The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1866-05-04

a
feet Gorg0n; but have no basis OF fact on when
| can support that horrible idea. a moving mass
Of Grape AMI mufled yoice-hat, IL you drive me
to it, is all know, in a personal point of view
OF Mrs. Badgery.
"Eyer since my irreparable loss, this has been
the shrine Of my pilgrimage, anu the altar OF my
worship" proceeded the voice. Zone man may
call himself landlord, and say that he will lie,
II; another may call himself tenant and say tha'
he will take 1t. don't blame either OF these two
men; I don't wish to intrude on either OF those
two men; only tell them that this Is my home;
that my heart L. still in possession, and that nc
mortal laws, landlords or tenants can ever turn
out. II you don't understand this. sir; II the
holest feelings that do honor to our common ma
ture have no particular sanctity In your estina'
tion, pray do not scrupe to say 50; pray tell INC
to CO."
81 don't wish to do anything uncvil, ma'am,
said I. "But am o single man, AMI am mol
sentimental" (Mrs. Balgery groaned.) NO,
body told me was coming into Shrine when
took this house; nobody warned me. when first
went over 1t, that there was Heart In possession;
| regret TO have disturbed your meditations, AMI
am sorry to hear that Mr.. Badgery Is dead
That Is NIL have to say about It; and now. with
your kind permission, will do myself the honor
of wishing you good morning, and VIII 90 up
floor" 49,.
Could have given gentler hint than this
Could have spoken more compassonately 10
woman whom | sincerely believe TO be old and
ugly? Where is the man ~ be found who can lay
his hand on his heart, and honestly say that he
ever really pitied the sorrows of Gorgon! Search
through the whole surface Of the globe, anu you
will discover human phenomena of all sorts; bu'
you will not find that man
To resume. made her bow, and LETT her on
the camp. stool, In the middle Of the drawlng.roou
floor, exactly as found her. | assembled to the
n 4 ..... sl, haal, frat
inspected the crate. II appeared to be little out
Of repair, SO stopped down to Look Mt 1t closer.
While was kneeling over the bars. was violent
ly startled by the fall Of one large drop OF warm
Water, from a great height, exactly in the middle
of bald place, which has been widening great
deal Of late years, on the top OF my hSau.
turned on my knees, and looked round. Heaven
and earth the Grape covered woman had followed
me up stairs-thc source from which the drop 0t
warm water had fallen was Mrs. Badgerys eye
al wish YOU could contrivp not to cry over the
top of my head, ma'am," remarked. MY pa
thence was becoming exhausted, and spoke WIN
considerable asperity. The curly headed youth oi
the present age mas not be able 10 sympaihi1s, ,
with my feelings ON this occasion but my bald
brethren know, rs well as do, that the most un-
pardonable of all liberties is liberty taken with
the unguarded top of the human head .
Mrs. BadCery did not seem to hear me. When
she had dropped the tear, she was standing exact
ly over me. looking down at Ae CRATE and she
never stirred an inch after haH spoken. "DOnt
cry over my head, ma'am, repeated, more IT
ritably than before.
"This was his dressing. .room," said Mrs. Badg-
cry. indulging In mutiied soliloquy. "He was
sipCularly particular about his shaving water:
He always liked to have II in little tin pot, and
he invariably desired that 1t might be placed on
this hob" She groaned again, and tapped one
side of the crate with the leg OF her camp STOOL.
IL | had been q woman, or II Mrs. Badgcry had
been man, should now have proceeded To- ex-
trcmities, and should have yindicated my right to
my own house by an appeal to physical fnrce.
Under existing circumstances, all that could do
was to express my Indignation by glance.
The glance produced not the slightest result
and no wonder Who can look at q woman, with
any effect through q Grape velf
| Iretreated into the second floor front room, and
instantly shut the door after me. The next mo
mcnt heard the rustling OF the Grape garments
outside, AMI the mufled voice of Mrs. Badgery
poured lamcntably through the key-hole. -,
"Do you mean to make that your bcd.roomF'
asked the voice on the other side OF the door.
"Oh don't, don't make that your bedroom! !
mn going away directly but, oh, pray, pray let
that one room be sacred Don't sleep there! II
You can possibly help it, don't sleep there =
opened The window, and looked up and down
the road If had seena policeman WITHIN ha,l
should certainly have called him in. No such per.
SON was visible. : | shut the window again, anu
warned Mrs. radgery, through the door, in my
sterucst tones, not to Interfere with my domestic
arrangements. 81 mean to have my own iron
belslead put up here" said. "And, what is
more, mean To sleep here And what Is more.
| mean to snore here !" Severe, think, that last
sentence @ Il completely crushed Mrs. Badgery
for the moment Iheard the Grape garments rus;
Ting away from the door; heard the muiiied
groans going slowly and soemnly down the Stairs
again, =,
In due course of time also descended to the
ground floor. Had Mrs. Badgery really left the
premises! I looked into the front parlor- empty.
Back parlor- empty. Any other room On the
ground floor? Yes, long room ut the end OF
the passage The door was closed. opened II
cautiously, and peeped in. A faint scream, and q
smack of two distractedly clasped hands saluted
my appearance There she was, again on the
camp stool, again sitting exactly in the middle oi
the floor.
"Dont, don't look in that way" cried Mrs.
Badgcry, wringing her hands. ~ could bear It
in any other room, but can't bear 1t in this.
Every Monday morning looked out the things
for the wash in this room. He was difficult to
please about his linen the wnsherwoman never
nut starch enough into his collars to satisfy him.
oh, how often aud often he has popped his head
in here, rs you popped yours just now, and said,
in his amusing way, More starch Oh, how
droll he always was--how very, very droll, IN thls
dear little back room !"
| said nothing The situation had now got be:
yond words. [ stood with the door in my hand,
looking down the passage toward the garden, and
waiting doggcdly for Mrs. Badgery to 20 out
My plan succeeded. She rose. sighed, shnt up
tho camp STOOL stalked along the passage, paused
on the hall mat, said to herself. Sweet, sweet
spot !" descended the steps. .grosned along the
Eravcl-walk, and disappeared from my view at
last through the garden door.
"Lct her in again at your peril" said to the
woman who kept the house. She curtseyed anu
tremblcl. left the premises, satisfied with my
own conduct under very trying circumstances
dclusiycly convinced also that had done win
Mrs. Badgery.
The next day sent in the furniture. The most
UNPROTECTED object on the face of this eartn Is q
house when the furniture is going III. Ihe doors
must be kept open; and employ rs many servants
as you may, nobody can be depended ON MS do
nestle sentry so long rs the van Is at the gate.
The confusion of "moving in demoral,zcs ihe
stcadest disposition, and there Is no such thing
as "a properly guarded post from the top VI the
house to the bottom. How the invasion was man.
aged, how the surprise was elected, know not
but It is certainly the fact, that when my inrnl'
turc went in, the inevitable Mrs. Badgcry went III
along with ii.
Ihayc some very choice engrayiDgs, sNcr the
old masters and was first awakened To consci-
business of Mrs. Badgcry' sprcsence in the house
while was hanging up my proof impression VI
Titan's Venus over the front Parlor fireplace.
"Not there - cried the muillcd voice. implorng-
ly. Ellis portrait used to hang there y Oh, what
aprint-whst o dreadful, dreadful print to DC
put where his dear portrait used to be
turned round in fury. There she was. still
muilcd up in Grape, still carrying her abomina-
bic camp stool. Before could say q word In re-
monstrance, six men in green baiEe aprons stag
gcreJ in with my silcboard, and Mrs. Badgcry
suddenly disappeared. Had they tramplcd her
under foot, or crushed her in the doorway !!
Though not an inhuman man by nature, | asked
myself those questions composedly. No very
long time elapsed before they practically answer
ed in the negative ty the reappearance of Mrs.
Badsery herself, in perfectly unruilled c9nd'I