The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1851-03-12

| 10 hide the prickles till they're grown,
| And then declare themselves, and tear
Whatever ventures TO come ncar."-Hudijrds
"llow are you, my dear fellow ?-John, a
chair for Mr.. Graham-excuse my rising
you see I'm gouty-beefsteaks and bumpers
have done it at last, and, though only eighty
seven, I'm really beginning to feel old
Sorry 10 hear it, Jeremy but you look
quite hearty yet All what have you ,herei
Shirley vow--a good novel, isn't it ?"
" Passable, my young friend, but inferior
to Jane Eyre Caroline Helstone, the
principal heroine, is a little angel; but il
Shirley herself there's cross of the devil
I'm afraid. Her husband led dogs life o.
it if the truth was but known. She remind.
mo of the heroine Of that pictufe-the one
over the maniel piece The Tiff call it, ,
81 have often heard you say, Jeremy, that
there was story connected with it. Tel
US the tale"
Well-siir up the fic-take a cheroot
john, retire till you're called-and now
my dear lad, we'll be as cosy for the rest oi
the evening, as if we'd just eaten a Thanks
giving dinner, and had had our Gll Of boiled
turkey and oyster sauce. Blessed be the
man. as Sancho Panza says of sleep, that
first invented turkeys-though to my taste
it would be better if they all ran about, ready
boiled, swimming in gravy and oysters. But
to my tale;
When was abou, twcnty-that was in
the year 17S3-cotempor | believe,
with your fathers marriagc-I knew as
pretty girl as ever sewed sample on
week days, or carried her prayer book on
Sundays to church.
"Bella Belgrave was The beauty of the dis
trict. Her step was Ike what dryads might
be supposed to be her eyes were as dazzling
as the sun at noon her lips we're as fragrant
as Strawberries, and twice as sweet; and her
voice sir, if you could have heard it, you
would have fancied that nightingale had
nestled in her throat, or that St. Cecilia her
self had come down from heaven.
AT twenty man falls in love as natural
ly as he takes to smoking, and he does BOTH
suppose, to prove himself full grown. Well,
soon lost my heart to Bella. Nor was my
suit hopeless. | am handsome yet rs you
see-don't laugh at me, you young scape-
grace--and, of course, | was handsome at
twenty. | wrote poetry, too, which won
girls hearts just as moustache does now
and had a pretty little fortune, so l was
soon the accepted lover Of Bella.
Bella possessed but one fault. She had
a deuce of a temper. Now a little sharp
ness in wife occasionally ma, be very ex-
celleni, jus; to spice the monotony of mari-
nony, as mustard spices beef, but if you get
too much of it, it is as bad as spillng the
whole contents of pepper-box in your plate
when you had just taken the last bit of what
was nice on the table. Not that Bella was
what is called quick I often wish
cd she had 5een-ior it il better to blow OF
superabundant steam now and then, than to
keep it screwed slubbornly down, till some
day grand explosion takes place, that sends
everything 20 kingdom come. Unfortunate
ly Bella took offence easily, and then nursed
her wrath to keep it warm. She had been
so much petted that nothing short of abject
slavery on the part of a lover would suit her:
and i faith, grew tired of it at last, as YOU
shall hear.
"One day | had been singing to her a
ballad she had asked me to write 10 some OF
her music, when one of her friends came in
IA dashing little creature she was since
great grandmother, my lad, with three hun
dred and fifty lneal descendants, egad--and
|, as in duty bound, did my best to be agree
able scarcely, however, had The visitor gone,
when Bella with face like thunder cloud,
began
Mighty sociable you and Alice Green
are, said She l suppose you are half in
love with her yet always heard you were
her most devoted admrer.'
Now, Bella said, don't be jealous.
"' Jealous = she exclaimed, stamping her
little foot while her eyes flashed fire its
time TO be jealous, sir, when every pretty
face you meet tempts you to neglect me
but Pm not jealous--rm only ashamed Of
you, sir.'
:" My dear lovely creature | began again,
trying 10 take her hand, but she jerked it
pettishly away.
60 Don't dear me, she broke forih-'you
know you dUn't love me you never come
here more than once a day, while Harry Sa-
vile, whom dismissed for you-more fool |
was used to be here twice day and al
ways dined with US on Sundays
began to grow red in the face, assure
you, at being thus talked to; but ! mastered
,ny rase--yo know I'm meek man; It's
because of that | was chosen President OF
The Peace Socoty-and said meekly-
O. Bella, dear, don't be foolish love you
better than all the rest of your sex put 10,
gether but YOU must not expect me 10 neg
ect, nay, insult by my rudeness, every wo,
man meet. Once for all, let this be under,
stood between us
Womans rights were not yet thought Of,
my boy, and wives were expected to obey
heir husbands, as nature and Scripture COM
nand. / deemed it high time was ASSERT
ng my prerogatives, and spoke accordingly.
"' Yesl' ! repeated, You ara unjus.
'ou ask too much, my dear Bella