Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1847-04-01
G,m,orolls Selections.
EASY JOE BRUCE.
BY II. II. WELD.

easy fellow, nobody thought OF allowing
him more than half of his name, or of any
thing else which belonged TO him.
"The mischief! see by the paper that
Hawk g. HAPPY have assigned. Imeant
to have secured my debt yesterday 7"
He left his coffee half drank, stumbled
over the threshold, and went almost at a
run to the counting room Of Hawk 81
HAPPY. One half that speed on the day
before would have saved his debt. As
it was, he was just in season to pnt his
name at the bottom of dozen and a
half preferred ones, to receive ten per
cent. He went back TO his unfinished
breakfast with what appetite he might.
"Why did you neglect this so long,
Mr.. Bruce ?" said his helpmate and COM
forter.
"I meant to have attended to it yes
terday, my DEAR"
"You meant That is always your
way, Mr.. Bruce. You carelessly neg
lect your business to the last moment,
and then put yourself in haste and
| lCdL III my dSuts
Really, Mrs. Bruce"
But Mrs. Bruce did not allow him a
chance to defend himself; on she went,
in the most approved conlugal manner,
to berate him for his careiessness and
inattention.
Really, Mrs. Bruce"
And it was really Mrs. Bruce, for few
of the feminine, and none of the mas
culine gender, could have kept pace with
her; certainly Easy Joe could not. The
clatter of cotton mill would not have
been circumstance to the din she rails
ed-nay, we doubt whether a philippe
against one of those said mills, from the
lungs of Benton IonanS, could have
been heard above her voice. Easy Joe
pulled a cigar case out Of his pocket
clapped his feet on the fender, and it al
most seemed that the smoke rendered
his ears impervious to the bleatings of
that gentle lamb, his spouse, so placid
was his countenance, as the vapor esca-
ped in graceful volumes from his mouth.
People overshoot the mark sometimes
Mrs. Bruce did had she spared her o.
ration, the mornings loss would have
induced her husband to have been pune
tual to his business, for one day at least
AS it was he took the same sort of pride
in neglecting it under her lecture, that
the Grande Nation will probably take in
refusing to pay the claims of our citi-
zens.
"Breeze away, Mrs, Bruce
"Breeze away, sir Breeze away! /
wish l could impart one title of my en-
ergy to you, Mr.. Bruce--l-I-"
Bruce sprang TO his feet, and crash
came an elegant mantle clock down up
on the hearth.
"There, Mr. Bruce That clock has
stood there three months without fasten-
ing-a single screw would have saved it
but"
"Well meant to-"
" You meant Mr., Bruce, you meant
won't pay the damage, nor Hawk &
Harpy's note! you meant indeed p
Bruce seized his hat and cloak. In a
few minutes he was on change. No
body could read in his face any traces
of the late matrimonial flare up, and no
body would have suspected from his
countenance that Hawk g. HAPPY failed
in his debt. Easy Joe Bruce.
"Well, Mr.. Bruce, they've routed
him."
q" Who?"
"Our friend Check. Pingree was
chosen President of the - Bank, this
morning. One vote would have stop.
ped him."
elbow decidedly unlucky. / meant
to have been present to vote for Check
myself"
"Never mind, Bruce" said another
"you are a lucky man, The news Of
the great fire in Speederville has just
reached town by express, and | congrat-
ulate you that you was fully insured"
"The dickens My policy expired
last week, and meant to have got it re.
newed this morning"
Joe posted home in no very happy hu.
NOR. When an easy man is fairly up
he is the most uneasy and unreasonable
man in creation.
"Mrs. Bruce, by staying at home to
hear you scold, | have lost thousands
meant TO have got insured this morning
did not, Speedervile is burned down
and am beggar.'
" Why did you not do it yesterday
Mr.. Bruce %
81 was thinking of Hawk O. Harpy.'
Thinking! Why didn't you secure
yourself?"
/" | meant to, but"
You are in excellent spirits, Mrs
Bruce"
" Never in better"
Vastly fine, madam. We are beg
gars." .
f Mrs. Bruce sat down, clapped her fee
on the fender, after her husbands man
ner in the morning.
eve are beggars, madam" Bruce re
peated.
every good will take my guitar
and you shall shoulder the three chill
dren. Well play under Mr.. Hawk
window first, then under Mr.. Harpy's
and then beg our Way to SpeederyiIle