Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1867-12-07
TALES AND SKETCHES.
From the Baltimore Sun.
Mls. JONAS LIVELY.
How an Old Bachelor Goes to bed.
by AEsoPUs ROOD.

out of town. | say liges, and adhere to
the term, provided it be considered not in
applicable to a man who boards instead of
Keeping his own house For Mr.. Lively
doesn't own the house, but boards with Mrs
Hodge, widow lady, who does Cwn it,
This house has a little storeroom in front,
two little rooms in the rear, each half the
size of the first, one being Mrs. Hodges own
chamber, and the other serving the purposes
of dining.room and sitting room. Mrs.
Hodge has no parIor, and she says that as
for herself she has no use for one. flight
of narrow spiral stairs ascend from the din
ing room to the second and only other floor,
on which, with a narrow passage between
them, are two chambers, in one of which
Mr.. Jonas Lively has slept for the last ten
years of his life.
Mr.. Lively is interested in a small, inno-
cent business not far from one OF tne
wharvcs. The consequence is that he has
to ride to and from his boarding and busi.
ness houses 1t is inconvenient and expen-
sivc, and Mr. Lively feels it; but boarding
house is not always to he had just where
you want it. So. Mr.. Lively keeps to Mrs.
Hodge. He knows her, and she knows him.
I have frequently had occasion to remark
that bachelors generally find board with
widows.
Every morning, after an early breakfast
Mr. Lively may be seen at ore particular
spot taking the Baltimore street car. Not
only the conductor, but the very horses,
know exactly where to stop Tor him.
smart walk brings him there every morning
at the same minute. He is so punctual to
the place and the time that the conduc
tor don't trouble to ring his bell
Whether he or the horses are watching Tor
him or not, they always know he is there.
should say that Mr. Jonas Lively was
about tifty.onc. He might possibly be fifty
three. | have no idea that he can be over
| lifty,fve He is about five feet four, of rec
| compleXion auburn hair, and black eye
brows He has no heard, at least none that
is ever visible. His eyes ure Il mild green,
with some tinge of red in the whites. His
nose is ROman-Or wouFd be II 1t were II
ittlc longer; but Just as it begins to hook
and to bc Roman, it stops suddenly. as 1t,
! for itself, it did not intend to ape foreign
manners He has wide chin and re
markablc round stomach. He wears an un-
commonly thick stout felt hat. long .rock
coat, and either gray or black pants. He
always carries hickory walking cane with
q crooked handle. An artist might say that
there was some disproportinn between his
body and his legs, in the too great prepon-
! dcrence of the former. both in size and, III
! length but being no artist, decline To
criticize.
When Mr.. Lively makes his appearance
ut the Baltimore street car carly OF morn
! ing, on his way to business, hc has the ap
J pcarauce OF IA man who, whatever his break
! fast may have been, has enjoyed good
night of rest Three dollars week tor board
aud lodging wouldn't warrant very eX
pensive table. BGL then he only breakfast:
with Mrs. Hodge. He never dimes, and ex
cept upon Sunday evenings, never sup'
there. And as for .he chamber expenses
they are not worth mentioning, either OF
account of Mrs. Hodge or Mr. Lively.
repeat that Mr.. Lively always looks II
the morning AS if he had a good night
res. 1t so happens that l can tell how h'
goes about taking it. My friend Mack
of the city police, sometimes entertuins m
with hat he has seen in his official life HI
was for some time on duty on that 5ea
which Mrs. Hodges residence is included
1t come in the way of his duties last sprin!
to keep his eye on Mr.. Lively for day o
two, aud even. for night or two, withou
being observed by that gentleman. On on
morning not long since l happened to b
standing in company with Mack when MI
Lively took the car He locked so fresh
and rosy, and rested, that I asked Mack
he knew who he was.
"Ob, yes" answered Mack. That's MI
Jonas Lively, the bachelor lie air aIway
fresh Ct morning, sir, jist as you see hin
| shouldn't think he would be, but he AIR.
| After giving me an account OF some G
Mr.. Lively's antecedents, he proceeded I
narrate how, in pursuance of his orders
observe him closely, he had occasion to NJ
tice the manner in which, when the day
Z work was done, he went about taking II
rest.
You see, sir. l see him from the minut
he come in till the candle went out. wa
ordered to watch him, and l watched hin
lie don't know yet that | done it, and
can't tell you how done it bu: | done
| told the sargent that it was trouble f,
, nothin, and that there wasn't no harm
| him. Still, / had him to watch, and dor
it for two blessed nights. Both them nigh
\ was exactly the same, which make me kno
that lie always does exactly the same thini
: least ways, in cool weather. And the
YOU know, old bachelor, old like hit
). don't change uothn. He can't change n
s thin, except to grow worse and more sot
his ways.
"Well, sir, he come in about eight o'cloc
both nights. Miss Hodge, she have ma
of the name of Susan. Susan are We
If poor relation of her husband, and cons
. quently she have all sorts of work to {
y and are always punctual. 1t air her du
= soon as Mr.. Lively comes in o. nights, VIII
nights is cool, to make the smallest kind
a little fire in the smallest kind of lit
=, stove in Mr.. Lively's room. Till that git
| going he sets with Miss Hodge by her stu
and chats about business, and news, and @
thing and another. He air quite polite
Miss Hodge, only he do not pull OIL his h
That's what he do not even at the tat
IT,, It's my opinion that no man, nor no WON
nor no other individual of any sort in
ly town have saw that hat off in many ye
es exceptin myself"
'n- Here Mack looked as If he had accid
tally come into possession of most curi
80 and interesting item of information.
"Well, sir, exactly when the clock str
md nine, Mr.. Lively rise, bid Miss Hodge go
ca, night, take his piece o. candle about hal
Oh inch long, and up he 60 to his room.
soon as he air in, he immegately lock
door, take his pipe and tobacco out Q
drawer of little pine table, and take
big, TREMENDOUS smoke. Sir, this air
'ck only smokin Mr.. Lively do in the twei
'~' four hours. But when he smoke he sm'
ka 40 hlnu WHY sir