Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1867-07-26

ing in whist, she sat down to 1t solely LOT
amusement, chattering like magple about
the chances of the game, Dragging hllar-
ously of her honors, giggling when she
trumped hostile suit, and picking up an
unexpected trick with little scream OF
triumph. Always playing with MIR. Pul-
let she showed proper esprit dM corps
and cheered her partner to 90 his pest.
Very lively and pleasant were those WHIST
parties, although the luck was PROVOKING
ly partial to Mrs. Steinway. The captain
took his defeats with the patience OF SOL
dier, and Mrs. Pullet was only too delght-
ed to be beaten by Swammerdam.
As for Mr.. Fullet he was more nappy
than he had any right to be, even taxing
into account the fact that he was generally
on tie winning side. He felt an ENJOY
ment which tended toward intatuaton ID
watching his partners varying color, her
gayly eager expression, her laughing Dlue
ewes, and her quick, white fingers. Inc
poor man began to misunderstood the i've
" lady who glanced at him so often and so
inteUieently. She had certain Tree, dash
ing Ways of expressing her excitement
which increased his disposition to judge
her wrongfully. For instance, when she
laid an unlocked for trump on long suit
of hearts with which her husband was
sweeping the game, she did it with this
quotation from one of Montgomery's tu-
nereal hymns: I'
ssThere is no union here of hearts
Which hath not here an end
Mrs: Pullet looked little frightened at
such an application of psalmody; but Pull
let, erroneous man ! roared with laughter,
and chuckled to himself " Shes fast
one" ~
After pleasant fortnight OF Macaulay,
Hugh Miller, field Notifications, and whist,
WAYS moved over to Mrs. Ottoman ,much
to the regret of the Pullets. The Stein
WAYS, must explicitly state, felt little or
no regret, notwithstanding that they had
been SO companionable while in the house
of the grocer. Much knocking about the
world had made them particularly the
lady) very ready in picking up acqualn-
lance. and equally ready in dropping them.
Mrs Steinway had been in twenty families
like the Puliets had been charming to
them all, because it was her nature to be
charming and on leaving had forgotten
them because she could not remember SO
many people. - as
much less any intention, that she should
be forgotten. She was not only infatuated
with the Steinways, but she believed that
that the Steinways were permanently de-
lighted with the Pullets. Moreover, she
felt that now was her chance to sail into
the harbor of aristocraCy that here was
the pilot who was both able and willing to
guide her bark and that the voyage must
be made at once. So, getting out her Crap
ping irons of perseverance, and manage
ment, she chung fast to Mrs Steinway, nee
Swammerdam. Fearful, however, that her
single ability was not adequate to the pro-
posed task, and having due. confidence. of
late in the cleverness of her husband, she
engaged him with constant urgency not to
lose sight Of their quondam dodgers.
"Now, Joseph, do be attentive" was her
evening song. You haven't been to see
Mrs. Steinway to-day. And you know she
liked you so much You really ought to
follow it UP. They are decidedly the most
genteel people we ever knew and so friend
~! and you ought to be ashamed of your
self for neglecting them So" '
This to man who had thought that day
six times OF Mrs. Steinway to once of his
wife, and f1om whose bosom honest peace
had already taken its departure ? Did Mrs.
Z. guess The danger into which she was
spiriting her Joseph? Probably not; but
at the same time it is to be feared that she
would not have relented if she had guessed
it the flower on that possible nettle was
altogether too tempting. sr
Joseph saw Mrs. Steinway oftener than
his now guilty conscience allowed him to
reveal to Mrs. Pullet. Hardly day pass
ed that he did not cOntrive to obtain for
himself the luxury of few words with
her. Having learned by some surprising
effort of intellect chow many men never
learn it y that ladies like flowers, he sent
her bouquet when he did not dare to call
or to join her in the street. He got him.
self new mourning suit for shop use, so
that he might always be in decent condi-
ton to bow to her if she passed his door,
He became particular about the arrange
ment of his hair; surveyed himself often
and anXiously in mirrors; rejuvenated his
appearance with turn down collars. 1t af
forded him an irrational comfort to reflect
that he was no older than Byron, Burns
and Gustavus AdolphuS when they died.
He cogitated much on what Mrs. Steinway
had said on this, that, and the other occa-
sion, and laboriously discovered double-en-
tend'es where the lady had been as inno-
cent OF any second meaning as the summer
breeze. He became afraid of Captain
Steinway he was ashamed to look him in
the eye; he wished he would leave town.
He got nervous also with regard to his
wife, and seldom faced her when he spoke
of Mrs. Steinway.
Michelet asserts that the best of women
occasionally have moral vertigos. hope
and try to believe that this is not SO but
will not entirely deny the charge as to
my own sex. 1t is, fear, a notifying and
deplorable fact that the purest OF us men
have periods, of longer or shorter duration,
measurable by days, by months, or perhaps
by years, during which we are morally not
quite sane. Either the devil beseiges us,
as clergymen would have us believe !; or
the health of the soul is intrinsically as va
riable as that of the body / will not try
to explain the fact; but | do positively and
loudly, though humbly affirm it; hold it
up as a warning to both men and women.
Our lately respectable but now pitiable
friend Joseph Puliet was SO far lunatic at
this period of his life as to feel happy
when he learned that the mastering officer
had been ordered to the front as Colonel of
a volunteer regiment, and that he would
leave his wife at Mrs. zOttoman's. Mrs.
Pullet, with a simplicity for which we can
pardon her as being gift of Heaven, was
equally deli hted. CHOW, Joseph" she
whispered, at the hour when nightingales
sing, "you must be attentive. Mrs. Stein
way will be so dependent on us for com
pany, and you know she thinks so much
of you She is going to have her little boy
with her. and he is going to school here
But that won't matter. He is no company.
You must be polite to her, and you will,
acon't you Joseph?"
"CertainlY, pussy, if you wish it,. res.