The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1851-10-16
THE DOCTORS STORY.
TEEE CUREoUs WIDOW.

| mother Of brace and half of daughters, the
quartette possessing so much of the distinguish
ing characteristics Of the softer SEX that often
caught myself rendering in what nook or cor
ner of their diminutiye skulls they kept the rest
S y-f s-aeir eor-v,le1r,.
Occupying the same room that did were two
| other students from the same section of the
country as myself, and possessing much the
same tastes and peculiarities One thing GER
tain we agreed in, and that was a detestation Of
all curiosity stricken women for never were
poor devils worse bothered by researches than
we were. Not pocket Of any garment left in
| our rooms could remain unexamined, not a letter
remain on our table unread, nor scarcely word
Of conversation pass without soft, subdued
breathing at the key-hole telling US we were
eaves7iropped Matters came at length to such
a pass and SO thorough became the annoyance.
that ngthing but the difficulty of obtaining suta-
! BILE accommodation elsewhere, prevented US from
bidding a tender adieu to the widow, and promi-
sing Il pay her our board bill as soon as our
remitunces arrived.
| As he evil had 10 be endured for awhile at
least, we soon invented and arranged plan for
/ breaking er Of her Unsuitable curiosity, and
makiIg her, what she was in other respects, q
good andlady.
The boarding house was large two story
frame, with fight Of steps on one side, extend
ing from the street to the second story, so as to
give sdmittnnce to the boarders without the ne
cessity of opening the front door or disturbing
the family when we came in late at night. 1t
vas very cold weather. and our mess was busily
engaged every night until late hour at the dis
secting and it was during this necessary
absence that the widow made her researches and
Investigations. The subject that we were en-
gagged upon was one of the most hideous speci-
mems of humanity that ever Mortified the sight.
The wretch had saved his life from the hangman
by dying the eve before the day Of execution,
aud We, by some process or other, became the
Possessors of his body. He was so hideous that
nothing but my devotion to anatomy, and the
hneness of the subject, could reconcile me to the
dissection and even after working a week upon
him, never caught a glimpse of his countenance
but that had the nightmare in consequence.
He was one of that peculiar class called Albnoes,
i or white negroes Every feature was deformed
land unnatural 1t was with him, rather his
face, that we determined TO cure our landlady
of her prying propensities.
! 1t was the work Of few minutes to slip the
lace from the skull, and arrange it so that from
| my point of view it would look horrible
| Having procured a yard of oil-cloth, we sewed
It to the face and then rolled it carefully up;
tying this securely, enveloped it in a number
! If wrappers, fastening each separately; so that
her curiosity would be excited to the utmost
| tegree before the package could be completely
! opened. At the usual hour we returned home,
| carrying our extra face along; not, however,
| without many shudder.
| Upon entering our room, we saw that the
soiler had been there, although she had endea-
| Vored to leave things as near the condition she
| fund them in as possible.
| With a hearty malediction upon all curious
women, we ate our cold snack, which the kind
heartcd widow-for, despite of her being wi
| dow, she was really kind-hearted-always had
awaiting our return, and retired to rest, deter
mined that the morrow's night should bring all
| things even.
! endeavored to sleep; but that hideous face,
which we had locked in trunk, kept staring at
me through its many envelopes when the
/ cold winters sun shone in at the easement, it
| found me still awake. Nervous and irritated, l
! descended to breakfast and nothing but the
! contemplation of my coming revenge prevented
Ine from treating the widow with positive impo-
lteness. Bless her not-despairing of-marrying-
! again spirit who would keep angry with her?
| Such a sweet smile of ineffable goodness and
! spiritual innocence rested on her countenance
that almost relented of my purpose; but my
love letters read, my duns made evident, my
poetry criticised by eyes which Love would not
lend his blindness to make perfect; and then
! she was widow! My heart, at this last rehec-
ton, became Immediately barred to the softoning
influences of forgiveness, and determined In
al hostility to .tace her.
| The lectures that day, far as we were con-
cerned, fell upon Hstless ears for we were think
! ing too much of what the night would bring
| forth, to pay much attention to them. The day
at last came to a close 1t had been showing all
the evening, and at supper We complained bit
terly how disagreeable it would be walking TO
the college, and working that night, and wished
( that we were not dssecting that we might
stay at home and answer the letters we had
received from home that day. " Business could
be neglected for the weather" was our conc.u-