The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1855-04-13

was tall and pretty, but dressed rather plain.
ly and scantily. The other one, on the con.
trary. was short and dumpy, and had rather
disagreeable features, IL freckles and red hair
can, in any way, be called features. She
wore an elegant French bonnet, and bore
upon her shoulders superb India shawl,
the end Of which was allowed TO draggle
gracefully in the mud.
"That is your wife, suppose" was my
imprudent observation, directing my eyes
toward the latter.
I" That thing' Hang it, man! do you
want me to shoot you. No. no; that is the
skeleton. The skeleton, l say" -.
But was certainly with you when you
bought that shawl"
$50 you were; and its precious little
good my wife gets out Of Il for the four hun.
dred dollars. That Is where the skeleton
comes in. II Is my wife's country sister,
that has heard that we keep pretty good
society and having on exalted estimation
Of its own personal charms, has come down
upon US 10 try to marry itself of to advan'
tage."
But the shawl
Il am coming to that. To make itseil
look as little ugly as possible, the skeleton
borrows all my wife's best apparel. That
is not only my wife's best shawl, but also
her dress and bonnet, too. / wish the thing
would lift up the dress q little as it makes
that crossing, and then | could tell whether
it wears my wife's open work stockings.
rather suspect 1t does. Its own are brown
cotton, couutry.dyed, so that could easily
tell"
"But is not your wife to blame for con.
senting to it ALT"
81 see you don't know anything about it.
There is q way to get round people in spite
ofall they can do to help themselves. You'll
find it out some day il ever you marry. II
is always DO lend me this for single day.
and Just let me take this for an hour, that's
a love- At the same time, tits hardly the
thing to ask for them again since the bor'
rover, always having them on, it would be
the same thing as requiring her to undress
herself In that way the skeleton has bor-
rowed half the wardrobe Of my wife, while
she, poor woman, does not like to soy any.
thing by way Of remonstrance. Once ven.
tured to raise an objecting voice; but hard.
" had done so, when the skeleton glared
upon me like basilisk, md made some
sharp remark about men meddling with
things they know nothing about. 1t quite
shut me up. But wearing out my wife's
clothes is not the worst ofit."
"She does not wear out your clothes,
does she 7" .-0,.
"Not exactly; but she wears out my
patience, dreadiully. II come home for q
quiet dinner, half the time l find that some
strange fellow has been invited in social
family way, in hops that he will pay his
court to the skeleton. IL / anticipate On
evening Of pleasant reading in my library.
ten to one have to take khe whole family
to the theatre, simply because some chap
with few thousand year, is expected to
occupy the next box to US, and perhaps
might take fancy to the skeleton. The
other day had 10 spend an afternoon at
the Museum because the skeleton, in passing
had seen man 60 in who it iancied must be
rich and might fall in love with it, il he hap
pened to sit near it. The skeleton did not
say oil that, to be sure, but could sec it
thought so. Well, the man came out on
the Stage as the Snowman Of two monkeys,
poodle, and half dozen parrots and
when l reached my Office again, l found
that by my absence l had lost an opportuni.
ty to make three hundred dollars. Some Of
our best friends do not come to see Us any
more, for fear the skeleton will mako dash
ut them and was forced to invite to din.
ner my,worst enemy, whose sole recommend.
alton consists in rich old maiden aunt
AS for my brother, who used to look in up.
on US every evening, the skeleton made such
a bold attempt upon him, that he has not
been seen for q fortnight t-all is very
agreeable, is it not !"
/" Monstrously." saysI. . ...
"But come down to my house now, and,
as you wish, stay with US few days. You
can then watch the skeleton at your leisure" !"
Il do not KIN w about that" | answered
musingly. Suppose the skeleton should
make set ut mcp'
"You are not rich, so it will let you
alone. Three thousand year is its honest
valuation upon itself. So come !"
"Still my dear iriend," l retorted. "who
knows but that my personal charms, which
are not Of despicable order; might induce
the skeleton to waive portion of It's pecu.
mary demands! Tho TACT is, THAT is
and now | think Of it, l made up my quarrel
with my landlady just before l came away,
How absurd in me to forget that l had done
Ill