St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1858-08-12

CHAPTER /.
DIR. Paul Manning was unmistaka-
bly, and undeniably bachelor. Any
body could have told that by the
square bow of his ncck-tic, the fault
lcssness of his linen, his crcaking
boots, the scrupulous ncatness Of his
household, and his holy horror of chill
dren. And, moreover, DR.. Paul Man
ming was getting bald Time was
when no young man in Dentwood had
glossier or softer hair curling in thick
waves over handsome, high fore
head but forty years had brought
one or two deep wrinkles across that
forehead, and now there was a little
round spot on the doctors head where
the hair obstinatcl y refused ito grow"
Yes, the doctor was getting bald,
and yet | don't think he would have
used Il hair dye or restorer, OF any of
the much laulcd modern inventions
warranted to produce ga fine and
healthy growth Of hair" for the world;
for DR.. Paul was a man of sturdy in
dependence of character and scorncd
innovations.
What's the use ?" quoth the doc
tor, surveying his rapidly thinning
locks one morning i'll the mirror with
little sigh. The fact is, Pm get
ting old No use in Disgusting it.
The hair she used to tWine--ah, well !!
I'm growing old :"
Yes, DR.. Paul was getting to be an
Miss Susy Short "kept house" for
DR.. Manning | think Miss Susy's
name was a synonym of her nature.
Her words were spoken in little, .jcrky
accents, as though she bcgrudged too
liberal a use of the kings English.
People said Miss Susy's situation as
| housekeeper was a mere slnecure, with
nobody but the doctor, Tim, the Irish
gardener and cOachman, and herself.
| To be sure it was Il great house DR..
| Manning owned, but then it was kept
| shut up most of the year round, and
no company ever came to litter the
great parlor, sleep i'll the nice spare
chambers, or disturb the even tenor OF
the spinster's daily life. | think Miss
Susy would scarcely have hcsitated to
apply the same broom she welded
against the flies and spiders, to the
lucklcss housewife or neighbor who
had the temerity to invite herself :" tc
tea at DR.. Manning's. People said
too, that because Miss Susy hoped one
day to see herself installed in high
CT capacity than housckecper, it wat
/ for her interest to hinder all attempts
l at familiarity among the Dentfordcrs
lest some bright-eycd girl might Ell
tice the doctor into matrimony.
Miss Susy was, furthermore, yer.
attentive To her masters liklngs
Every morning she baked u littl
sterotyped cake Of corn meal-churne
. fresh butter i'll a large, wide-mouthe
bottle-carved two thin slices of hal
and made black tea for his breakfast
for the doctor fancicd himself a dy'
peptic, though none would ever hav
- suspected the fact from glance ;
his face, full figure, and his hale, ros
checks. But then Miss Susy knc'
how to humor his whims.
~ a. suppose nobody has bette
housekeeper than l." the doctor wouI
say, folding his napkin squarely, an
placing his spoon evenly in his chin
= teacup, nobody in Dentlord leads
quieter Or happier life than you and
Miss Susy."
Yes, sir" Miss Susy would repl
> with faint attempt at a smile al
when the doctor had left the rool
would toss her head till every cor
- screw curl was sent flying with quic
jcrky movements, inly deducing Ii
in own conclusion for the acknowlcd
mcnt of her necessity to her master
comfort.
| said the doctor had holy horr
OF children and yet | am half
- clined to think that this story was o
of the spinstcr housekeeper's o,
coinage, purposely to frightcn aw
the little urchins who used to pc
ses longingly through the white pick
fence into the gay flower garden
front of the mansion, and into viii
the windows Of the great square roc
the doctor used as his office looked
IS, rectly-for certain it is, that, c
morning, the doctor himself came {
IDS and distributed generous handsful
gay hollyhocks, bright-eyed pansi
is. and even plucked his greatred peoni
:. and straightway a little file of s.
!, bonneted girls were on their way
the old, red schoolhouse, declaring
delighted accents that "Dr. Manni
was the goodest man in the world
There was another garden in
rear of the mansion, where Irish l
wrought with spade and hoe to Gu
IS vate the vegetables that supplied NJ
Susy's dinner-pot, all of vastly m
use in the spinster's practical e.
|. than flowers aud sich like trash