The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-01-12

take place sometimes, in he dead of the night,
or the glimmer of the Mornings; but, never
saw it done. 1 got no reief from having my
curtains drawn when it tieame on dark, and
shutting out the house. The Eye then began
TO shine in my fire.
8 I am a single old womaIf Z should say at
once, without being at all afraid of the name,
I am an old maid; only that am older than
the phrase would express. RFhe time was when
i had my love trouble, but IS long and long
ago. He was killed at sea Eaear Heaven rest
his blessed head y when was tsfenty five.
have all my life, since everI can remember,
been deeply fond of chiidren hare. always
felt such love for them, that have had my
sorrowful and sinful times when l have fancled
something must have gone wrong IN my life
something must have been turned aside from
its original intention I mean or should have
been the proud and happy mother of many
children, and fond old grandmother this day.
I have soon known better m the cheerfulness
and contentment that God has blessed me with
and given abundant reason for; and yet L
have had to dry my eyes even then, when 1
have thought of my dear, brave, hopeful, hand
some, bright eyed Charley, and the trust he
meant to cheer me with. Charley was my
youngest brother, and he went to India He
married there, and sent his gentle little wife
home to me to be confined ,sand she was to go
back to him, and the baby was to be left with
me, and was to bring it up. 1t never be-
longed to this life 1t took its silent place
among the other incidents IN my. story that
might have been, but neverwere had hard
y time to whisper to her dead my owni" or
she to answer, "Ashes to ashes-I1st to dust
o lay it on my breast and comfort Charley =
when she had gone to seek her baby at Our
Saviours feet. L went to Charley, and told
him there were nothing left but me, poor me !;
and lived with Charley, out there, several
years. He was man of fifty, when he fell
asleep in my arms. His face had changed to
be almost old and little stern; but, it seften-
ed, and softened when laid it down that
looked at it for the last time, it was my dear,
untroubled, handsome, youthful Charley of
long ago.
Il was going on to tell that the loneliness
of the House to Let brought back all these re-
collections, and that they had quite pierced my
heart one, evnning, when Flubbins, opening
the door and looking very much as if she want
ed to laugh but thought better of it, said:
'sMr. Jabez Jarber, ma am t''
Upon which Mr.. Jarber ambled in, in his
usual absurd way, sayings
"Sophonisba" -. = Z
Which 1 am obliged to confess is my name.
was given to me: but, isSgood many years out
of date now, and always sounding particularly
high-fown and comical from his lips. So L
.said. sbarplv: - y 8. =.
aihough it is Sophonisba, Jarber,.you are
not obliged to mention it that see
In reply to this observation, me ridiculous
man put the tips of my five right hand fingers
to his lips, and said again, with aggravating ac-
cent on the third syllable:
"Sophonisbal" J"
1 don't burn lamps, because can't abide the
,on of oil ha1o
day. 1 hope the convenient situation of one
of my tall old candlesticks on the table at my
elbow will be my excuse for saying that if he
did that again, [ would chop his toes with it
Il am sorry to add that when l told him so, /
knew his toes to be tender.) But, really, at
my time of life and at Jaber's, it is too much
of good thing There is an orchestra still
standing in the open al, at the Wells, before
which, in the presence of throng of fine
company, have walked minuet with Jabar
But, there is house still standing, in which
[ have worn pinafore and had a tooth drawn
by fastening thread o the tooth and the
door-handle, and toddlins away from the door.
And how should I look now, at my years, in
pinafore, or having doo' for my dentist?
Besides, Jabar always was more or less an
absurd man. -rus-EHeeJiy- -treeeea,-and
beautifully perfumed, ard many girls of nv
day would have given their ears for him
though I am bound to adj that he never cared
a fig for them, or their advances either, and
that he was very constaTi to me. For, he not
only proposed to me befo-e my love happiness
ended in sorrow, but afterwards too not once,
nor yet twice; nor will wesay how many times.
However many they we1e or however few they
were, the last time he pail me that compliment
was Immediately after h had presented me
with digestive dinner-pll stuck on the point
of pin. And I said onthat occasion, laugh
ing heartily, "Now, Jarbe, if you don't know
that two people whose unied ages would make
about hundred and ffty,have got to be old, 1
do and | beg to swallowthis nonsense in the
form of this pill" (whiclI took on the spot),
''and 1 request to hear nc more of il"
After that he conducted himself pretty well.
He was always a little squeezed man, was Jar
Der, in little sprigged waitcoats; and he had
always little legs and lite smile, and a little
voice, and little roundabou ways. AS long as
L can remember him be wis always going little
errands for people, ami Carrying little gossip.
At this present time vhm he called me $50
phonisba !' he had a little old fashioned lodg-
ing in that neighborhtod Of mine. had not
seen him for two or time years, but I had
heard that he still vent out with a little per-
spective-glass and stood onloor-steps in Saint
James's-street, to seethe nobility go to Court
and went in his little cloak and goloshes out
side Willie's rooms..to sesthen 60 to Almack's
and caught the frightfulhst colds, and himself
trodden upon by coachmeh anl linkmen, until
he went home to his lndlay man of bruises
and had to be nursed for ionth.
Jarber took off his little tr-colared cloak,
and sat down opposite me, win his little cane
and hat in his hand T-
sLet us have no more Sophoiebainc, if YOU
please, Jarber," 1 said "Call n1eSarah. How
do you do? l hope you are preh WE'LL"
'sThank you. And you ?'' saidyarbcr.
II am as well as an old woman an expect
tc be- h3 + ~ - 80
Jarber was beginning 81 -ss-
"Say not old, Sophon-sbut loked at
the eandlestick, and he left off; prtending
not to have said anything.
~ am inirm, of course" said, "andso are
you. Let us both be thankful it's no woie''
at is possible that you look worried ?'yaid
Jarber.
"It is very possible 1 have no doubt lis
the fact" .t4z y