sensation in the region of the belt, blurted out :

" I love them both, and I believe that they both love me."

"But, my dear sir," replied Mr Sylvester, "you cannot marry them both !"

"No," replied our hero of bigamistical tendencies, " I wish I could."

Mr Sylvester rose, rang the belJ, and, en the aopearance of the servant, said : *

" Show Mr Larkius out, and remember that the whole family is out to him for the future."

Our hero- left Geelong early the following 1 ¥■ morning, and thus ended his attempt at matrimony.