Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1850-04-11

! FORTHCOMING Major was delighted at finding a
cheerful fire blazing in his apartment, and
everything put in order for his reception
The widow herself was there to wait on
him, and she pulled the rocking-chair to the
fire for him, and took his hat and cane, talk
ing and smiling all the time in her most
captivating style. Oh, the happy Major !
he had Just then every reason to consider
himself the luckiest dog alive.
In half an hour, the Major felt himself
perfectly at home. Sitting down before a
cheerful fire, with his slippered feet upon
the warm, soft rug. and with his newspaper
in his hand, he could not help repeating to
himself with unbounded satisfaction
Most desirable accommodations COM
forts in abundance an agreeable and kind
hearted widow-and all for SIR dollars a
geek!
And chuckIing audibly, the delighted
MEjos Iignted'a cigar, and throwing him
self back lazily in his chair, pulled away
with fresh energy and resolution. Oh, the
happy, fortunate Major
1t was not for day, only, that these
comforts lasted; but every afternoon, as the
Major came home from his place OF bust
ness, he found some new manifestation of
the widows astonishing and unaccountable
kindness, and of his unexpected and I'M
merited good luck His dinners were made
up of choice bits which no man could help
but relish, and plum buildings, of which
the Major was particularly fond, smoking
every day upon his table. His coffee ia the
morning was always palatable, and hs new
er needed good sugar and pure milk to sea-
son it wIthal. In short, he lived like re-
tired nabob. But the luxuries of the table
were the least of the many luxuries he en-
joyed. Every day he found that someskind
soul-(who could it be )--had kindly plac-
ed a dish of apples and choice nuts upon
his table, and prepared sort Of surprise
for him by covering them with 4 napkin
One day he perceived that the paper ofpins
he had fastened upon the wall had been ta-
ken down, and that all the pins had been
stuck into beautiful pink pin-cushiion,
which he saw for the first time as it Lag up
on his dressing-table. Ii ever he happened
10 drop Il handkerchief anywhere IN his
room, he was sure to find it, on his return
home, washed, lroncd and neatly done up,
lying on the bureau. More than once the
lucky Major observed that his shirts had
found buttons in most mysterious manner,
and that divers old garments, lie had stow
ed away in his wardrobe, had been mended
nicely and secretly, as if By fairy hands
His clothes were always brushed during his
absence, and often the Major found his
boots and shoes polished. Pictures were
hung about his room gratuitously, and any
quantity Of natural curioSities and orna-
ments of art decorated the mantel-piece-
Moreover, the bed clothes, the room, and
the furniture in it, were kept scrupuloasly
olcdn, anu sPrUn vi nusl could the
lucky fellow rub off of articles even ii the
most obscure corners. His tooth brush
and nail brush the Major found one day
hung into loop-holes manufactured cut of
pink ribbon, and erected directly over the
wash-stand lie never came home after
dark, without finding lamp burning in his
room, and he never returned at any hour
without being greeted with the bright blaze
of a cheerful fire. So the Major had good
reason to rub his hands occasionally, and
chuckle-
'All these comtorts-and kind-bearted
ana dL1tedble WHOM mo tiS DdI = il!i --ttt
for si1 dollars neek =
Once upon time, however, there vas a
great change. The MAJOR was startled
He came home and found no fire in his
ROOM 1t was dark, cold and dreary as
barn. The rocking chair was not drawn
near the hearth, as usual, and his slippers
had not been placed upon the rug. There
was not an apple, or nut, or anything OF
the sort on the table but everything was
dusty, disordered and out of place. In
short, the aspect Of his room was so differ
cnt from what the Major had been aecus-
toned to, that he could scarcely believe
that lie had not entered the wrong apart
ment.
/ 'Ah all = mut,ered the Major, rappng
/ the furniture with his cane III a manner
which betokened great disappointment and
irritation what can be the meaning of
this Hem suppose my kind and lntelll-
gent landlady has discovered that keeping
such dodgers don't pay. H-i-o It's just
as 1 expected knew such delightful
state of thicgs could not last-aH for siH
dollars ,ceekt thought l couldn't be
such lucky dog longp
But The MAJOR was mistaken. lie us
covered how wrongly he had judged of the
kind-hearted widow, when servant girl
came to apologize 10 him for the disorder
of his room, saying that her mistress had
gone away, and she herself didn't know any
thing about making the Majors apartment
comfortable The Major was delighted to
find that that was all, and calling the wild
ow an estimable jewel, patiently went to
work to make his own fire. But the fuel
would not burn. Everything seemed to go
wrong. Then it was he thought of the wild
ow, and thought how he should miss her,
and thought how hard it would be ever to
live rway from her again. The Major even
wondered as he recalled to mind her many
acts of kindness to him-how he had been
blind to her inestimabIe worth so long.
Then what wife she'd make!' thought
the Major.
All, the sagacious woman How rightly
had she judged Of the salutary effect her
absence for one evening would have upon
the prospective successor to the late lament
ed Macarthur -.4~
Soon the widow returned; and was it
astonishing to see how soon the Majors a.