The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1865-08-10
ynterssting STORY.
HOW LOST A WIFE;
An Episode in the Life Of Bachelor.

am ..down" on dogs, 1 have the
greatest possible antipathy to dogs of all
breeds. Your .noble Newfoundland
/ as they are-inappropriately, l think
termed by their admirers; your faithful
4 St Bernard; your wiry haired. active
rat destroying, Scotch terrier your long
/ legged consumptive looking greyhound +;
I your pug tailed pug nosed and very pug
nacious bulldog; your sickly looking
and snarling poodle-all individually and
collectively, / abhor. In short, and
most emphatically, too, 1 detest the
whole canine race. 1t is an old antipa-
thy, and as deeply rooted as an elm of
a centurys growth
| 1t was in mid summer that l paid my
last visit to the rural residence of Mary.
The weather was excessively hot, and
of course an opportunity to enjoy the re
freshing atmosphere of the country
the fragrance of clover fields, the per-
fume of sweet scented flowers, and other
rural luxuries, and above all the society
of one so dear to me as Mary-an OPP
portunity to enjoy all other luxuries /
say l eagerly embraced. Myself and my
friend Charley secured week furlough
from our employer, and with happy
hearts and anticipations of pleasant
time, we left the city. That afternoon
we arrived at our destination, Charley's
parents, sisters, and the rest, and Mary,
particularly, fiattered myself, were all
delighted to see us. All, 1 can never
forget how lovely the sweet creature
looked on that afternoon.
"The very air seemed lighter from her eyes,
They soft and beautiful, and rite
With all we imagine from the skies"
To add to the pleasantness of our visit
also three or four young female cousins
had been invited to spend few days at
the farm. They were all beautiful girls
too, but so enamored was l Of Mary that
paid but little attention to their many
charms Charley romped and firted with
them, while ! confined myself exclusive
lv to the society of his charming sister.
How we picked berries, hunted bird 5
nests and foar leaf clovers together; what
deli ghtful tetc- a-tetes INDUCED in,
beneath the shade of fruit trees; our
moonlight rambleS through the garden
of all these and many other luxuries, !
shall not speak of further their rcmem |
brance only serve to make me feel gloomy |
and increase my antipathv to dogs,
But to the catastrophe | have 50 fire. |
1nently alluded to. At short distance
from the dwelling, just at the turn of n
clear, cool water. 1t was a charming
stream to battle in, and Charley and l,
early in the morning, before the folks
were up, used frequently to indulge in
the aquatic luxury One morning, how
ever, Charley felt like sleeping little
longer than usual and l was obliged to
take my bath without his company. 1,
arose very early, just as the day was
breaking. 1t was charming morning
the air was cool and refreshing. The |
rose bushes were drying their dewy tears,
as if in gladness at the approach of day ; |
birds were carrolling their morning lay, |
and--I was thinking / was thinking |
of dream l had the night previous. l
dreamed that l was in Paradise-saw /
angels in profusion and most conspicuous |
among them all was-Mary. The rest |
of the dream l will leave to the imagina-
ton of the reader. l wended my way |
slowly to the stream, thinking of my |
dream and various other things. Divest-
ing myself of my clothes in plunged
bathed. swan, splashed and fourdered /
about, for half an hour. until day had |
fairly set in. The people at the farm
were up and about, and then l thought
it about time to dress. l went to the /
spot where l had deposited my clothing,
as l had left them. and as had reason to
expect, nothing but my Lat, boots and
coat remained. Heavens, Here was a
dilemma. looked all around, faithfully
and diligently. but the missing articles
could not be found where could they
have gone to-" Iasked myself Sure
ly. there can't be any thieves about SO
early in the morning. Ha, har' l
chuckled aloud, consoling myself with
the thought that Charley was playing off
. practical joke. At that instant cast
my eyes up the road in the direction of
the house. Horrors Right in the mid
die of the road, and but a short distance
from the house, discovered huge New
dog--a gigantic shaggy brute
the pet of Mary and the rest of the
with what l recognized
As my new blacR cashmere pants. and
other portions of my apparel The dog
had followed me to the stream unohserv-
ed, and the result was as have mention
Ell Oh. how the thieving brute was en-
ioying imSelf-tossing high into the air
my pants. shaking NV shirt. and appa-
rently making merry over the perplex-
ing predicament his mischievousness had
placed me in. What misery | was in
feared to 90 into the road To recover
my clothes lest my rather inmodest ap-
pearance might shock some of the fe-
male folks. who could not fail to see me,
# | did so. from the windows OF the
house.
Here, Ponto. Pontot' l called out
but Ponto didn't come
l whistled, coaxed. and made all sorts
Of gestures usually made in such cases.
but Ponto was needless of them all As
Il IN unbounded eestacies at my very lu
ilcrous predicament, and apparently ex
llting over the trick be had served me,
ie went to work with increased liveliness
tossing my clothes high in the air. TAX
ng my fine cassimeres in his huge Jaws,
lie would run toward me, as if in obedi-
ance TO my call. but before he got half
way 10 where l stood. he would halt
snuff the earth. bark and start
back again like lightning carrying my
PANTS IN his jaws, tossing them high in