Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1860-04-27
Bachelors Love.Makin9.

WIG mOmeuV you Poe youA
head in the door Blue, spicy wreaths
OF cigar smoke circling up to the CELL
lng-newspapers uuder the table-Cas-
tile soap in the tiny bronze card-receiv-
er-slippers on the mantle-piece, and
general confusion everywhere. And
yet Mr. Thornbrooke-poor, deluded
mortal - selemnly believed that his
room was in the most perfect order
For hadn't he poked the empty cham
payne bottles under the bed, and sent
the wood box to bear them company,
and hung his morning gown over the
damp towels, and busted the ashed
sprinkled hearth with his best silk
handkerchief He'd like to see room
in better trim than that-guessed he
would And now he was mending him
self up, preparatory to going calling,
to call on the very prettiest girl in New
York. Not that he was particularly
fond of the needle, but when fellows
whole foot goes through hole in the
northeast toe of his stocking, and there
isn't a button on his shirt, it's time to
repair damages.
Now, as MIR. Thornbrooke's whole
stock of industrial implements consist
ed of a lump Of wax, an enormous pair
of scissors, and one needle, the mend
ing didn't progress rapidly. His way
of managing the button question, too,
necessarily involved some delay he
had to cut all these useful little appen-
dages from another shirt and sew them
on, and next when the second shirt was
wanted, why it was easy enough to make
a transfer again See what it is to be
bachelor of genius it never occurred
to him to buy few buttons extra!
"Buttons are not much trouble, -
said MIR. Thornbrooke to himself, as he
wiped the persplration from his brow,
shut when it comes to coat sleeves,
what the mischief is fellow to do !?
haven'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 I'll send it to the tailor. Thu
fact is I ought to be married and so
would, if l only dared to ask Lillian
o, dear! I know she wouldn't have m
and yet Pun not so certain either
l on y could muster the courage boldl
to put the question! But just as sur
as | approach the dangerous ground
my heart fails me! And then tina
puppy Jones, with his curled NOUS
tache and hair parted in the middle
always hanging round Lillian, and quo
ting poetry TO her-if 1 could have tn
privilege Of kicking him across tn
street, I'D die happy! He isn't bash
full, not he! If somebody would onl
invent new way Of popping the ques
tion-something that wasn't quite s
embarrassing!"
Our hero gave his black, glossy cur
an extra brush, surveyed himself crit
cally in the glass, and then, with
deep sigh, set forth to call on the ider
teal Lillian Raymond, revolving, as h
had done thousand times before, thu
if-perhaps-may be-
Oh! the bashfulness Of bachelors.
When MIR. Thornbrooke arrived with
in the charmed precincts Of MIR. Ray
mond's handsome parlors, velvet carp
eted, chandeliered with gold and orm
ulu, crowded to the very doors, wit
those charming knick -knacks that onl
a woman's taste provides, Miss Lii
was cat home" in a bewildering PIN
meerrino dress, edged with white lac
around the peariy shoulders, and
crimson moss rose twisted in among tn
ripping waves Of her soft brown hair
She never looked half so pretty; and
thank Providence, Jones wasn't o.
hand, fer once in his life. But wha
was almost as bad, Lily's cousin wa
there-a tall, slender, biack-eyed girl
with arch lips and cheeks as red as
Spitzenberg apple. 0, how Thorn
OIOOAV WlSuSo tudt NAloS LSIuSA ]AAAo
was at the bottom Of the Red Sea, 9
anywhere else except in that particula
parlor. And then her eyes were S
sharp, he hadn't been doing the "agree
able" more than four minutes and
half before she exclaimed:
Dear me, Mr., Thornbrooke-pra
excuse ne--but what on earth is th
matter with your elbow %
Mark turned scarlet the traitorou
black pin had deserted its post.
''Only compound fracture in m
coat, Aliss Allen" said he, feeling a
though his face might do the duty G
AIr. Raymond's chandeliels put togeth
er, "y Gu know We bachelors are no
expected to be exempt from such
things
"Hold your arm, sir, and I'll set j!
all right in one moment said Esther,
instantly producing from some secret
recess in the folds Of her dress, a
thimble and needle, threaded with
black silk, and setting expertly to work.
s'There now, consider yourself whole. .
elbow skillful you are," said Mark
admiringly, after he had thanked her
most sincerely. "But then you have Sc
many nice little concerns to work with.
I have only q needle and some wax,
besides my scissors 20
''You ought to have housewife,
Mr.. Thornbrooke," said Miss Lily,
timidly lifting up her long lashes in
his direction. Lilly never could speak
to Thornbrooke without o soft, little
rosy shadow on her cheek.
GA what ?" demanded Mark, turn
ing very red.
ga housewife"
eyes," said Mark, after moments