Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1860-06-12

thus book-his Essay on Population?'
Read that book"
II have read it."
"Read it again, and apply it to your
own case. Poetry; you'll find precious
little poetry about children. It's bad
enough having these young Pritchards
caterwauling night and day in the nursery
there, but wait till you are in the midst
of the Babel and can't escape. Wait till
you have to wipe the children's noses
like that poor wretch, Pritchard, and be
badgered out of bed in the frosty nights
whenever child so much as squeaks
You'll know what the poetry of lovers
is then, my Trojan!'
Tom concluded with a prophetic jerk
of his head, and proceeded to relight his
pipe.
II have always feared that it might
come to this continued he, 'since that
time you fell in love with my sister
Maggy. Her marrying Baines was
clearly providence in your behalf; it
was another providence that we came
here and saw the life that poor wretch
Pritchard leads between his wife and
children. For my sake, Dick, think
again before you take this insane step"
Tom smoked quietly for minute or
two, then proceeded to illustrate the
miseries of welded life by passages from
the lives of Milton, Sheltley, Coleridge,
Byron, and [ know not how many more.
He then began a brief of Mr.. Malthus
book, in the middle of which I fell
asleep and nearly tumbled forward in the
fire. So got up and told him it was
no use talking, as the thing was all
settled. Tom bade me good night with
an air of profound compassion, and evi-
IDENTIFY gave me up for lost sheep.
IA PROBLEM WHICH IS sATIsFAc-
ToRILY SOLVED.
It might be about fortnight after
that Tom had occasion to be in Glasgow
for day or two. On the evening OF
his return I observed that he looked
very distracted. I did not pay much
attention to the circumstance, but it
struck me that hewas Hesmoked by the
freside for an hour, [ am sure, before
retiring; yet all my efforts to get him to
tafk were fruitless. When l turned,
after telling him anything, and said,
sDon't you think so?'' or, t'Strange that,
wasn't it?' Tom would start and eiacu-
late .|sEh?" as if he had not had the re-
motest idea of what I had been speaking
about, as [ really believe he had not.
When Tom came home to dinner me- xt
day [ was amazed to see that he had got
his hair cut; [ would hardly have known
him in the street.
"Hal!oo, Tom! Got your hair cut?''
eyes," replied Tom, with something
Of irritation in his tone, [ thought
<sDid you never see fellow with his
hair cut before?''
II haven't seen you very often, Tom.
He made no reply, and, as it seemed
to annoy him, said nothing more about
it. But really it did astonish me; and
my astonishment was by no means di-
minished when | found next morning
that he had brushed it carefully-oileo
it, too, [ was convinced. In fact,
found bottle of hair oil in his drawer
one day when l was hunting for poke
handkerchief. What next should find
him doing but appearing in clean shirt
every second day or so, and actually
quarreling with Mrs. Pritchard once fol
not starching the wristbands! Ther
came a fashionable hat, then pair O.
new boots, so very small that 1 coulC
have sworn Toms feet would never get
into them. [ discovered, too, (througl
Mrs Pritchard) that Tom had taken tc
shaving secretly, and was daily OF
the outlook for whiskers. Ny amaze
ment was unbounded. I could not fol-
the life of me account for it; but, as the
change was a good one, and, as [ re
membered the rebuff [ got when spoke
about his hair, [ considered it best t.
keep quiet.
"Dick," said Tom to me one day a
dinner, ''this is December, is it not?"
"December? Yes. %
every cold weather for December"
eWell, rather"
II think" said Tom, II would be th'
better of something warmer than tina
old great coat of mine
"Of course you would. I've said 81
often. You should get one of thos'
Highland cloaks; they look very com
Portable, too" And Tom actually came
home that evening in one, presenting,
must say, very imposing appearance
And now Tom, who formerly coul'
not be coaxed out of the house except il
college hours, evinced sudden propen
sity for afternoon walks-a positive pas
sion for them. "Dick," he would say a
the very time when [ used to enjoy
read by the fire; "Dick put on your hat
and let us have stroll 1t was val
expostulating. "Confound it!' l use
to say at last, tossing aside the book; "
wish you had thought of walking i
summer. This is the most unseasonabl
weather for it. -
ssThat's a gross mistake, my dear fel
How, you should read Hall on that point
WHY, this is the most bracing season
the year. Come, let us have stroll.
went, but it was no stroll. 1t wa
anything but stroll. It was regula
unvaried walk to Royal Circus, twic
round the circus, and back again.
was the coolest, and bleakest, and mo
dismal round which could possibly ha7
, been selected. Yet this walk To-
aoouzd take, and no other. Soon, how
ever, he gave over asking me to go
seemed anxious, in fact, that [ shouldn
go. One day, in particular, he suddenl
appeared, fully equipped, and sal
s'Well, I'm off for stroll.
"Wait one minute" [ said, "and
t shall be with you.
"Don't mind" said he, II shan't
, long. It looks as if it were going
t rain" and hurried out. The afternee
/ wore away-tea time came, yet Tom ha a
! not rnturned He didn't return till hal