Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1851-10-24
Romance-in Real Life.

There was fine old General once, who having
spent most of his life in the field of Mars knew very
little about the camp of Cupid He one of those
rough and honest spirits often met with in his gal
liant profession innocent infant Of almost eve
ry thing high integrity and indomitable brave
ry He nearly fifty years old, and his tolls were
over, when master Dan Cupid brought him acquain-
ted with widow Wadnan, in whose eye he began
to detect something that made him uneasy. Here
the result of leisure.
During his service he had never seen anything
worthy OF notice In womans eye. In fact, he would
scarcely have observed whether woman had three
eyes in her head or only one; for no matter where
his own eyes were his thoughts were among q guns.
and drums. and wounds" and love thing that
lived in his memory just he remembered once rea-
ding visionary story book called the ARABIAN
Nights Entertainment" when boy.
Well, the General settled down into an amiable,
gentemany old fellow, living alone with comforta-
BILE wealth around him and having little to do
now and then to entertain old comrade in arms,
which companionship afforded opportunity for him
to fight his battles DER again" But alas DER
this calm evening of the Generals day deal of per-
plexty doomed to fall, and he soon found him.
self in troubled waters the depth of which he could
by no means understand. He aoundered about like
Gagged rat under pump-and such another mel
anchoy fish out of water never before swallowed the
bait, hook and ALL of the angling god of love. The
poor General. We must give him name or we can't
tell the story, and the best name for such story is
Uncle Toby Poor General Uncle Toby debated alb
stractedly about his position. and never had
siege or campaign given him such perplexity before
At length, however, the blunt honesty of his dis
position uppermost among his conflicting plans,
and his course was chosen. At school he had once
studied Othellos Defence to recite at exhibi-
ton, but made great failure and he recollec-
ted that there was something in this defence" ver
ry much like what he wanted to say He got the
book Immediately, found the passage clapped on his
hat with a'deermned air, and posted off to the wild
ow Wadman's, with Shakespeare under his arm.
"Madam," said General Uncle Toby, opening his
book at the marked place, with the solemnity of
special peader at the bar" Madam
ssRude am in my speech,
And little bless with the set phrase of peace;
For since these arms of mine had seven years pith,
Till now some nine moons wasted, they have used
Their dearest action in the tented field
And little of this great world can speak,
More than pertains to fsats of bro and BATTLE
And therefore"-
Here the General closed the book wiped his fore
head looked up at the ceiling, and said with spas
modic gasp, [ r0nt TO get marrtedn
The widow laughed for ten minutes by the watch
before she could utter syllable, and then she said
with precious tears of humor rolling down her good
natured cheeks, And who is it you want to marry,
General o.
{" You" said Uncle Toby, hourishing his sword-arm
in the air, and assuming military attitude of de-
fance, as if he expected an assault from the widow
Immediately.
viii you kill me if marry you :" said the wild
ow, with merry twinkle in her eye.
!" NO, madam !" replied uncle i oby. IN most Sc
rious and deprecatng tone, if to her that
| such thing had never entered his head.
"Well, then, I guess I'll marry you," said the
widow
"Thank you, maam,' said Uncle Toby: but
one thing am bound to tell you of, madam I ,rear
a Wigr
The widow started, remained silent moment and
then went into longer, louder and merrier laugh
than she had nduged in before at the end of which
she drew her seat the General gravely laid
her hand on his head, gently lifted his wig off and
placed it on the table.
General Uncle Toby had never known fear in hot
BATTLE but he felt most decisive inclination to
run away, The widow laughed again as though
she never would stop, and the General was about to
lay his hat upon his denuded head and bolt, when
the facetous lady placed her head upon his arm and
detained him. She then deliberately raised her 9TH
er hand to her own head, with sort of military pre-
cison, executed rapid maneuvre with her FIVE fin
gers, pulled off her whole head of fine glossy hair
and placing it upon the table by the side of the Gen.
erals remained seated with ludicrous gravity in
| front Of her accepted lover, quite bald!
AS may be expected, Uncle Toby now 1augh
along with the widow, and they grew merry
the affair that the maid servant peeped through
the key-hoe at the noise and saw the old couple
dancing jig and bobbing their bald pates at each
other like pair of Chinese mandarins. So the two
very shortly laid their heads together upon the pill
low of matrimony. y Connecticut Courant.