The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1871-01-05

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widow counsellcd in her riaIs, aud in
whom she reposed her condolences
He conversed with her, read to her.
and accompanied her to church on
Sundays; and any little difficulty in
the sermon, or kaotty point IN the trim
ming of lady's bonnet he would clear
up on the way home, in a manner
equally charming and instructive.
Whether the twain, in time, would
have been more--Or lesS---to each
other had the widow adhered strictly
to her rule to receive none lut single
gentlemen AS bOarders, is one Of hose
questions always unsolvablc, touching
what would have happened, had some.
thing else taken place that uevcr did
Enough to say, Mrs. Nothcrmann,
yielding to influential references, and
the offer Of a tempting price, let bcr
best snitc of vacant rooms--they were
next to Mr.. Scrcleaf s--to a family
composed Of a gentleman and his wife
and baby.
Babies were Mr.. Sercieers : abomina
tiOn. He looked upon them as tod
ding monume It's Of original sin. He
had no patience with them, or anybody
that had them. The sigM Of one gave
him turn, and the soan4 drove him
frantic.
In tais particular baby, all Mr.. serc
leafs objections to hahyhood in the alb
slract, were summed no in the con.
crete. 1t was subject to Group; and
when it hadn't Group, it had collie, and
when it had neither, it was troubled
with tcething.
The first night Mr.. ScrcIear stuffed
the blanket in his ears, Aul he might rs
well have attempted - stilc thunder
He tried to count himself to Sleep hut
the squalls put him out; and when he
strove to count Mem they became con
fluent and undstinsuishahle
The next night It was worse. lie
couldn't even say his PRAYERS in fact
he didn't feel like it. He paced the
room in slcepless agony, Something
had to be done. lie had been board
er in the house tor five years, and had
never yet uttered complaint. He
was very 10th to do it now; but needs
must, when certain person drives.
"I'll propose to Mrs N"thcrmann'
and be smote his fist upon the table
by way Of enphass--"l'Il propose to
Mrs. Nothcrmann." he eXcaiucd, ito
put me in another room, come what
will of it."
The air of moody melancholy with
which Mr.. Screlear moptd through the
following day caused the widow much
concern. MOI wa6 her trepidation
abatcd when, after tea, he jutinated q
desire to see her alone.
lit is with much he,itatOn,' be lie.
gan, in an agitated voicc-whcn they
| lac, 4 Lao |.
porlor-'i. is with much hesitation
that | venture to speak" Here he
quite broke down, and the widow
turned very red and trcmbled vio-
lcntly.
IL am sure, Madam" Mr. Serclcaf
resumed, "if you only knew DOW much
| have suffered"
"Oh! Mr. Scrcleafr' sighed the
widow.
Mrs. Nothermann y said Saul max
ing desperate effort to come to the
poiut, 81 have come to propose"
But before he could explain what it
ras he had "come TO propose" >" the la
dy gave little scream, and started TO
fall He caught her, Of course, and
shouted for help The first to appear
was the mother Of the execrabe baby.
"Whats the matter?" she exclaimed,
bursting into thcroora as if discharged
from catapult.
IL was only proposing--' Saul com
menced
And pretty mess you've made OF
itw the lady cut him short, at the same
time relieving him Of his burden, and
advising him to- leave the room--Pd
vice which he gladly followed.
Mortified and confiOundcd Saul
packed his trunk, called Il potter, and
sneaked from the house, like thief ii
the night. From the hotel at which
he took up temporary quarters, hc lis
patched noe iuclostng the baIancr
due to his landaly, and something
over, in lieu Of notice, but making no
allusion to his sudden departure, or
the circumstance that led TO it.
1t was some weeks later that Saul
presented himself at my office, and re-
quested o private interview. We at
once Withdrew to an inner room,
where, with much hesitation and many