Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1864-04-29

but before she could utter q single word his
| good night was succeeded Immediately by a
series of thumps and rumblings in the direction
of the cellar. rea
The truth burst upon her at once, Harry
had taken the cellar door and fallen down
stair She seized light and few down the
steps. There lay Harry, with his bead in
| trough of ashes and his feet unromantically
elevated over the shelf Of q neighboring cup
board. He was considerably bruised and
stunned but not otherwise injured. Mrs.
Flanders would have raised him up, but he
anticipated her, and without stopping to shake
himself, bounded up stairs and made dive
for the outer door, the ashes streaming behind
him like cloud of gray smoke. Il a.ss-
The door was opened from without, and
Rosalie herself appeared. AT sight of the
hatless, smoking Harry, she uttered a loud
shrek and fell iainting to the floor, while our
hero dashed over her prostFate form and took
the track for home at a speed unequalled in
the annals of foot races. Breathless and
used up generally, the young man reached
home, crawled in at back window and re-
tired to his bed, which he kept for three days
afterwards. a-
In spite of all apologies and fattering
courtesies from Mrs. Flanders-in spite of
gentle, afeetioDate advances of ROsalie her.
self, Harry Singleton could never be tempted
to step inside the mansion of the Judge; and
Resale, after waiting two years for Harry to
make himself agreeable to her, gave up the
vain hope and became the wife of a substan-
tial widoWer with four children, which was
quite good beginning. aa..- sass
Harry went on his way alone, as his moth
er had feared and prophesied, and that exem-
plary little woman set about learning him TO
repair stockings and replace buttons with
commendable patience. He had studied for
the law, had been two years admitted to the
bar, and was a talented and rising young
man. Being also wealthy and handsome,
half the ladies in the village were in love
with him, but he gave them a wide berth and
passed them by. SID 6na sa5s.s1sa,
Mr.. Singleton dabbIed somewhat in politics,
and at the early age of thirty. he was elected
Member of Congress. In celebration of this
event a grand supper in his honor was given
at the Whitestown Hotel. Of course, the
successful candidate must be present, and eti-
quette demanded that he should bring lady
with him. The committee of arrangements
| waited upon him to inform him of this fact,
and it may we'll be believed that the cummu-
nicatiou filled him with horror He begged Of
the gentlemen toprovide him partner if be
must have one, stipulating only that the lady
should not be a young lady. In due course
of time he was informed that he was to attend
Mrs. Grubbins, the wideweo of the late DR.
Timothy Grubbins, the wealthiest as well as
the tallest and fattest woman in the whole
county.
The eventfuI evening arrived. Mr.. Single
ton took Mrs. Grubbins to the hotel in 6
chaise. The lady was magnifcently attireG
in double skirted tarIton, With ribbons
feathers and fearfulIy extended crinoline.
Poor Harry the thought of escorting that
giantess into room filed with people, made
him sweat like one under the influence of q
powerful dose Of ipecachpana. But he wal
in for it, and he must get out the best way ht
could. Mrs. Grubbins, proud and trium
Phant, preceded him, breaking the passage
and compelling the lesser people to yield the
ground Just as she arrived on the Threshold
of the baDqueting hall, she dropped her fan
and Just at that moment the audience per
ceiving Harry 10 the back ground, proposed
"three cheers for Hon. Mr.. SingletonI"
Harry stopped to reclaim the fan, and wher
the enthusiastic multitude looked for thei
champion be was nowhere visible. Cries rar
round the room loud and ,veheEent; ''Mr
SingIeton.I Mr.. Singleton where is Mr.. Sin
gleton 7" and directly Mr.. Singleton. looking
very hot and very much confused, appeared
from under the upperskirt of Mrs. Grubbin
dress-that lady having completely sub
merged the honorable gentleman in the fold
of her drapery. Gentlemen smiled in thei
sleeves, and ladies giggled behind their hand
, kerchiefs; Mrs. Grubbins looked more rega
than ever, and Mr.. Singleton leaned agains
the pillar for support. alree s=a
The announcement of dinner was a grea
relief. Judge Flanders presided; Mrs. Grub
bins occupied the seat at Singleton's right
, Miss Flambeaux sat at the left, and Luc
Deane, the village belle, was his visa Wis.
Harry's position was exceedingly embal
! RAISING to one of his peculiar temperament
He dared not refuse anything that was ofel
: ed him, lest some one sholld look at him, an
the consequence was, his plate literally groan
ed beneath its weight of eatjbles. Tomat
sauce-his especial horror--was passed around
r preserve plate full was allotted to him. b
? tried hard to swallow some, but it stuck fai
4 in bis throat; it choked and sickened him, an
. set him to coughing violently. rss
r. "You have taken severe cold presume
!. remarked Miss Flsmbeaux.
y "Yes, madam, thank you, have" returne
Singleton, trembling on the verge of anoth'
y sneeze.
If "Why don't you eat your tomatoes" querit
Mrs. Grubbins. any poor dead and goI
Daniel used to say there was nothing in Il
whole vegetable kingdom equal to tomatoes
,d "No doubt, madam, they are very fine
: and Singleton essayed second spoonful. II
Ia second dose had well nigh been too much &
a him, and with desperate resolve he watch
Of until the whole company were engaged in drin
ing toast, when he tilted the preserve di
n and let its contents run into the napkin, whit
% receptacle he whitfield into his pocket withO
q delay, and Immediately felt easier. A nome
N after Judge Flanders proposed sentiment:
\ "The Horable Harry Singleton. May
n always retain the title Of Honorable but may
y soon resign his right 10 be called single. It
az not good for man to be alone"
% The sentiment was drank with applauI
4 Singleton blushing red at the insinuation CO
Ia veyed by the words of the Judge, thrust
re- hand in his pocket for his handkerchief, VIII
,s. Instead out came napkin, tomato and all.