Amador weekly ledger., 1858-04-10
The Cottage Out of Town.
BY B. p. sHILLABER

The firm Of Wilkins IL Watkins were very
smart and enterprslng better in the
town where they were located They were
both fine fellows one married and one single
They were very much alike in size, and in
taste regarding dress one was the counterpart
of the other They had been together so
lonr, too, that their manners assimiated
Did customer come in and address Watkins
as Wilkins, or Wilkins as Watkins, the an
swer was an exact fac Simile Of what the one
fof whom the question was intended would
have given. And so things were when the
scene to which our story relates transpired
1t was a chilly October afternoon that
Wilkins & Watkins, having transacted good
forenooa's work, went their respective ways
TO their respective dinners--WIlkins to his
hotel, and Watkins to the bosom of his fam-
ly. Watkins was a happy man in this re-
gard. He had pretty little wife and every
thing around him as snug as snug could be-
He was as sure Of warm welcome as he was
of a warm dinner, which he had ordered of
the provision man as he came along. He
knew as well as he wanted to that pair Of
white arms would be thrown around his neck
as he opened the front door, and perhaps, he
thought, Jua's-that was his wife's name--
sister night he there to take dinner with them
or, perhaps, Julia'S father and mother had
dropped in to take pot luck with them, in
either case great pleasure. SO he went
along hummng to himself the new air
"The dearest thing on earth to me,
Is home, sweet home"
Mr.. Wilkins was a single man, and rather
prided himself on being so. lie went to his
hotel with swinging gait, bowing OCCASION
ally as some familiar face met his view, and
smiling very sweetly upon such young ladies
of the number as he chanced to know He
was very gallant young man, and had the
reputation OF being very great fayorte
among the fair young ladies of the place. by
whom he was regardeda as a very eligible match.
He ndulged in no dreams of welcome be-
yond that which landlord extends to his
boarders, no comfort beyond bis after dinner
segar But lie thought hc was happy, and
who else had right to say anything about it?
Watkins was disappointed. On arriving
at the home he was singing about, he was met
at the door by the bright face that had met
him for the year that had transpired since
their housekeeping days, aud the warm arms
enclosed his neck like parenthesis, aud the
warm lips-wel the warm lips had some
pretty word of welcome to give him that had
peculiar smack to it in the little dark entry
way where he hung his top coat
They were alone, and she told him all the
little domestic Incidents that had transpre6
during the day around home, of which there
are always SO many-about the maiden aunt
who had come into town to do some shop
ping, and what grand laugh she had about
her beating down the shopkeeper, and giving
him twice as much, after all, as the purchase
was worth, and how blind beggar woman
came to the door with little girl leading
her, poor and cold, and how she couldn't help
crying over the little she had given her, and
how the poor woman invoked blessing on
her, which she really believed had been an
swered in the happiness she had received, AID
about the organ grinder, and the little ped
dler girl with the buttons, and the new servant
at the parsonage who always threw the po-
tato parings into the WELL What a story
there was to tell about everything /; and how
pleasantly Watkins sat and listened, all the
while the dinner was being eaten, with the
keenest relish Watkins had aever achieved
meal that was more cheerful, and after din,
ner, as he kissed his little rosy wife for des-
sert, he averred that he did not believe a
happier dog than himself existed within a
good many days journey. He ventured to
say that he thought Wilkins was standing
fearfully in his own light, in not getting mar