Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-06-26
MRS. BADGERY.


L am bachelor, and Mrs. Badgery is n
widow Let nobody rashly imagine that am
ABOUT 10 relate commonplace grievance be-
cause have suffered that first sentence to es-
cape my pen. My objection TO Mrs Badgery
Is, not that she is too fond of me- but that she
Is TOO fond OF the memory OF her late hus band.
Sne has not attempted to marry me she would
not think Of marrying me, even if asked her
Understand: therefore, If you please, at the
outset, that my grievance in relation to this
widow lady is grievance of an entirely new
Kind.
Let me begin again. I am a bachelor Of
certain age. have large circle of acquaint-
ance; but sOlemnly declare that the late Mr..
Badgery was never numbered on the list of nv
friends L never heard of him in my life /
never knew that be had a relict; / never set
eyes on Mrs. Bsdgery until one fatal morning
when went TO see il the fixtures were all right
IN my new house.
My new house is in the suburbs Of London.
looked at it, like'i it, took it. Three times
visited II before sent my furniture in. Once
Win friend, once with a surveyor; once by
myself, to throw a sharp eye, as have already
intImated, over the fixtures. The third visit
marked the fatal occasion on which first saw
Mrs. Badgery. deep interest attaches to
this event, and shall so into detail, in do.
scibiDg it,
L rang at the bell to the gardcn.door. The
cid woman appointed to keep the house an
swered it L directly saw something strange
aud confused In her face and manner. Some
nen would have poEdercd little and ques-
TONED her L am by nature impetuous and q
rusher at conclusions Drunk / said to
myself and rushed into the house perfectly
satisfied.
looked into the front parlor Crate all
right, eurtain-pole all right, gas chandelier all
right. / looked into the back parlor-ditto
ditto, ditto, as We men of business say. L
mounted the stairs. Blind on back window
right Yes; blind ON back window right L
opened the door Of the front drawing room
and there, sitting in the hi ld'e of the bare
floor, Was large woman on a little camp-stool
She was dressed in the deepest mourning her
face was hidden by the thckest Grape veil L
ever saw, and she was groaniDg softly to her
self IN the deSOlate solitude of my new unfur-
nished house.
What d,d do2 Do, 1 bounced back into
the landing if had been shot, tutoring the
national exclamation of terror and astOnish-
ment: Bullo! (And here 1 particularly
beg, In parenthesis, that the printer will follow
my spelling of the word, and not put Hilo or
Hslloa, instead, both of which are base COM
promises which represent no sound that ever
yet issued from any Englishman's lips) said
HullO." and then L turned round fierceIy
upon the old woman who kept the house. and
said HullO ~ again
She understood the irresistible appeal that 1
had made to her feelings, and eurtseyed, and
looked towards the drawing room and humbly
hoped that L was not startled or put out. I
asked who the crape-covered woman on the
camp-StOol was, and what she wanted there.
Before the old woman could answer, the soft
groanlDg In the drawing room ceased, and
muf1ed Voice, speaking from behind the Grape
veil, addressed me reprOachfuly, and said
: am the widow Of the late Mr.. Badgery"
What did l say in answer! Exactly the
words which, tiatter myself, any other ssnsi-
BILE man in my situation would have said And
what words were they! These two:
''Oh, indeedI'
g Mr.. Badgery and myself were the last ten
ants who inhabited this house., continued the
mufled voice. "Mr. Badgery died here -
The voice ceased and the soft grcans began
again.
1t was perhaps not necessary to answer this;
but did answer it. How In one word:
.Ha,"
"Our house has been long empty" resumed
the voice, choked " sohs. Our establish
ment has been broken up. Being left in re-
duced circumstances, L now live IN cottage
near; but II Is not home to me This is home
However long live. wherever 60 whatever
changes may happen to this beloved house
pHthi1S can ever prevent Inc looking at il as
my home. cdne here sir, with Mr.. Badgery
alter my honeymoon. All the brief happiness
Of my life once contained in these four
walls Every dear remembrance that fondly
cherish Is shut up In these sacred rooms. y
Again the voice ceased, and aga the soft
groans echoed around my empty walls, and
case.
/ reflected Mrs. Badgery's brief happi-
ness and dear re,nembrances were not included
IN the list o! fixtures. Why could she not take
them away with her! Why should she leave
them Uttered about in the way OF nv furpi-
tuIe2 L was just thinking how | could put
this view OF the case strongly to Mrs. Badgery,
when she suddenly left off groaning. and I'D
dressed me once more
W hlle this house hns been empty" she
sald " have been IN the habit of looking in
from time to time, and renewing my tender
associations with this place | have li-.d, as
1t were, In the sacred memories of Mro Bad
gerry and the past, which these dear, these
priceless rooms call up, dismantled and dusty
as they are at the present moment. 1t has been
my pracuce to give remuneration to tho at
tendant Tor any slight trouble that might oc-
casion-"
Only sixpence, sir, whispered the old wo-
man close at my ear
And to ask nothing in return" continued
Mrs Badgery, - but the permission 10 bring
my eamp-stool with me, and to mediate on
MI badgery IN the empty rooms with every
one OF which some happy thought or eloquent
"oId, or tenier action OF his, is so sweetly as
soclated came here on my usual errand to-
DAY am discovered, presume, by the new
proprietor OF the hOuse-discoyered, am quite
rea1y to admit, intruder am willing
10 g' II you wish 1t, after hearing my expla-
hauon- MY heart Is full, sir; / am quite in
GapSols OF contending with you. You would
hardly think it, but am sitting on the spot
once occupied by our ottoman. L am looking
towards the window in which my flower stand
once stood. In this very place, Mr. Badgery
hrst sat down and clasped me to his heart
when we came back from our hone y moon trip
Matilda he said, your drawing room has
been sxpensivcly papcred, carpeted, and fur
nlshed for a month; but it has only been
adorned, love, since you entered it If YOU
have no sympathy, sir, for such remembrances
as these; If you see nothing pitable in my Do
siuon, tIken in connection with my presence
here If you cannot enter into my feelings, and
thoroughly understand that this is not house
but shr.ne-yOu have only to say 30, and
am quite willing to 60" /
She spoke with the air Of a msrtyr-a mar
tyr to my insensibiIity IL she had been the
proprietor and had been the intruder, she