Arkansas true Democrat., 1858-05-25

cham ber-this time with lighted candle--and md my trousers, with the boots in them. haio- Ing over the bedside something after the man. her of drunken marauder, but nothing more Neither is there anybody reposing under the shadow of my boot-jack upon the floor. All is peace there, and at sxes and sevens as left it upon retiring--as had hoped--to rest.
 Once more I stretch my chilled and tired lmos upon the couch; sweet sleep once more begins to WOO my eyelids when "Henrv! Hen ry'' again dissoves the dim and haf-formed dream.
 Are you certain, Henry, that you looked in the shower bath? I am almost sure that I heard somebody pull the string"
 | No grounds indeed, are too insufficient. no Supposltion too incompatible with reason for Mrs. $. to build her alarms upon. Sometimes, al though we lodge upon the second story, she lmaglnes that raising the window is being at tempted; sometimes, although the register may be down, she is confident that the chimney is being used as the means of ingress.
 Once, when we happened to be in New York where she feels, however, good deal safer than Tn the county--we had real alarm, and Mrs. B., since was suffering from qunsy-con- tracted mainly by my being sent about the house O nights in the usual scanty drapery- had to act as her own special policeman.
 Henry! Henry!" she whispered upon this occasion, there's drepdful cat in the room. :"
 Pooh pooh!' gasped; its only in the street; I've heard the wretches. Perhaps they are on the roof'
 "No, Henry. There, don't want you to talk since it makes you cough; only listen to me. What am 1 to do, Henry? I'll stake my existence that there's a- Ugh, what's that.''
 And, indeed, some heavy body did there and then jump upon our bed and off again at my wite's intejection, with extreme agility. thought Mrs. B. would have had fit. but she hadn't. She told me, dear soul, upon no ac- count to venture into the cold with my bad throat. She would turn out the beast herself, singe-handed. We arranged that she was to take hold of my fingers, and retain them until she reached the tile- place, where she would find shovel or other offensive weapon fit for the oc- caSlon. During the progress of this expedition. however, so terrible caterwauliug broke forth. as It seemed from the immediate neiuhborhood ot the fender, that my disconcerued helpmate made very preclpitate retreat. She managed alter thlS mlshap to procure light, and by crcutods route, constructed of tables and chairs, to avoid stepping upon the floor, Mrs. B. ob- taned the desired weapon. It was then much better than play to behold that heroic woman detying grimalkin from her eminence and to listen to the changeful dialogue which ensued between herself and that far from dumb though inarticulately speaking animal.
 Fuss, puos, puss-poor puss"
 Mlau, mlau, miau," was the linked shril- ness long drawn out of the feline reply.
 " Poor old puss, then, was it ill? Fuss, puss. Henry the horrid beast Is going to Hy at me-. Whist, whist, scat"
 " Ps-s-s-s, ps-s-s-s; miau ps-s-s-s-s s.s" re- piled the other, in voice like fat in the fire.
 My dear love-" cried l, almost sutocated with combination of laughter and ouinsy. you have never opened the door, where is the poor thing to run to?''
 Mrs 5. had all this time been exciting the beMlIdered animal to frenzy by her converse ton and shovel, without giving it the opportu- nlty Of escape, which, soon as offered, it took advantage Of with an expression of savage i'm patience paraking very closely indeed of tn e 1 character of an oath.
 This IS, however, the sole instance of Mrs. B.'s having ever taken it in hand to subIue her own alarms It Is 1 who, ever since our mar rage, have done the duty, and more than the duty, ot an efficient house dog, which before that epoch, l understand was wont to be dis charged by one ef her younger sisters. Not | seldom, in these involuntary rounds of mine. I have become myself the cause or alarm of in- 1 convenience to others. Our little errand boy. with courage beyond bis years, and a spirit worthy ot better cause, very nearly transfXed me With the kltchen-spit as l was trying. up- on one occasion, the door of his own pantrv.- | Upon another nocturnal eXpedition l ran against a human body ln the dark-that turned out to be my brother-ln-law who was also in search | ot robbers with shock to both our nervous | systems such as they have not yet recovered rom. l once presented mvBef an unnvited guest, at select morning entertainment-it was at l3O A. M.-given by our cook to nearly a dozen of her male and female friends. No wonder that Mrs. B. had staked her exis- tei Ct" that night that she had heard the area gate ''go." When l consider the extremely free and unconstraned manner in which was received poker and all, by that assembly, my only surprise IS that they did not signify their aHvals by double knocks at the front door.
 On one memorable night, and on one only have ioundlt It necessary to use that formidable weapon which habit has rendered as familiar to my hand as It's flower to that of the queen of clubs.
 The gray of morning he'd just began to steal into our bedchamber, when Mrs. B. calculated with unusual Vigor: Henry, Henry, they're in the front drawing room, and they've just knock ed down the parrot-screen.''
 My love-" ] Was about to observe, "vour imaginative powers have now arrived at the point of clairvoyance," when a noise from the room beneath us, as il all the fire-irons had gone oil together, with bang, compelled me to ac- knoWledJe to myself at least that there was something in Mrs. B's alarms at last. I trod down stars as nolselessly as 1 could and in al- most utter darkness. The drawing-room door was aJar, and through the crevice could dis tgnul>h despite the loom, as many as three muliied tl9hreS. They were all of them in black clothing, and had blackened faces. had never been confronted by anything so dreadful before. Mrs. B. had cried 'woil!' so often that I had almost ce ised to believe in wolves of this de- scrlpton at all Unused to personal bat and embarrassed by the novel circumstances under which found myself, was standing undecided on the landing, when caught that wel-known whisper of Henry, Henry," from the upper story. The burglars caught it also. They de- sisted from their occupation of examining the articles of vertW upon the chimney piece. while thelr tendlSh countenances relaxed into hid c'u> Srln. Oue or them stole cautiously to- wards the door where was standing heard his burgariors feet; heard the |" Henry, Ren- ry." still going on from above ctairs; I heard my own heart pit-a-pat, pit-a-pat, within me- 1t was one of these moments in which one lives life. The head of the black marauder was projected cautiously round the door, as if tc listen. 1 poised my weapon, and brought il down with unerring aim upon his skull He fell like bullock beneath the axe, and I sped up to my bedchamber with the nose,essness and celerity of bird. It was I who locked the door this time, and piled the wash-stand two band boxes and a chair against it with the speed of lightning
 Was Mrs. B. out of her mind with terror that at such an hour as that she should indulge in a paroXoym of mirth?
 Good heavens!" cried, be calm, my love; there are burga in the house at last"
 My dear Henry" she answered, laughing so that the tears quite stood in her eyes, " am sorry; tried to call you back But when sent you down stairs l quite forgot that this was the morning upon which had ordered the sWeepS,'