The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1867-12-11
From the Public spirit.]
) The Man who Married a Man.

y have cultivated acquaintance, in the
courseof a life which has in it much t;nera-
cy, with many country hotels. What my It'll
nerating guise has been docs not matter, per-
haps ;but the curious reader is welcome to a
guess, if that Yankee faculty be among his
mental havings [ may have been peddler
OF tinware. may. have been a Methodist
circuit rider. Imay have been detective
policeman. Imay have been a lecturer on
the science Of phrenology, with illustrative
charts 1 may have been bill collector /
may have been a vagabond without any rim
tony hat. may have been gentleman of
wealth and leisure | may have been a wan
dering jew with a box Of cheap jewelry. [
may have been clown to travelling circus.
Guessing is beautiful exercise. T have
been none of these. g
/ One night in mid winter I entered the
house Of mine host Barrows, with my hair
frozen stiff about my ears, and moustache an
Eicicle in color and feel. It was bitter cold
out of doors, but there was bright fire burn
ing in a broad old fashioned fireplace, and
around it sat group Of sleepy looking men,
teasing their shins before the rudy blaze
The reader, for whose superior powers of
mind have profound respect, is also al
liberty to guess where Barrows' hotel is or
was but as it is Of no kind of Importance,
perhaps it may be as well not to dwell en- the
subject. It is an old stone building-not so
ancient, perhaps, as the Maypole Inn that
Barnaby Rudge was wont to visit, and not
destined to the fate Of that well kept but I'M
fortunate hostelry-and its bar boasts no
Of lo,popn R,,+ pa~ II
there on this night of mine, and his face
looked sour enough to have just swallowed a
lemon grove without sugar. It was good
natured face, too, in the ordinary, but to night
the lees Of Barrows old heart had been sub.
;ected to stirring. 4ss ,se
l made my way up to the cheerful blaze,
and shook myself like a water-dog, to the
manifest discontinue of the group Of sleepy
coasters. who shivered and Rugged themselves
| at sight Of me, fresh from the cold and drea-
Try night 5es 4i35
a'Coolish out, Mr.. Webb" said Barrows,
coming forward to take my overcoat and wrap
pers. "Ain't had such singer afore this
year-plays the dickens with my party"
"A party to night, Barrows?" said T.
Yes, was to have been, but the dancers
didn't come. Sleighin S thin, we know, and
wouldn't come in Wagons on sech night
I'm out q pocket pretty figure by it,
| And the lemon grove stood confessed.
Fl, Nobody come, eh p said I, as | parted
my coat-tails and turned my back to the fire.
cab, yes" said Barrows, contemptuously,
pointing to-. the shin coasters, land every
man of EN- without woman. And what's
a ball without women p e
| "Ah, sure enough" said philosophically
"what's anything without women? Women
are our solaee in misfortune, our joy in pros
perity-in short, the charm of this unhappy
vale Of tears, Barrows, and no dancing party
can be said to be complete without them
except among the Indians. If l ever marry,
shall marty a woman"
CLAW, haw, haw p roared the Lancashire
hostler, who sat in the corner, and who thus
testified the delight of an appreciative mind
at my brilliant wit. "Woy, you'd hare to
marry wummun if you married at all'
i knew man oEce," said queer looking