The Literary echo, and Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1854, 1854-02-16
WHOLE NUMBER Isl

AN, gOOu morning, squire sald
well dressed, good-looking young lady !;
who evidently expected to see somebody
else appear. :" Is Mrs. Crosby in ?"
es--I--no, she isn't" he STAN
mereG for truth to tell, the squire was
thinking more OF his personal appearance
than his wite's absence; besides, ho
imagined that the young lady looked at
him with some curiosity, aud this en-
barrassed him the more. =
Now it must be observed that our
hero was remarkable for the neatuess of
his dress, and the stain upon his linen
assumed enormous dimensions under the
searching glances Of bis visitor. He
dropped his eyes, AMI forgot the stain in
contemplating his sooty hands.
Excuse the disorder OF my dress
this morning, Miss Haynes" be added,
" | was 70 unfortunate as to upset my
inkstani just as you rang, and you see
the effects Of the accident" 4"
This, it must be confessed, was rather
a departure from the truth, but the
squire couldn't think Of any other way
to extricate himself from the dilemma
and he was not disposed to confess the
exact state of the case to his fair black
eyed friend, who after making q few
common place remarks, took her leave.
"What an ingenious excuse that was
Nobody but lawyer would have thought
of it," soliloquized our hero, glanciDg
complacently in mirror pertaining to
the hat-tree. Imagine bis modification
at discerning Black streak across bis
face, which gave him most ludicrous
aspect. No wonder the young lady
looked at him with curiosity, for nothing
probably, but good manners could re-
strained her from hearty laugh.
Squire Crosby went back to kitchen
with a slow step. To his utter astonish-
ment it was twelve o'clock, and he had
quite forgotten the dinner. The fire.
wa, entirely out, the room was in a sad
plight, the list of duties not half COM
pleted, and the meat, vegetables, etc,
remained untouched.
His zeal had cooled amazingly since
and he half repented accept
ing his wife's proposition. He had sx-
pected to see her enter every moment,
express herself satisfied with the ex-
pertinent, and desire him in very hum
BILE manner to 90 back to the Office and
resume his legitimate sphere of action.
But Mrs. Crosby did not appear, and
he was at length obliged to collect lis
energies for the purpose Of making
another fire.
After wearing out his patience, he
succ ,eded in the undertaking, and con-
signed the meat to cold oven. Itwas
too late to think of pudding; Mrs.
Crosby must excuse him that item,
although he had always expected it Of
her, under all circumstances. He be-
gan to think that it certainly did re-
lulre some ingenuity and calculation {,
dispose OF 50 many duties in a morning,
and had some faint suspicious that house
keeping wasn't such fine joke, after
all. lie wondered how Mrs Crosby
aud whether she didn't Wisb
herself aaie at home; busted himself In
how trightn,d she would be
at finding how much work had been
laid out for the day, aud how complete
Iy nonplussed she must inevitably ap-
pear, it client should happen to call
Tor advice. This last was such an anus
ng idea, that our lawyer rubbed his
hands and laughed to himself at the ri
Jealous figure which he fancied Mrs.
crosby was about that time making.
Leaving the Squire to work out the
est OF the items, we will attend the foot
teps OF Mrs Crosby to her husbands Of
ice, and note her experience there She
lad formed no fixed plan of procedure,
'ut resolved to he governed wholly by
If clients called to con-
'ult her husband, she would either put
hem off, or adopt any ingenious expert
nent which might offer itselfto her brain,
% satisfy them.
That she felt a little queer" whom
The entered the temple of Coke, Black
'tone, and Co., need not be wondered at
Tom Pcttiforger, the lawyers clerk,