Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1869-02-19
5eIrttc0 AlistclIanp.
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.
Four gentlemen in the first bloom of
manhood, were lounging in easy attitudes,
slipping Clos Vougeot, and nibbling
devilled biscuits, in front of blazing fire.
For some ten minutes or So not word
had been spoken. It was no lawful
pause" but one Of those pleasant, purring
silences, which spring spontaneously from
the fumes of a well-ordered and harmo-
nious dinner-such 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,
these worthy gentlemen slipped and
unused, and mused and slipped; and
finally, as if by preconcerted signal,
came out of their temporary fit of alb
straction, and-sighed. No one opened
his lips, or ventured to break the silence,
until the host, after quite unnecessarily
poking the tire-and from the top-gave
a short hysterical laugh; and, assuming
an air of nonchalance, betrayed by his
trembling voice, stammered out, abruptly:
l am going to be married Who will
be my best MANI"
Such question, at such time, and in
such place, could only be answered in
one way. The three guests bravely vol
unteered, to man, for the dismal duty /;
but to their infinite surprise, failed to ex-
tract from their evidently nervous host
any information as to the name, social DO
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
She is young she is beautiful, exceedingly,
she is lovely, she's divine"
"But why marry on a Friday?" asked
one. I" 1t is unlucky to marry on that day,
you know"
Gas for luck-it is unlucky to marry on
any day." was the flippant reply of
another guest. "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"
"Well," said the third, "I always
looked upon you, Jones, as a marrying
man: 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-for this side of the
Channel"
az have fixed upon Friday" their host
replied, rather drily-for he was piqued
by the levity of his friends" because it
has pleased me to be married on the ami
versary of my dear mothers wedding day.
And now let us talk about something
else"
Upon this, bumpers were drained to the
health and happiness of the adventurous
pair, and, by degrees, the conversation
passed through the usual phases incidental
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.
Mr. Grenville Tremaine Jones was the
occupant of semi-detached villa, in that
portion of Asia Minor which is immedi-
ately contiguous to "The Grove" He
was of tall, slight, and rather elegant
figure, with fair hair, blue eyes, a narrow
forehead, and receding chin, and in the
twenty-seventh year of his 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 rural vicarage. His
father diod when he was young and his
mother, fond, foolish woman, idolizei
her boy, and INDUCED his every whim and
fancy, provided it WAS "genteel" to do
so. AS girl, she had been insipidly
pretty, with long fiaxen ringlets, and had
attracted very marked attention from the
tnn off Of
in her native town, to whom she handed
ices, bath. buns, and oyster-patties, across
her fathers counter. Two young subal-
terms in particular, Cornet GrenVille and
Lieutenant Tremaine, had been pointedly
assiduous, and in after&i she used to
allude mysteriously to certain proposals
that had all but been made to her by those
distinguished heroes. Failing the military,
Miss Jane Blewitt had finally become the
wife OF Theophilus Jones, the well. known
drysalter, to whom, in his old age, she
bore son snd heir. In remembrance of
the brilliant fortune that had almost been
hers, she bestowed upon the offsnrino of
her matured affections tho name of her
two youthful admirers, and fattered her.
self that they sounded not only genteel.
but quite sristocratic. Gentility was the
rock ON which the good woman split.
I1cT Culcl duAlcly WAS 70 ensure the gen.
ility Of her darling Grenville Tremaine.
Indeed, the only redeeming point about
the poor woman was her unselhsh love
for her boy, which, to his credit be it said,
he reciprocated with as much warmth as
his feeble nature was capable of feeling
for anybody or thing. He was, therefore,
much grieved at her death, which left
him, at the age Of four.and-twenty,
absolutely alone in the world. So he
resolved to travel for year or two, in
the hope of picking up some genteel
acquaintances; but never got further than
Paris, where he lived for six months in a
boarding house entirely frequented by
English families. Here he became inti-
mate with young barrister, named Blake,
who attached himself TO his fortunes, and
mdoc'rinated him in the art of ordering a
dinner with the appropriate wines. AS
soon as he had acquired this amount OF
useful knowledge, his friend Blake carried
him back TO London and, in fact, took
possession of him and all that was his
i so CHANGED, however, that in the early