Litchfield enquirer., 1864-10-13
THE CONTRARY MAN.
HOW NICELY HE WAS TAKEN IN BY
 PATTY.

PATTY.
 It was a natter of principle, with Mir Coidstream to be always on the contrary side. In this respect he differed from the amiable old woman immortalized by Dickens; for, whereas everybody went contrary with her, he went contrary with everything.
 Had he been born in England, and had ft- ness been all ehat was necessary, he would, doubtless. have figured largely before parlia. ment as one of the opposition ;" but, being born iD Republican America, he was obliged to confine the exercise of his peculiar talent to a more limited sphere.
 To find out what his opinion was upon any subject, you had only to express your own, for he was Sure to be on the opposite side. He was politicallya Repubican-that is, he always voted that ticket |; but if we may credit his repeated declarations, he was opposed to every principle they advocated. He quarreed per. sistently with all they did. and all they failed to dc.
 He had been a a,ember of ohe or the ortho- dox churches for numbet of years; but why he ever joined it was puzz'e to most of the brethren. For according to his own lnnpuape he subscribed to none of the articles of faith; very strenaously y opposing them waeuwvee t,.ey were mentioned with the slightest approval. lie carried his amiable spirit into all the re. 1 lations of life. He married his wife simply because his friends opposed the match and dis. played wonderful ingenuity in finding out her l opinions and preferences, in order that he might contradict and thwart them, until after the first few months, she moved about the house to whose well ordering she devoted all her energies, with a timid deprsciatinr air, as though she really begged pardon for being there at all.
 r She rarely ventured to express an opinion of her own; but when she did, she cut short by the original observation, What do women know about such natiers?" or. my wardrobe is in shocking condition, Mrs. c. not de- cent collar, or above dszen shirts that can wear. Not very remarkable circumstance, however, when you will occupy yourself with matters entirely beyond yoar province and comprehension" ]" :. @,'.
 In tho carly part of her married Efs, she had inadvertently sxprsssed the belief that in purchasiug articles befongi,.g exclusively to .yE s4atf her own attires she could llay out the money to better adsaH.age Ahsn itel This mas' enough. Ever iafterward, dtf 5 tserioas iac0iivenience aud loss Of time he upon purchasing everything for her. from shawl down to skein of cotton, He was, as he frequently asserted, Ia martyr to her Incompetence" !" spending whole days in penetrating into the mystery of dry goods and aaillinery. and bringing home such bargains in the shape of dingy silks and ribbons. and prints and delaines of such pattern, that his wife trem- ssed whenever she saw him coming home wish bundle under his arm, for ho would rarely trust commodities to the care of another. | Mrs. Coldstream bore this very patiently, until one day be sent home bonnet of light blue and profdsely ornamented with flowers oi the same delicate hue. She was dark bru. nette, and taking it from the bandbox. she held it at arms length, and surveyed it with an air of consternation.
 How could you select such color, as this my dearf" she said to her husband, who stood by regarding it with evident complacency. T can never wear it in the world; look like 6 fright in blue." -
 Nothing more was needed. Y From that time henceforth blue was the color with MT Coldstream. In all its shades from the dark. estindigo to the lightest azure, it was the prin. cipal color of his wife's wardrobe; meet;na her every renonstrance with the assertion.
 "A beautiful color, Mrs. O., and becoming to your complexion"
 Mr. Coldstream had two children, . son ant a daughter. who were brought up on the agree able principle of giving them everything the, didn't want, and continually crossing thei inclinasions. The natural of this wal that tn, son left home at the first opportunity, and th, slaughter detsrmined to do so, as soon as sh could obtain that that indispensable article t ! enable her to do 50 with propriey, . husband Az she WIS pretty and sensible, and hid nor