The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1849-07-13
gelefteo Gale,
From tie Washington Commonwealth.
The Old House and the Young Wife.
A TRUE STORY.

fault: he would go to Boston every few
months. and be away from home week
And somehow il was, in his absence old
chronic diseases and rheumatic p1ins
,eOGld clinch the tighter. But what took
him therel "Ah. there's the rub"
As set.off to this public grief, howev-
or DR.. Bell had many, very many virtues.
He was kind to the poor The needy
had often cause to bless the bounty of his
hand. Where sorrow and sickness were,
there was he, soothing the one and rob.
bing the other of its pangs. He was the
good angel of many heavy heart, and
the feet of infancy grew lighter in his
presence. Indeed he was very "dar-
ling Of MAINLAND it puzzled the wits of
all TO say, which loved him most-the
venerable matrons, or the amiabe young
misses of the native town.
His parents were long since dead; but
the Doctor still lived in the quaint old
homestead. 1t was an ancient pile;
gloomy, dingy looking pile, both out and
in. Its dormantories, with lights of sew
en- by nine; its massive doors of oak; its
low, broad chiHneys; its fattened roof,
scarcely fifteen feet from "mother earth,
and other unmistakabIe marks, evinced
that it was house of olden time-a pu-
Tltan structure,-a monument of other
and more honest days. And the Doctor
really and truly loved that homely, dingy
house. ref s.ssssl
The little village of W--arose from
its breakfast table, one morning and found
itselfin commotion. What could it meanl
Why painter was seen at work on that
old building of DR.. Lawrence Bell; the
carpets were stretched upon the garden
pailings, and the waiting maid was dust
ing, and washing and cleansing every
thing before her. Conjecture mounted
her swift winged steed; aad flew from
door to door; and that most innocen: of
all innocences, village gossip, Haunted
by in her many colored robes, in extatic
rapture. heknew all about it, the Doc
tor was about to leave for Boston, for the
fortieth time, and desired TO have his cot
tage renovated whilst away that he might
avoid the annoyances which necessarily
dItOuu ouOu opOtdti
Well, the Doctor went to Boston. A
week rolled by, and so did a dainty little
carriage, and reined up short at the Doc
tors house. Many an eye followeditun-
Ill it stopped, eager to discover what il
might contain The blacksmith poised
his hammer in shand; matron and maid
crowded the windows; the teamster hal
ted his oxen; the merchant left his coun
ter, and The clerk his qnll-all, all, anx
ious to see what was to be seen. The
Doctor alighted, and the next thing pre-
sented was neat little foot, in GLOSSY
little gaiter. pressing the step Of that pea
little carriage; then come modest little
hand, encased in lustrods little glove
of which the Doctor modestly took pos
session; next rose colored bonnet, plum
= ed, and as gay as bird of Paradise; tber
a fashionable shawl, with as many hue'
as a peacock 8 tail; and finally, half a wei
of satin, containing woman!
True, the Doctor had thus unceremo
niously taken himself wife. And I
very beauty she was, too, with roguisl
big black eyes, and cherry lips, which
when parted, displayed tworows of teetl
as white as Ceylon's ivory. A shove
of glossy ringlets deluged her snow.
neck,-
"And Dians grace was in her step
Appollo's music in her voice."
She was in the very spring Of life, anc
never did the sun unfold a lovelier bios
som. "Our future home, my dear" ]
was all the Doctor said. as he handet
her to the little parlor Of twelve by four
teen. Charlotte Bell was not thunde.
struck BY any means; but slightly bewil
dered. She looked and probably fel
like newly Gagged canary bird. Their
were the windows, with small ridge
lights and uncou,h sash There wer
mirrors, but barely long enough to reAec
her pretty face, and not encased in gold
at that. The dropping ceiling hung a
bove her with an appalling lowness; an
ahuge eight day clock, as old as The "old
est inhabitant," standing alone in tn
corner, with full moon above its face
was ticking the pusations oftime as regu
larly as ifno one were execrating it at al
Weeks aud months passed pleasant
by. The Doctor pursued the even tenc
Of his wsy--healing the sick and spreae
ing the sunshine Of gladness around tn
path of poverty. Charlotte, who was az
counted belle in the city, got alon
bravely in her new position. Her Wis
tors were kindly treated, and her hosp
tality was the theme of general praise
All they could say about her was, tht
she was little proud just little--an
this was uttered or whispered, in stri'
confidence to friends alone. s,5
The Doctor was quiet man. lfh
said little he thought great deal--in th
common parlance Of the village--"h
knew a thing or two" Charlotte W.
sly and cunning as fox, the little rogu'
and began to hint to him something aboI
a fine brick house, with marble front an
folding doors; crown glass windows. an
full length portraits; Brussels carpet an
mahogany chairs, and rosewood table
and yielding divans, ct cetera, ct ceter
-, She served him with dish ofthese
1uple style at first; but as the symptom
anne more favorable, increased Il