Daily enterprise. (Wilmington, Del.) 1858-18??, 1858-04-03
A Thimble-full Of Romance.

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thywould be back, eager and hungry for
thi1 meal. Mrs Atkins put down her work
very handsome waistcoat Of sly-blue
satu sprinkled with stars, and bordered, it
mibt be, with the zodiac, (the border was
80 fangely beautiful, clapped her thimble
onAe mantel-pioce, and hurried to the cup
bonl. At all events, there was dinner
toIsy; and something seemed to promise
the tilor's wife a brighter time, and a fuller
tsbe for tho time to come. Atkins had gone
TO make inquiry about ship that was to
sail for the other side Of the world; and
thoigh he had not at tho time single piece
lof Nleen Victoria's miuted gold 10 purchase
a passage for himself and family, he never
lthelebs would learn all the particulars of cost
and pecessary preparation. 1t was a within
thai Controlled him beyond his powers of
Iselforgnment, had no tried to exercise them.
And all alone Mrs. Atkins spread the table.
4 Thdfe was piece Of beef left and a small
lpiede Of plum-pudding and still the pudding
lremaned small, although Mrs. Atkins turned
thelp plate that contained it round halfa-
dozln times and took halfa-dozen side-lone
looks at it, as though endcavoring to behold
it III the most improved light. But pudding
is NIT to be thus magnihed.
The table laid, Mrs. Atkins thought she
would execute few more stitches filing up
the Igme until Atkins and the children came.
AS Mrs. Atkins approached the manteI-piece,
ext,Ending her fingers towards the thimblc,
the Nthimble-of it's own motion-fell over
up6Y its side, with one distinct prolonged
sou1kd, as from silver bell; Mrs. Atkins
thinYble, by the way, being Of no such pre-
ciouE metal, but Of working day brass. Mrs.
Atkins drew back her fingers from the thin
BIZ, las from a nettle when the thimble-
selbsmoved-rolled off the mantel-piece and
fell 1upon tho hearth And then to the
establishment and terror of Mrs. Atkins, who,
strailge to say, could not at that moment
screahm, though in no former accidents had
she failed, when otherwise determined then,
'front.' the thimble began to pour forth, in
small quick puffs, smoke of silyery clearness
Mrs. Atkins dropped in her chair, and sat
witha her eyes upon the thimble, still putting
sh Sning vapor-puffing and putting, until,
in a flew minutes, the room was filled as with
a cloud, and every object enyeloped in it,
save tfhe small brass thimble that glittered
like &. speck upon the hearth. In the midst
of HEIR terror, Mrs Atkins thought of her lit
tie blttof beef and fragmentary pudding but
theyh were lost to her sight, muffled up in the
one ! white cloud that possessed the apart
mentlh. ep
Inflow do you do, Mrs Atkins ?'' said a
voice s' from the mantel-piece.
Minis. Atkins jumped round with the short
est pcjumps. She looked and saw a gentle
man. iii
Wlplll, he was the strangcst Of gentlemen,
and lAee was in the strangest position! But
we we aiisNll every title we know about him,
MeEote s ,lt ..ss ,,e,;sss the gentle
ny ~ ,sured by taiiof ! ineasffc, RBB gazu..,t
Oft stature might have been about
yisA A gentleman with very clean and yes
btelook his hair an iron gray with a rev
e1om scratches made with an IRON r pen lv'
& sort Of pen made out OF lMno hat IN IN
the corner oil ms eyoS, ovcr ~ ~
Il q eailinG-ward look loon, nor ~, " y.
M IN blackberry soberly and then his
b;ty neckerchief was white and pure as a w
,oNf wreath. Mrs. Atkins thought she re- tn
,enyLed in the miniature man well-known
,ce one of those countenance that, Like a g
wal face upon shilling, is the property OF Of
very body who can possess it, She had seen p
picture Of the Poor Mans Friend, and-no, b
could not be he it was impossible G
holess. tho face Of tho manilin was won
Irously like that flesh-and- blood goodness.
And the little gentleman, though some 8
What uneasily, sat among a sprig Of Christ t
mas holly that was upon the mantel-plecei v
,at, and with his best pains, looked secure i
,mid his bower of spikes. ..ua-. t t
q Hadn't YOU better take q chair, sir, or &
this stool 4''-said Mrs. Atkins, as she pass
cd her apron over three-legged piece OF
deal .Ayou'll be more comfortable, SIR"
q Thank you,n said the little man his face
nuckered as he spoke, and shifting uneaslly,
= thank YOU, but people condemned to 1--we
in thimbles are not allowed to be comfort
Hpoor creatures cried Mrs. Atkins, 1T
must be straight lodging, goodness knows
I never heard Of such a thing" |
L Benighted darkened being p cried the
little man in black miserable, forlorn
nerson' u hc continued, as though from
platform, did you never hear Of solomons
brazen kettles? % ..s. ....... 40. D., -,
UNever, SIR" said the tailor's wife with
WKnow, then, that Solomon has at this
moment a thousand brazen kettles at the
bottom Of the sea and in every kettle ID
missioner, confined for no good he has done,
denend upon it, to hear the sea moan and
roar. and answer it with his groans,. And
Is IN brazen kettles, so''Land the little man
sighed heavily 80 in brass thimbles:"
FstI don't understand word Of it," said
Il Mrs. Atkins and with 8 resolute hand, she
took up her thimble, and turned it over and
, over. and almost unconsciously brought the
i th;n5ble 20 her nose. But it did not smell Of
sulphur the thimble was the like tumble II
was before. .,i5. .s4 il. i,
j For ten years have | lived in that thin,
bic. Ten years, !" cried the little ma man any,