Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1869-02-19
Gelefteo nlisfellanp,.
. THE FOUR sIGHs.
BY JAMES HUTTON.

ALL four sighed at the same moment
not deep, long drawn sighs, but soft, airy
sighs of relief, mere bubbles upon the sur
face, and certainly not indicative of in
tense sorrow, though perchance not un-
= + mingled with pain.
tr W. -Four gentlemen, in the first bloom of
manhood, were lounging in easy attitudes,
slipping Clos Vougeot, and nibbling
"a sfdevilled biscuits, in front of blazing fire
For some ten minutes or so, not word
had bean spoken. 1t was no "aWfnl
.aHpause," but one of those pleasant, purring
silences, which spring spontaneously from
Z the fumes of well-ordered and harmo-
nious dinner-such a'dinner as does equal
honor to the heart of the host, and the
head of his chef de cuisine Chewing the
cud of sweet, or sweetly bitter fancies,
zat these worthy gentlemen slipped and
81 mused, and unused and slipped and
finally, as if by a preconcerted signal,
came out of their temporary fit of alb
al iistraction, and-sighed. No one opened
his lips, or ventured to break the silence,
until the host, after quite unnecessarily
poking the fire-and from the top-gave
short hystsrical laugh; and, assuming
an air of nonchalance, betrayed by his
trembling voice, stammered out, abruptly
81 am going to be married Who will
be my best man?" ,,-..-s-, "a
g Such question, al such a time, and in
such a place, could only be answered in
one way The three guests bravely vol
.gunteered, to man, for the dismal duty \;
but to their infinite surprise, failed to ex
tract, frem their evidently nervous host
any information as to the name, social po-
sition, or any other belongings, of the fu-
ture Mrs. Grenville Tremaine Jones' "Be
content, my friends said that excellent
gentleman to wait till next Friday fort
night, and then you shall Judge for your
selves This much only will tell YOU
slShe is young, she is beautiful, exceedingly,
she is lovely, she's divine"
.But why marry on Friday?" asked
one. ut isunlucky tomarry onthat day,
lyon know So az S4
GAS for luck-it is unlucky TO marry on
any day." was the fiippant reply of
another guest. IS Put it off till Saturday,
and then you'll have all Sunday to think
over what you've done, and so repent at
your leisure" q
saiassWelly said the third, 81 always
looked upon you, Jones, as a marrying
man: I wish you all Joy; but don't cut
your bachelor friends, old boy; for really
your cook is an artist, and your Burgundy
is irreproachable this side of the
Channel" Ia
81 have fixed upon Friday" their host
replied, rather drily--for he was piqued
by the 'levity of his friends" because ii
has pleased me to be married on the ami
versary of my dear mothers wedding day.
And now let US talk about something
else"@ ~ tGsAsa &
Upon this, bumpers were drained to the
health and happiness of the adventurous
pair, ara, by degrees, the conversation
;J,v, fol
to bachelors gathering. But it has not
yet been told how these -four bachelors
came to sigh all at the same moment,
though for only one of them was the fatal
day irrevocably fixed QA
Mr.. Grenville Tremaine Jones was the
occupant of q semi-detached villa, in that
portion of Asia Minor which is immedi-
ately contiguous to "The Grove" He
was of a tall, slight, and rather elegant
figure, with fair hair, blue eyes, narrow
forehead, and receding chin, and in the
twenty seventh year Of mis- age. Of a
timid, gentle, and kindly disposition, he
can hardly be said to have had any will or
character of his own. Neither had he any
particular pastimes or pursuits. Scru.
pulously correct in his outward man, he
was also free from vice, and as simple and
untutored as an English maiden, born and
brought up in q rural vicarage. His
father diod when ha was young and his
mother, a fond, foolish woman, idolized
her boy, and indulged his every whim and
fancy, provided it was ".genteelD to do
So. As a girl, she had been insipidly
pretty, with long flaxen ringlets, and had
attracted very marked attention from the
Junior officers of the regiments quartered
In her native town, to whom she handed
ices, bath. buns, and oyster-patties, acros:
her fathers counter, Two young subal
terms in particular, Cornet Ggenyille enc