Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1854-04-20
Gales anS ghettbts.
a Practical BIue-Stccking.


3 shod heels has come between and my ole
trlend,-not to mention thoughts of disorderly
house, smoky puddings, and dirty faced children
Defend me from a wife who spends her time dab
bling in ink, and writing for the papers. II
lay wager James hasn't shirt with butto1
on 1t, OF PAIR of stockings that is not full o
holes. Such glorious fellow as he used to be
too !" said Harry, soliloquizingly, $50 dependent
upon somebody to love him. By Jove, it's 9
hard case"
''Harry, will you oblige me dy calling there g
said Mr.. Seldom with peculiar smile.
''Well, yes, if you desire it; but these married
men get so metamorphored by their wives, that
it's chance if l recognize the melancholy re-
mains of my old friend. A literary wife % and
he shrugged his shoulders contemptuously.
AT one o'clock the next afternoon, Harry might
have been seen ringing the bell of James Lees
door. He had very ungracious look upon his
| face, as much as to say,-''My mind is made
up for the worst, and 1 must bear it for Jem-
mys sake
The servant ushered him into a pretty little
sitting-rOom, not extensively furnished, but neat
| and tasteful.
At the further end of the room were some flow
I
was singing. Harry glanced round the room
little light stand or Chinese table stood in the
corner, with pen, ink and papers scattered over
! it.
| Il knew it," said Harry; there's the sign =
| horror of horrors untidy, slaternly blue
stocking how shall be disgusted with her =
Jemmy's to be pitied.'
He took up book that lay upon the table, and
| little manuscript copy of verses fell from be-
| tween the leaves. He dropped the book as if he
had been poisoned; then picking up the fallen
| manuscript with his thumb and forefinger, he
| replaced it with an impatient pshaw Then he
glanced round the room again,-no! there was
not particle of dust to DO seen, even by his pre-
JUDGED eyes the windows were transparentlv
clean; the hearth-rug was longitudinaly and
mathemadcally laid down the pictures hung
plumb" upon the wall the curtains were fresh
gracefully loOped; and, what was a greater mar
vel, there was q chiId's dress half finished in a
dainty little work-basket. and thimble Of fairy
dimensions in the immediate neighborhood there
Of
Harry felt perverse inclination to examine
the stitches, but at the sound of approaching
footsteps he braced himself up to undergo his
mental shower-bath.
A little lady tripped lightly into the room, and
stood smilingly before him, her glossy black hair
was combed smoothly behind her cars, and knot
ted upon the back of remarkably well shaped
head; her eyes We're black and sparkling, and
full Of myrth; her dress fitted charmingly to a
well as art, and backed by his collegiate educa-
tion, his views expanded by travel, himself made
practical by the vicissitudes of miscellaious
o,,I bo -
der, and almost always whole history Of human
nature-under hat.
Harry felt very much like culprit, and great
ly inclined to drop on one knee, and make clean
breast of confession, but his evil bachelor spir-
it whispered in his ear,-''Wait bit, she's fixed
up for company cloven foot will peep out by
and by"
Well, they sat down ! The lady knew enough,
he heard that before he came he only pray
ed that he might not be boared with her book
learning, or blue-stockngism. 1t is hardly eti-
quette to report private conversation for the pa
pers,-so I will only say that when James Lee
came home, two hours after, he found his old
friend Harry in the finest possible spirits, tete-a-
tete with his "blue" wife. An invitation to din
ner followed. Harry demurred, he had begun
to look at the little lady through very bewitch-
ing pair of spectacles, and he hated to be disen-
chanted-and blue-stocking dinner
However, his objections, silent though they
were were over-ruled. There no fault to be
found with that table cloth, or those snowy nap
kins the glasses were clean the silver bright as
my lady's eyes the meats cooked to a turn, the
gravies and sauces perfect, and the desert well
got up and delicious. Mrs. Lee presided with
case and elegance; the custards and preserves
were of her own manufacture, and the little pratt
tier. who was introduced with them. fresh from
her nursery bath, with moist ringlets, snowy
robe. and dimpled shoulders, looked charmingly
well cared for,
AS soon as the two gentlemen were alone, Har-
~ seized his friends hand, saying with half
SMILE ''James [ fell like unmitigated scoun-
drel have heard your wife spoken of as
'blue-stocking,' and L came here prepared to pity
you as the victim of an unshared heart, slattern-
ly house, and 1ndigestible cooking; but may
die an old bachelor if don't wish that woman,
who has just gone out, my wife.
James Lees eyes moistened with gratified
pride. 'You don't know half, ;" said he "Lis-
ten some four years since [ became involved
n business at the same time my health failed
me, my spirits were broken, and 1 was getting
discouraged man. Emma, unknown to me, made
apulication as writer to several papers and mag
azines. She soon became very popular; and not