The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1858-05-06
Catching a Tartar.

winter winds sounded their premonitory
notes through the leafless branches, he be
gan more sensibly TO miss the comforts and
endearments Of an unbroken home circle,
and to think seriously Of filling the vacant
seat by his hearth.
The doctor, despite the udvice Of his ell.
ders in the profession, had married too
young and as consequence, found himself
at thirty with small family upon bis hands,
and an income somewhat narrower and
more prccarious than he could have desired.
Sill he was handsome man, was a great
favorite among the ladies', and possessed an
excellent professional reputation. Under
these circumstances ambition whispered
that it would be very possible for him to
contract . brilliant alliance; to carry off
some dashing lady whose solid charms
should aIlay his pecuniary vcx 'tions, while
her beauty, her wit. and her style should
make him the envy of all the town. To do
the doctor justice, he did not draw OH his
imagination for all these details; they were
sugge ted to him ready made in the person
OF Miss Mincrv' Hall, a lady whose appa.
rehs age was five or six and twenty. ~.
On the other hand, He kaew little cot,
tage jus' out OF town, ethbo&etea amid roses
and hoLey suckles ana clumpj Of ever.
green, where dweit in the retirement of do.
mestic PEACE ahd tranquility, t!s s5lace and
10Y Of widowed mother, and the pet and
idol OF the small circle of cultivated. and
wnrm.heartcd people with whom she moved
sweet Annie Huntington.
Enhie was gentle and fair.haired; she
had none Of the golden graces or subtle fus.
cinations of her town rival; but she possess.
ed what was better, refined and educated
hind, an amiable disposition, and q warm
and loving heart.
The doctors first wife had been woman of
this stamp; quiet and domestic in her t ,stes;
gentle and sffectionate in disposition, and the
doctor had some rather distinct impressions
that these sape qualities had had much to
do with the happiness Of those few years
Of married lie. He was u domestic man:
he loved his home, and home en yments,
! ana Hottie endeormen,sj yet, nevertheless,
Amy had come to him a pOriiunle.s bride,
and the consequences was he was IN deb,
now, and burrussed lily for 'unds
One dreary Move nbcr escnine Che doctor
came home from round of most " x ,tious
brrf ssiotut calls to find tea no, rcady, the
housekeePct ct6Ss, tie Giii!d en- in tears
Before the cloth was scarcely removed the
cti'dren were sent to bed for some trivial
mlSdemea"or; and shortly Afterwards the
housekeeper irri.ateA at some sharp remark
Of the dCciots, s!dtmnifnned H. lie "a betliud
her and retired to her own room.
Thus left alone to his own meditations,
tsc doctor fell very naturally to solioquis.
ing, and his solil qny took very mnSh t!is
tone of The dismal rain which beut contin
ually against the &'"aows.
'Whata miserable life is this to lead. I,
will be the ruin q me and my children
soon, that is certuiR! but hbw to mend it!
The truth Of the matter j., I ought to marry
a Fortune. I'm bothered to death day BY
day With duns. There's the grocer's bill
hasn't been paid these six months--and tie
butchers bill is about due; and the interest
of the mortgage on this house must be paid
next month. To be sure, with the right
kind Of management all these things could
be put straight in the course Of time, but
housckecpcr at the head Of internal affairs
isn't like good WIFE,. I've seen that; neth-
or, have slight suspicion, are all women
like Amy. Poor soul! she was good wife
to me; but then ought not to have married
her when did. Why couldn't have wait.
ed awhile, and not have plunged myself
headlong into-I know not what. Well,
experience is dear school, but fools will
learn in no other There's Minerva Hall,
now, that would be match worth talking
about; couple Of thousand at least, sup.
pose, she will bring to the man who is for.
tun"te enough to win her; besides her wit,
and the qucenly air she has. 1t does one
good to see her come walking down the
street; head up, and such 4 bust! and her
slendet foot fairly sc6rhfhs ,he ground she
wulks on. They say such women are apt
to have tempers; bot think that's all non
senses besides, no man will object to little
spirit of the right sort. AS to her being
heartess, that's all nonsense too. Every
woman has q heart, only every man hasn't
the wit to lay his h nd upon il. Trust me
to find the soft spot in wom'n's heart
Once get your hand fairly wound in among
the heart strings, and you can manage the
pfoudest Of them. Now Minerva has a sort
Of weakness for mel know that--I've
seen it this long time; and on the whole |
don't believe shall ever do better than to
marry her.
The doctor pGused. and think vision of
the pretty cottsge and its fairer inmate fit.
ted across his brain, for he grew more deep
ly pensive, and CLEAN OF tenderness soft
ened his dark eye. But presently he mutt
tered, "Pshawi that will never do; she has
10 .fortuns.' s
Things grew Sszy il his brsin for awhile;
and then, as It just arrived At sud.
den resolution. be started up. arrsyed him.
aalf for a WALL and rant. c.,a Yill... \ 4