, 1859-03-18

TRY poultice," replied the fair physician
"a little brown paper and tar would be O. more
use to ghost than ever kiss Of mine"
81 feckins," said Tommy, "perhaps you're
right really wish could die once for good
for nobody ever thinks can live year. HarE
ye, Susan Proddy, like thee so thatI wish ID
make thee rich. If thoult marry me, promise
to die within the twelve months, and thee shall
have all my coin"
That be 10 good and tempting offer, Tommy ;
replied the girl, with laugh, "and III think ont
Clear the road, or Ill souse thee y ith the water.
can" And so saying, she brushed past the un
fortunate wooer, and tripping gracefully over the
stile, was lost to view.
Dodderaops !" said Tommy, "if I could only
hope to live few years-but L is useless to hope
il. I've had the jaundice and the smallpox, and
the sweating sickness; I've broke all my bones !;
I've had my head cracked; I've had my Jaws out
Of joint; have cough as loud as shepherds
dog; have falling sickness; have a complaint
in my liver; have twist in the spine; i have
ague every spring and autumn, and scarlet fever
every summer; have enlargement Of the heart,
and disease Of the kidneys, and elongated uvula I;
and lumbagO every winter, and sciatica all the
year. Joggles it's a marvel doesn't die"
But the marvel continued, and when twenty
years or more were past, Tommy was still a
walking catalogue Of human woes. Every part
Of him seemed to go wrong except the heart He
was true to bis only love, Susan PrOddy; but
Susan had left the village for long time. She
had married one Dodger, q miller from Wake
field, and had forgotten all about Tommy, the
triAer, and his proposal of marriage. But Tom
my had never forgotten her. In the midst Of all
his pains and diseases her image lay enshrined,
the only bright thing that shone upon Tommy's
darkened life. He kept himself constantly in
formed Of all her proceedings When news
came OF her to the village, Tommy listened with
more earnestness and interest than any one
else; and once, when he was absent for five
weeks, II began to be whispered that he had been
making inquiries where Wakefield was. and how
the journey TO so distant place might be ac-
and shortly after that q rumor camo
to Susan PrOddys mother, that stranger had
stopped the nurse who was carrying Susans child,
and had kissed baby and placed around its neck
q gold chain and ring, with beautiful coronet
on the seal, so that the mother fattered herself
that the donor was great lord, and argued
to her daughter from so prOpitiOns an
event Tommy heard the report with great sat
iSSitieln < 9aiihs sPDet'%ftf gShf and ffheuma-
lism, in addition to angina pectOris and spasms
IN the stomach. abe glad the nobleman's chain
md ring, out o mothers old purse, Is so highly
valued. An, cuSau ETOuuJ tuo uihleI hcNSl
loved thee as I did-and it's very hard that
can't expect to live more than few months, for
should like to sec what comes o thy fair child
he nurse called her Susan Proddy, which gave
ne palpitation Of the heart. o. if could live
twcnty years to learn what fortune bcfalls the
larling Susan the second-but It amt o no use
wishing. shall be gone in three weeks"
But Tommy was again disappointed. Eighteen
years after his visit to Wakefield, he found his
way to Warwick, where, in St Mary's church, a
noble marriage was to take place. Stephen
IIoneydew was about to become the happy hus-
,and Of Susan Proddy's daughter, lovely Susan
Proddy DOdger; and from gallery at the side
,ur friend the valetudinarian was witness to the
ceremony. Susan Proddy, now Mrs. DOdgyr,
mad lost some portion Of her youthful beauty, for
she was now rather crooked, and not so graceful
in her walk as when we saw her crossing the
churchyard with the water-pail on her head
But in Tommy's eyes she was Venus and all the
Graces still. As the procession went forth, he
staggered down to the porch, and placed himself
30 exactly in the middle that the bride was forced
10 touch him with her sleeve as she gl;dSd past
The touch of her arm gave him new life. He
ceased to cough for a moment; flow Of warm
blood rushed into his heart lie looked around
Tor the original Susan Proddy, but q fat man at
her side pushed him out Of Ihe way.
"Spluddersw exclaimd the invalid, al always
hated that miller-but what's the use o hating
or liking either? can't have long to live, only
It would be so pleasant to survive to see If there's
ever family from this here wedding. I'll keep
mycars open for this Master Honcydew, but they
can't keep open long. I've got the collie, and
knots on my ankles and cataract in my eye,
and swelling in my joints, and a wen on my neck,
and carbuncles on my arm. So must get home
il time to die"
Perhaps all these diseases counteracted each
other, and left Tommy in perfect health. He
found means, before he left Warwick, to forward
to the bride another ring which he had taken
out Of his mothers store plain gold ring with
nc commencement Of the motto "AOni;" per-
haps il was the ring Of Richard himself or at
all events Of knight Of the Garter, and having
placed this last memorial Of his affection for Su'
san Proddy in the hands Of her daughter, he re-
turned In peace to his native village.
And did he die? No. He had said he would
keep his ears open, but many things passed in
those agitating days Of English history which
never reached the Shropshire village where the
afflicted Tom resided. Mr.. Honeydew, who had
married Susan the second, was constable and
sheriiTs officer, who made himself very useful to
Henry the Eighth. lie ferreted out rich abbOts,
and turned nuns out Of their houses. lie hanged
monks with his own hands, and en-
riched himself with the spoils Of the monasteries
When a cloud came over his fortunes in Mary's
time, he turned il aside by wearing white sheet,
and, after penance, being received into the holy
church. He compensated for past sacrilegcs by
presiding at the Smithheld fires. lie broke Lat
imer's head with a blow Of billet Of wood,
and pierced Cranmer with 4 red-hot poker. He
was a servant Of his sovereign anG his country,
and thought obedience the first duty Of subject.
When Elizabeth came into power, he rccantcd
once more, and was so useful in the discovery Of
plots, and exacting fines from traitors, that he
died immensely rich, and was buried in West