The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1863-10-22
An Episode of The War.-.Nick Dudley.
.s4 .-r The Californian.

L
An Episode of The War.--Nick Dudley.
f4 -r-r The Californian.
The pleasant village of Springdale
was all agog with curiosity, when Nick
Dudley returned from California-Nick
rthe ne'er-dO- well, who had run away
from his drunken old fathers horse
whip ten years ago, and now came back
rich! eaos
All the gossips of the little neighbor-
hood were in perfect flutter. The
young Misses donned their brightest
smiles and most captivating calicos.
The young fellows were furious with
envy. The minister introduced a pc
riod in his long prayer with special re-
ference to "the wanderers return
and, in fact, never in New England
was seen such a futter as pervaded
this pretty rustic hamlet when it was
rumored and then confirmed that Nick
bad really got home.
The poor widow Dudley, who had
made her few preparations for the
event, in fear and trembling, for she
scarce expected from her runaway son
anything save reception of her repro.
bate husbands neglect, yet she spread
her little table with the best her scanty
store afforded, and smoothed her faded
gown with trembling fingers, when she
heard the rumble of the stage wheels.
The widow Dudley and to Nick him
self, all this hub-bub and commotion
was lost neither of them minded it a
whit. ~saa
Nick bought back the old farm
which his paternal ancestor had sue
ceeded in mortgaging twice over be-
fore he luckily broke his neck ;sbuit an
addition to the farm house flung out
bay window here and a piazza there ;
put up comfortable row of stables
planted shrubbery; drove his mother
to meeting in a new wagon, of rather
rakish and sporting appearance, behind
the fattest pair of chestnut mares ever
seen in that country. But he ciyily de-
clined all invitations to tea fights, sew
ing circles, and quilting bees; was in
visible at town meetings and fancy
fairs /; asked no one to visit him, re-
turned no calls, and, in fact, as pretty
Miss Langford remarked confidentially
to Lizzie Hopkins, the Deacon's daugh-
ter, "behaved more like a savage Injiu,
or horrid old miser, than decent
christian, and the handsomest fellow in
Springdale to boot. Gracious! she
could cry with vexation, just thinking
of his goings on--so she could !"
One or two of Nick's old school.
mates, who ventured to introduce them,
selves to his presence, told strange
stories of the interview, and of the
wonders to be seen in the apartment
where the returned Californian received
them, politely, to be sure, but coldly as
an animated icile. They spoke Of
walls hung with rifles, Indian bows,
and rich furs; of cabinets filed with
Misunderstanding bits of rock, which
sparkled in the sunlight like diamonds;
of silver mounted pistols, barbaric
! spurs and bits, diabolical Mexican
idols, carved of solid gold; of gorge
Gus cloaks flung over great elk antlers
of Indian vscalps, triumphantly
stretched upon hoops, daubed with
vermillion, and of Nick himself, strang
est of all-tall and swart, with hi
great beard and dreamy eyes, an ugl.
red scar athwart. his forehead neve
flushed nor disconnected; his voic'
sweet as woman's and full of tender
1ness whenever he spoke of, or to hi
? old mother.
Folks wondered that he should com
# home, if he couldn't conduct himself
little more sociably and neighborly
and, indeed, many surmised that b
would not have returned at all, had
not been for his mother.
Il But, at any rate, there he was, an