Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1860-04-12
MisfsIlaneons-
BACHELORS L0VE-MAKING,

You would have known it for bach,
lor's den, the moment you had put yo,
head in the door! Blue, spicy wreaths ,
cigars smoke circling up. TO the ceiling
newspapers under the table-Castile soa
in the tiny bronze card-receiver-slippeI
on the mantle piece, and general confusio
everywhere. And yet Mr.. Tbornbroke-
poor deluded mor;al-solemnly believe
that his room was in the most perfect order
For hadn't he poked the empty champaign
bottles under the bed, and sent the WOO
box to bear them company, and hung hi
morning gown over the damp towels, ant
busted the ashed sprinkled hearth will
his best silk handkerchief? He'd like t,
see room in better trim than that-guess
ed be would! And now he was mendine
himself up, preparatory to going calling
to call on the very prettiest girl in New
York. Not that be was particularly fond
of the needle, but when fellows Who'll,
foot goes through hole in the northeast
toe of his shirt it's time to repair dam.
ages.
Now, as Mr.. Thornbrooke's whole stock Of
industrial implements consisted of lump
of wax, an enormous pair of scissors, and
one needle, the nending didn't progress
rapidly. His way Of managing the but
ton question, too, necessarily involved some
delay; he had to cut all these useful little
appendages from another shirt and sew
them on, and next when the second shirt
was wanted, why it was easy enough To
make transfer again See what it is to
be bachelor of genius it never occurred
to him to buy few buttons extral
"Buttons are not much trouble" said
Mr.. Thornbrooke to himself as he wiped
the perspiration from bis brow, "but when
it comes to eoat-sleeves, what the mischief
is fellow to do! / havn't any black
thread either" and he looked dolorously at
small tear just in his elbow, where some
vicious nail had caught in the broadcloth.
"a black pin may do for to night, and to-
morrow Ill send it to the tailor. The fact
is | ought 10 be married; and so I would,
if l only dared to ask Lillian. o, dear!
l know she wouldn't have me-and yet
I'm not so certain either-if only could
muster the courage boldly 10 put the ques-
ton! But just as sure as l approach the
dangerous ground, my heart fails mel
And then that puppy Jones, with bis curl
ed moustacbe and hair parted in the mid
lle-always hanging round Lillian, and quo
ling poetry 10 her-f Icnzd have the privi- |
ege of kicking him across the street, I'd
lie happy! He isn't bashfull, not he! If
somebody would only invent new way of
popping the question-something that
wasn't quite SO embarrassing!"
Our hero gave his black, glossy curls an |
Extra brush, surveyed himself critically in
he glass, and then, with deep sigh, set
'orth 10 call on the identical Lillian Ray
nond, resolving, as he had done thou
and times before, that if-perhaps-may
)e-
Oh! the bashfulness of bachelors.
When Mr.. Thornbrooke arrived within
he charmed precincts of Mr.. Raymond's
handsome parlors, velvet carpeted, chande-
Tered with gold and ormulu, crowded to
he very doors, with those charming knick-
,nacks that only woman's taste provides,
diss Lily was tat home" in bewildering
link merino dress, edged with white lace
round the pearly shoulders, and crimson
moss rose twisted in among the ripling
waves of her own soft brown hair. She
'ever looked half so pretty; and, thank
'royidence, Jones wasn't on hand, for
'nce in his life. But what was almost as
'ad, Lily's cousin was there-a tall, sIen-
Ter, black-eyed girl, with arch lips and
heeks as red as Spitzenberg apple. o
low Thornbrooke wished that Miss Esther
Allen was at the bottom of the Red Sea,
r anywhere else except in that particuler
arlor. And then her eyes were. so sharp
he hadn't been doing the agreeable"
nore than four minutes and half before
be exclaimed:
"Dear me, Mr.. Thornbrooke-pray ex-
use me-but what on earth is the matter
nth your elbow!"
Mark turned scarlet-the traitorous black
in had deserted its post.
"Ouly compound fracture in my coat,
iiss Allen," said he feeling as though his
ace might do the duty of Mr.. Raymond's
put together, "you know we
'achelors are not expected to be exempt
rom such things" il