Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-11-07
A PLEASANT MISTAKE,
or what Came OF Knocking OF a
Bug.

hug
Young widows are proyerbially pretty
and attractive, and generally have two
beaux where young girl has one. They
are admired and courted by the men,
but envied and disliked by many OF their
own sex. One of this class, who lives on
a fashionable residence street IN this
city, has her full quota of suitors, and
among the number a gray-headed youth
about seventy years old, who has the
manners and address Of ordinary men
only half his age. He has fascinating
manners and means, and is recognized as
good catch among ambitious mammas
and the maidens of reliable age who are
supposed to have cut their eye-teeth and
been inoculated against disappointed
love. His calls on the young and gush-
ing widow Spangle were taken as mat
ter Of course at first, but when he took
her TO see the Lancers twice IN one week.
besides calling between times, the neigh
borhood gossips began to bump their heads
together and multiply the chances OF
an early wedding by the practical num-
Der nine or dozen for good count. How
far matters might have progressed they
will probably never know, as a ludicrous
incident which happened last night has
dissolved, perhaps for ever, the charm in
the atmosphere around the young widow
which so often was breathed by the dash
ing widower of three score and ten. 1t
happened, last evening that three or four
Young men. almost beardless, kid gloved,
ROSY checked infants, preceded the Col
oner in his call on Mrs. Spangle. She
was dressed as though she expected
somebody. The young men were very
lively, and the Colonel found it neces-
sary to bestir himself to keep up with
such company and such insignificant,
vet troublesome, rivals. He was not as
glib as the boys, but had infinite tact,
could talk learnedly of things they knew
nothing about, and in the course of
half hour he was leading the converse
ton and the boys had almost relapsed
into silence. The widow was evidently
the only one in the room who could hold
a candle to him. The youths began
10 feel for their mustaches uneasily,
and one of them had just given
the others wink TO go, when the
widow was startled by large bug run
ming up her arm. She screamed gently,
and gave an imploring look at the bug
first, then at the Colonel, who was nearer
than the rest. This was an opportunity
that suited his presence of mind. But
his mind and his arm were stronger than
his eyesight. He made two Intellectual
brushes at the bug as it scuttled around
the back of the widows neck, and the
last time his arm followed the bug so
affectionately as to create doubt in the
mind of the leading young man, with
his hair parted in the middle, whether the
Colonel was as anxious to catch the bug
as to catch the widow. The bug dreaded
the hug, and so did the widow in the
presence of so many swift witnesses; it
took refuge in her waterfall, and she
gave heartrending, soul cleaying shrek,
at the same time springing to her feet.
The infants crowded around in circle,
and the Colonel catching a glimpse of
the bug, or something shining in the
lady's hay-mow, attached to the back of
her head, resolved quicker than light
ming to make hay while the sun was shin
ing. and brought his hand down with a
quick, sharp blow, which sent water
fall, bug and all half across the
room, and the widow, so symmetrical
and beautiful a moment before, looked as
ssrScra and hapless as schooner dis
LLllrI- q rttA IA STA liz ottRPNA
ia.sk 1vFaIled. She gave look at the
v-'s,lf as hair and stubble on the floor,
End -ihsI EEEsa look at the wretch before
har To describe the scene further is to
,ss.ssI8 m GaErr0rzble picture of life.
1Ir shs s-aah uEss be told. The widow
inEn bsr sanps- completely, and upset
1ls..s-.F sa'srgstanz in the room except
herself Sa,s ssSEzed. and positively told
the C15s1sl that be was an awkward
irT-s- hat Ehe..neyer wanted to see him
Irlz1- De tired TO apologize, the young
zen s,-iIsd IN spite Of themselves, and
fzzIly the widow burst into tears and
If the room The Colonel has our
syzpz;hies. for he viii see by this article
TIA, his sEorts to have the matter kept
sserss By the yoang men we're not more
Successful than his gallant attempt, last
-f-Es "a rrr-sr,se n /. hucr