Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1861-02-15


to do with that complexion of yours
don't know, unless you go down with
your face dirty"
"N Nothing easier" And long ha,
} ha, ha, echoed all over the room.
| "After all, that will scarcely disguise
you. You will have to assume the pro-
portions of feshy young lady, and bor-
row one of your mothers dresses
There's nothing like a skillful use Of
cotton in such cases I'm capital hand
at padding. So, Madge, we'll have you
made over after the most approved man
ner, and Mr.. Loveland will probably be
as happy to get out Of the sctape as you
are yourself"
"1'll burn five talloW candles to sthe
patron saint of Compliant females if the
russ-is successful, and hug you into the
bargain, my dear Lell. ~
That's a darling"
That day week, middle-aged mai,
dressed in rather seedy habilimsnts,
might have been seen walking up the
long avenue of trees in front of Ridge
wood House. He wss tall, but had a
terrible stoop in his shoulders: he walked
quite lame, and coughed often; his hair,
of which he had profusion, was sort
Of iron gray, and grew very low upon
his forehead; his whiskers of the same
material, we're very good match
with his hair; and he wore terrific pair
Of goggles. The servant stared, as he
inquired for Miss Arnold, but finally
showed him in, and took his card up to
| Miss Madge. He was sent back to say
that Miss Arnold would be with him
soon; and then Madge and Lell began
Oh Grafton in earnest. Lell was some at
padding, as she had said, and few rolls
of cotton soon formed Madge into as
buxom specimen of good health and
feeding as You have seen lately. She
got into one of her mothers dresses, and,
after some sacrifice of hooks-and eyes,
succeeded in fastening it. She put on a
broad linen collar, borrowed from
Bridget, and finished it with plain bow
of very gay ribbon. All this time the
girls were in fits of laughter; but when
the wig came to adorn the head Of the
bewitching damsel, they fairly collapsed,
and regular roar echoed through
Ridgewood House, from 'sgarret to foua-
dation stone" Lell then painted her a
fla ming white and red, in a manner so
palpable as not to leave doubt to blind
man that it was white lead and rough,
and then she donned her spectacles, and
declared herself ready.
"You cut gay figure, assure you,"
said Lell. between the spasms of laugh
ter ''Now, if you only take snuff, and
declare your fondness for mush and milk,
and sing Lilly Dale, in the style you
have practiced, shall expect to see Mr..
Tom Loveland's coat-tails futtering
down the avenue there, in about five
miautes; or, if you persist in keeping him
to his engagement, to hear the report of
pistol, and see his brains flying about
the house here in horrible manner"
Madge descended to the parlor, fully
expecting to meet there some young be-
whiskered exquisite; full of airs and pre-
tentions, and who would be but too
happy to release her from any promises
she might have made. He, at the same
time, was expecting to see some young
witch of thing, who would be terribly
shocked at his appearance; and whose
only anxiety would be to get him safely
out of the house. Imagine then, 0 low
ing reader! how two pairs of eyes pro-
truded, as Miss Madge Arnold walked
forward into the room, to greet Mr.. Tom
Loveland. 'sGlorious heavens!" thought
Madge, "tkat stuffed shin of hippopot-
anus, Tom Loveland! My plans, then
are Useless; for that specimen would sing
hallelujah to get even such Madge
Arnold as I look at this moment. l
shall never get rid Of him without the
assistance of papa's boots. And, If
worst comes to worst I'll call them into
requisition, and swear by all the cats in
Christendom that | never heard Of the
monster in my life!"
''Souls of the great departed martyrs
and prophets!'' thought Tom at the same
instant, ''into what have I fallen? Is
that the animal I've been making love
to? l wish l was in the den of lions
with Jonah, or in the whales belly with
Noah, or iii burning haystack with
Job-anything rather than to face this
he-dragon. She'll never release me
from my engagement; she'll probably
sue me for breach of promise, and l
shall be hung between six thieves as a
warning. Ugh! see the red haired vi
rago!'
They were meantime advancing to-
ward each other; and now Miss Arnold
] held out her hand-which he touched
about as he would speckled toad
and told him she was dreadful glad to
see him." and asked him if he was we'll?
''Tolerable well, thank you miss, ex-
cepting my cough, which fear will
soon carry me to my gravel
"Oh, how shocking! Did you ever
take any of Spalding's prepared glue?
There's nothing like it for coughs!"
Cant say 1 ever did, miss, and I
rather think it's too late for any earthly
help. And seeing that 1 feel so near
my end, thought perhaps it would be
better to give up marrying, and set my
mind to work about my soul!"
Madge began to see fun in it, now
that he wanted to get out Of it, so she
answered.:
so, Mr.. Loveland; you, to forsake a
poor girl at this moment2 Why, nearly
half my things are made, and everybody
knows I'm going to be married.
"But you see, miss, my health won't
admit of it; really, l don't believe
should survive marrying you week
and think how dreadful it would be to
be widow"
''Oh, l should not mind that at all
You know, if you could only live till af.
r ter the ceremony is over. l shouldn'
mind it so much; but to think of giving
it up now, and the thing almost ready
t Besides, if We are not married, people
t will think strange if L wear mourning
nI nd fhI,, e IL