The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1858-07-09
THE BRONZEDG ALTERS CALLS
WELL THAT ENDS WELL"

do wonder, Doctor, you don't get
married Such nice room, and you
could have the one above for sleeping
room; and l could, you know, if you
liked, let you have your meals private
like; letting your ofice-boy, Tim.-the
lazy rogue, with nothing to do but to play
marble and chalk up my sidc-walk-to
set and wait on and clear up the table,
do wonder you are content to live alone;
and such pleasant spoken gentleman,
and SO quiet and respectable, for young
doctor, in your habits, all calculated to
make wife happy! It's pity that
such nice furniture, such nice room,
should be thrown away"
Mrs. Bracegirdle was handsome, not
over forty.one, a widow, and $50 said ru
mer) had laid up not less than nine hun
dred dollars in the savings bank, with the
good will of a popular boarding house.
These facts forced themselves upon my
mind, and looked now upon my hostess
to see if she was trying to lay snare for
T. 10 tr,.e slle had on 3 shsae as..s., -
er cap than usual, and looked Unusually
attractive; but when l reflected that she
had regarded me always more with a
motberly feeling than young -widowish
one, dismissed the unworthy suspicion
from my thoughts and said, Smilingly:
And where shall / get a wife, my dear
madam
Bless me handsome young man,
with such white teeth, (Mrs. Bracegirdle
had splendid teeth } horse and buggy, a
good practice, and some money of his
own, to ask where he shall find wife =
There's fifty ladies would jump to get
such chance !!
You hatter me, my dear FRIEND" an
swcred, secretly rejoicing in the fattery,
as we vain ipeds do, albeit we profess
net to bo taken with it. A wife is a
dangerous risk. One must change ones
habits if one marries / should lose my
independence l can do as l please
smoke, lounge, wear my slippers, 20 in
and out as / please, sit on three chairs
and a table too, if | take notion to
spread myself and if | lay anything
down | know where to find it Why, it
makes me nervous to see your Betsy, the
chambermaid, come into my room with
that duster of an old, torn silk handker-
chief, lest she should do mischief. What
would become Of me with wife who
would put everything to rights, not un-
derstanding that there exists certain
systematic arrangement perceptiblo to my
own eyes in all this chaos If my pipe
lies on an open book it is to mark a refer
ence; if my shoe is on the bed, there is
probably under it, for safe-keeping, a spe-
cimcn of newly discovered beetle bug il
half brick is on my writing desk put
it there to keep the papers from being
blown away. But you know my habits,
Mrs. Bracegirdle.'
Yes, Doctor, and that is the reason
you ought to be married for your words
show you are selfish, aud there is no cure
for it but wife, she said with emphasis.
Yes, L have no doubt a wife would
put me almost out of conceit Of myself
answered with half sneer But, to
tell you the truth, Mrs. Bracegirdle,
have a great desire to be married, but
am the most difficult person to snit. My
wife must be perfection. can't bear ug'
illness, and bad feature in woman can
never forgive
As if, poor woman, it was her fault,
answered Mrs Bracegirdle.
That is not the point. A woman, tc
tx my attention, must be without fault,
l said firmly. 'She must be as beautiful
as Eve doubtless was in the beginning
as intelligent as-as-let me see as La
dy Jane Gray, as songful as Jenny Lind
as beautiful as Cleopatra, as pious as the
three Marys, as benevolent as Florence
Nightengale, ss-as--'
Rich as Croesus = ventured Mrs
Bracegirdle.
No. said I. Il don't care q fg fol-
money. l want beauty and goodness
lovlines of face and symmetry Of figure
but '-heye I spoke with positiveness and