Portland Gazette, And Maine Advertiser

[From the Spectator.]

Will Honeycomb diverted us last night with an account of a young fellow's first discovering his mistress. The young lady was one, it seems, who had long before conceived a favourable opinion of him, and was still in hopes he would some time or other make his advances. As he was one day talking with her in company of her two sisters, the conversation happened to turn on love. Each of the young ladies by way of raillery, was recommending a wife to him ; when, to the no small surprise of her who languished for him in secret, he told them with a more than ordinary seriousness, that his heart had been long engaged to one whose name he thought himself obliged in honor to conceal; but that he could shew her picture in the lid of his snuff box. The young lady, who found herself most sensibly touched by this confession, took the first opportunity that presented of snatching his box out of his hand. He seemed desirous of recovering it, but finding her resolved to look into the lid, begged her that, if she should happen to know the person, she would not reveal her name. Upon carrying it to the window, she was very agreeably surprised to find there was nothing within the lid but a little looking-glass, in which after she had viewed her own face with more pleasure than ever she had done before, she returned the box with a smile, telling him, she could not but admire his choice. Omnia vincit amor.