The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1871-12-05
TOmpkins Pops the Question.

!
kins folded his arms across his portly breast
and paced the garden walk with the air of
a fat Napoleon. l4a
He had made up his mind; he had deci-
ded the question upon which he had been
pondering for the last two hours. Yes, he
would do it; upon the whole, Mr.. Tomp-
kins would pop the question To be sure,
he was forty, fat and bald; but everybody
that knew him said there was not more
amlable man in Holl oway; besides he did
not think himself so very Unlocking man,
an even Mamie Day could not be entirely
oblivious to the fact that he was some thing
of catch. Fifty thousand dollars was
great wealth in Holloway, and Mr.. Tomp-
kins possessed that amount of worldly
goods. s
He was widower; his first wife had
been Betsey Trimmer, and he had married
her for her 'smartness; and it was q proof
of his fondness for variety that he had now
set his heart upon pretty Mamie Day, the
DOCTORS daughter, who was only eighteen,
and anything but capable Indeed, Mrs.
Jones, the housekeeper, to whom Mr..
Tompkins has applied for her opinion of
Mamie, said she was 'fly-away firt of
thing, and jest about as stiddy as white
kitten
But everybody knew that Mrs. Jones was
an ill-natured critic, who would see no good
in any body.
Mamie would sober down after awhile,
and her girlsh flighitness just pleased Mr.
Tompkins. And she was so bewitchingly
pretty her hair was like gold in the sun,
and her eyes were like two violets, and her
eyes would drive any man out of his senses;
Tompkins knew that; they had driven him
out of his many time. If she accepted
him (and of course she would) how all the
young fellows would envy him
That last consideration decided him; that
and a glimpse just then of Mamie herself,
passing the pasture next his garden, and
carrying little tin pail, which betokened
that she was going strawberrying. Pos
itively she had never looked so charming as
she looked at that moment, in her pink
calico dress and white apron, and the broad
brimmed fat with ribbons that just match
ed her eyes. Yes, Tompkins would do it
He felt very assured and triumphant in
advance, when he stood on DR.. Days front
doorstep that evening, asking the help
if "Miss Nancy was imp"
"Miss Nancy? yes; she's in the settin'
room Walk right in there, Mr.. Tomp-
kins," and Almiry looked exceedingly sig
nifcant, as she opened the 'settin room
door. Almiry was sharp girl, and Mr.,
Tompkins presumed she guessed his errand,
There was no light in the settin room,'
and only the white table cover and crimson
lounge showed plainly through the gloom.
A female figure in pink dress and white
apron arose at the entrance from a seat by
the window, and Mr.. Tompkins huTiedly
exclaimed, feeling little flurlied in spite
of himself: auIt
"Don't bring linght, Miss Day, don't l
want to say something to you, and the twi-
light" Mr.. Tompkins took a seat be-
side the lady, who finished his sentence for
him him by whispering "0h ~
Now was the tug of war. Mr.. Tomp-
kins did not find his task as easy as he had
hoped; but having been through the ordeal
once before, he was not to be daunted by
trifles so he possessed himself Of the la
dy's hand, having some trouble to find it in
the deepening gloom, and cleared his throat
preparatory TO commencing.
:" Hem Miss Day--my dear Mamie "
He stopped short, and the fair one gig
gled. Mr.. Tompkins considered that en-
couraging, and recollecting the manner in
which he had proposed to Betsy Trimmer,
he addressed her in the precise language of
which he made use on that former occasion.
"My dearest Mamie, have long sought
an opportunity like the present. have
long wished to declare my love to you. To
win the pure treasure Of your virgin heart
has long been the dream Of my manhood.
Say, my love, dearest, must hope in vainS
Will you be my wife?
Mr.. Tompkns had learned the above
speech from a novel, expressly for the form
er occasion referred to, and he consider
ed it highly able oratorical effort.
The lady trembled and giggled, and ap-
peared overwhelmed by maiden confusion;
and the elated Mr.. Tompkins stole his arm
about her waist and whispered
"Say yes, dearest ~
!" Yes then, if you will be so persistent,
Hiram y Hs H blt#
Mr.. Tonpllins started up asif a torpedo
bod av,,lodad hanaath hia ohair. it xvaa tha