Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1857-01-13
MINERAL POINT, WISCONSIN, TUESDAY. JANUARY 49, 1857

sat opposite at the same festive board
La Belle" was a danseuse. The idol of
the parquette, was g La Belle" the wor-
ship of the galleries, and the despair of
the very young gentlemen who nightly
hung themselves over the backs of the
boxes. Such abandon, as she flung her
self before them from the g l.. L. f. and
such grace as she made her exit q r. L.
E. Such floods Of thanks from her
eyes, as she bowed acknowledgements for
the banquet, as to say, " Who could have
sent me these beautiful flowers 2" Mr.
Timberwilk had twice assisted her to
vegetables, and their hands had met. 10
man more pHnctual at the dinner table
than he, for as he happily expressed it,
when the bell sounded, he was ready for
the belle.
And so, jefferson Timberwilk sat in
his den on this Christmas Eve. At one
moment he was entranced at the picture
Of g La Belle" balancing on the end of
one toe-nail, the other foot ont al an angle
of forty-fve, and on the next instant he
was locked in mortal struggle with the
second low comedy man of the theatre, to
whom rumor had confided the guardian
ship of the young lady's fresh, young
affections.
"Tn. not very bloodthirsty in my de-
sires," thought jefferson, {" but if some
body would run that man through, in
stage combat, by mistake, l think could
die placidly.
Master Cheep gave audible notice of
being asleep. He had sunk to slumber
overwhelmed in delicious dream of
blood.
"An interesting work" said Jefferson,
taking the goblin's literary study from the
! floor, & to teach the young ideas how to
shoot. Jake Jake off to your bed"
] The goblin slowly opened his eyes, and
gazing with affectionate admiration on the
wart, followed Mr. Timberuiik's direc-
tons, by literally shaking himself free Of
his clothes, after the fashion most ap-
proved OF by Newfoundland dogs on
emerging from the water. Having
achieved this in d species of trance, he
dived into kennel under the counter.
Did you ever, i, my sweet, young friend :
! said Mr.. Timberwilk, throwing the land
pirate at the head of his adInirer-'' did
] you ever contemplate the by no means re-
mote probability of being hung by dieting
on such food as that?'
Jake opened his mouth as if he under
stood with it, but getting glimpse in the
general darkness, said
:" Not as | know of,-why z"
"Ah! Nothing; never mind. Stun
Der my darling"
The goblin, with gruf' murmur about
gas" placed the pirate under his head,
and was asleep.
''Queer life this" unused Jefferson,
< Rasselas in the happy valley, with bro
! ken heads and battered limbs in perpetual
bloom, and a full blown angel in pink silk
tights, and short tunic hanging over me
all the time"
! The snow ratified in thick clouds at the
windows, and the wind shook the door and
frame as if clamoring for medicine at its
utmost need.
Ding, dong; ding, dong.
"a bell is not much of thing to love-"
Mr.. Timberwilk continued with himself,
"perhaps in the abstract a man cannot
love a hollow mould of metal, but GER
tainly have q kind of affection for bells"
This led him to thinking of bell in an
old church, and a homestead with its Jla-
zing logs, and sleighing and Christmas
fun and cheer.
" Tomorrow is Christmas - merry
Christmas! Humph! Particularly cheer
full mine promises to be-
Home and its happy picture had made
Mr.. Timberwil1 dissatisfied; even the
tights were forgotten, dissolved before the
brighter light of father, mother, sisters,
brothers, all clustering around the peace
: fui country tlre-side IN true, heart-thank-
funess and simple hope for the future /;
not one missing, not one all there, near
and most dear to his heart,-all, even to
the, blue-eyed orphan cousin who, since
, they had been children, had been-wel
! never mind that; over that part of the
, picture, Mr.. Timberwilk drew his brush
, at once.
Well done, jolly old bells, you are The
/ only token of Christmas to me- Jeffer-
: son resumed his meerschaum. What
t queer chaps those barons of old must have
been, with their cid mansions and yule
: logs, aud smoking boars' heads, and red
? holly, and mistletoe, and foanling October.