Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-04-13
Miscellaneous.
HI LODGES WIFE

MY LODGERS WIFE
TIE alarm from Fenian outbreaks is too
recent 70 require any description here,
even II I were capable Of writing one but
as plain widow woman-which ! AMI
have no prefension 10 write history.
only know that down at Weymouth, as
wefl as everywhere else, we were always
being startled by some fresh reports Of
what the Fenians had done, or were going
TO do, generally the latter. This was COM
mon 70 all places; but we had special in
teress in them at Weymouth, because most
of the men when convicted, were sent TO
Portland, and We sometimes caught sight
of them on the platform Of our station,
when they were changed TO the little
branch line. / suppose almost everybody
who reads these words knows that Port
land Island Is only two or three miles from
our town, and that there are nearly two
thousand convicts there They have built
the breakwater, and made regular castle
on the island, and 80 have done great
deal Of work there, II they never did any
before they came.
Now and then one escapes, but he is
nearly always retaken directly. or gets
drowned in trying 10 swim of TO some
UJdt. huoUoui, VIM WOO = usno"oi-
fisherman, saw one drowned. Although
he was convict, my husband tried to save
him, but he went down like stone, not
twenty yards from his skif. My husband
was very much upset by it, for, instead Of
being forbidding- looking ruffian, like Bill
Skies in "Oliver Twist" he was mild
looking, fair. haired young fellow, who
didn't seem to be above one or two -and
twenty. However, my poor husband was
drowned himself not very long after this !;
and have lived ever since on very little
income he left me, and by letting fur
nished apartments in the season.
In the winter, Weymouth is very dull,
and I, living alone, would almost have
been glad TO accommodate anyone for
nothing, in order TO have company In the
house; 30 was very much pleased TO have
q chance Of letting my first floor rooms to
q very respectable young man who wanted
them at reduced rate. had been, with
many others, to the station, 10 see batch
OF Fenians change for Portland, but we
were obliged 10 come back unsatisfied, be-
cause the railway companies would not
allow any strangers in; this was the more
ANNOYING, as we all wanted to see Colo
mel La Trouble, Fenian from New Or
leans, who had fought desperately when
taken, and he mad been terribly hurt about
the head and rendered senseless before he
would surrender. Az II happened, We
were not able to see him; SO we all went
back a. we came. - SILVIA
had been at home about ten minutes,
and was warming my cocoa for my sup.
per, when heard knock at the street
door, and, on opening u, saw q very
good looking young fellow-very slight,
very dark, with black mustache, and al
together foreign air. He spoke English,
however, and said he had been advised to
apply TO me for cheap apartments; that he
was not very rich; he had come to Wey-
mouth believing he should have an ap.
pointment In one Of the hOtels-he looked
~ II he would have made capital waiter
but was disappointed for the present
He wished to remain In the town, to be in
readiness. and 30 had applied to me. I
was glad he had done 30, and offered him
my rooms cheap. He agreed to take them,
and sent for his boxes from the station at
once. He had great deal of luggage
more than most young men possess.
Inever had quieter, gentler lodger In
my LIE than he was no trouble, no noise,
never out Of an evening by any chance /;
and his manner was always 90 soft and
quiet, that, - used TO tell him, It was
more like having . girl In the house than .
man. He would laugh at this, and say the
same thing had often been remarked be-
fore. At first he seemed TO make no In.
quirios after any situation, or TO visit his
friends at all but, after he had been with
me about fortnight, he went out nearly
every day, and all day long. was glad
TO see that he did 20, for really he mewed
himself up In his room 20 constantly that
that I began TO feas he would injure his
health.
What puzzled me mot q little was the
lnding that be spent great part Of his
time on the island-not that Portland Il
really an island. only everybody calls it 90.
In the winter time there cannot be moro
droary place In the world than Portland |;
the storms seem to rage there oftener and
Aercet than they do anywhere else; the
roads are bad, the houses arc small and
mean, and, except for the Wild, romantic
"a view which lies al around you, and
the Awfhl Race Of Portland, which no yes
sci can cross, there ID nothing to be seem
NY niece paid me visit about this time,
md nothing would do but that must 60
with her to the island; did %, and, TO
my surprise, I saw N. Lewis-for such
Wss nv dodgers name-leaning against
one Of the hugo blocks of stone which lie
aIr,,t INA nuarriAn and 0axinQ 70 thought