The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-11-29
The Man who Married q Man.
From the Public Spirit

racy, with many country notes. Nha'
nv itinerating guisc has been does not
matter, perhaps; but the curious reader
is welcome to guess, if that Yankee ia
cultv be among his mental havings. J. may
have been pcdlcr of tinwarc. l may
have been a Methodist circuit rider. /
nav have been detective policeman.
NAV have been lecturer on the science
of chronology, with illustrative charts. |
NAV have been a bill collector. l may
have been a yagabond without any rim 10
nv hat. | may have been gentleman OF
wealth and leisure. / may have been !
wandering Jew with box of cheap Jewel
nv. ] NAV have been a clown to travel
ling circus. Guessing is beautiful eXer-
else. ] have been none Of these.
One night in mid-winter | entered the
bousc of mine host Barrows, with my hair
frozen stiff about my cars, and moustachc
an iciclc in color and feel. 1t was bitter
cold out of doors, but there was bright
fire burning in broad old-fashoncd fire
nlacc and around it sat group Of sleepy
looking men, toastng their snins before
the ruddy blaze.
The reader, for whose superior powers
Of mind / have profound respect, is also
At liberty to guess where Barrows' hotel IS
or was. but as it is Of no kind Of import
once, perhaps it may be as well not to
dwell on the subject. 1t is an old stone
bnildinr-not so ancient, perhaps, as the
Mavnole Inn that Barnaby Nudge was
wont to visit, and not destined to the ia TIC
or that well-kept but unfortunate hos
telrv-and it's bar boasts no grove OF
lomo,. Rut Barrows himself was there
on this night of mine, and his race looked
sour enough TO have just swallowed a
lemon grove without sugar. IL was GOOD
naturcd face, too, in the ordinary, but to-,
night the lees of Burrows old heart had
been subjected to stirring.
made my way up to the chcellu'
blaze, and shook myself like Il "aAer-"os'
to the manifest discontinue OF the group
of sleepy coasters, who shircred ana hus9sea
themselves at sight Of me, fresh from inc
cold and dreary night.
"Cooish out, Mr.. Webb" sad bar.
rows, coming forward to take my overcoa'
and wrappers. "Ain't had such stihSer
alorc this year-playS the dickens WIN n'S
party" n. >, so;d
uYcs was TO have been, but the dancers
didn,t come. Slcigbin IS thin, We Know
and wouldn't come in Wagons on seen
nirht, Pm out O. pocket pretty l'Soi'
by it," o.ood confessed.
g Wa Ma como ell ?" said !, as parbeu
49, not1 ta;,s and turned my back TO Vlic
me Ooh YES" said Barrows, conlcm ., ~ d
ors,T nointing to the shin-t'asleiS' t ,'r,d
80 80 ,,,.n of 'em without wrmah' -A'iu
,yhot,s ball without women I! ,:
VIZ !" Al sure enough ?" said phllCscph'-,
oou, & what's anything without wonlal' :
Wnmen are our solacc in misfortune, ou.
;nv in prosperity-in short, the charm OF
nc nnhappv vale Of tears, BarrowS, and
M dancing party can be said to be com
nlete without them except among the
Indians. If ever marry, shall marry a
woman"
uHaw. haw, haw r" roared the Lanca-
shire hostler. who sat in the corner, and
who thus testified tho delight OF an appre-
ciative mind at my brilliant wit. Woy,
you'd haze to marry wummun II you
married at ALL"
81 knew a man once" said queer
looking customer who sat smoking very
long pipe, solcmnly, "who married
man."
The coasters stared.
.sTell us about that" said the Lanca-
shire man. "Wc'm been tcllin' stories
afoee YOU como in, and it was my turn
next. But yo'n tell better nor |, make
no doubt"
"I'll tell you the story in three words"
said the man of the pipe. "But first |
mean to hear your story, Denny so go
ahead. And let it be about woman
The Lancashireman was coy, but being
urged, finally proceeded:
@You see, this story that Fvc got in my
head is as true as the Book, sir. IL 'appeh-
cd in our town when / was a young man
q, twenty. and it were the talk o the town
for weeks about. | knowed the docther
myself"
uThe docther coorted widow in our
town her name were Robinson, and she
were 4 iolly wench, II say 1t TO you. She
were the last wummum Tor such as inc
docther, and ] told him them very words
myself what time | was SICK with iayver,
and he docthered me. But he minded not
me. of course not he. lie were up 10 Ills
ears in love with her.
WShc's a gradely wencl;:, docther,' L
told him; sbut look o the string O. lovers
she's had since Robinson died! twenty
if there's one, an you know it,
WPoh,' said the docther, 'Ill take
care O. her lovers for her. How'd yer
tongue, Donny.'
NNobbut ye'll wish ye'd minded my
words, docther, some day saySI.
"Thc day they went to church half the
town was there to see the weddin'. | was
there myself. The widow was lookin
gradelv fine in her bran new gown what
the docther bought WI his own money, and
the docther he looked like a boy WI a new
shilln'. When they'd gettin' to the word
when the ovid parson axis if any man know
cd aught agin' the marryin, up steps Johnny
Leech, young chap from Manchester, an,
forbids the bans, an says th' widow had
promised to tackle with him.
4 "Any one could see that the docther
was awfully po,tert about it, and mad
} enough to bite pike in two, nobbut he
just spake to the young man Silly Ike, and
said:
Z" What's that dost say, young man 2
Is" say said Johnny Lcech, as bold as
d lion, that she's promised to me, an
} wull have her.
"At that the docther begun to fix his
mouth for swearin', nobbut he thought
, better of it, in church so, and just said