The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1872-11-21
JEALOUS MRS, BUTTERFLY

tJhAuUUc HlIb0. DUl l1lbD,
Mr.. Gideon Butterfly enters tn
| apartment where his wife is seate
teaching the young idea Tin tour seq
crate Butterfly craniums) to shoot
Mr.. Butterfly is eminently fat. sfriE
ingly fair, aud incontestably forty
The tawny locks cluster about hi
plump, moon-shaped face; his fou
feet SIX inches of little figure wear 9.
much flesh that perhaps he coul
make comfortable subtraction of q
least one-third thereof. He is usin
his brilliant silk handkerchief jus
now upon the rubicund disc of hi
bland countenanee, for it is a warn
August day, and the fatigue of pre-
pairing for a journey he is about t.
make has told on Mr.. Butterfly. % n-s.
81" My dear Gideon," exclaimed Mrs
Butterfly, 8. my dear Gideon, you dom
tell me, love, that the hour for you
dedarture has arrived ~ Hi laet
Eleven O'clock" responds Gideon
laconic as any Spartan. "You needn'
go with me to the station, Elizabetta
it's q hot day, and" Els - -
Mrs. Butterfly raises one hand il
wifely expostulation, possibly forget
ful that this hand contains geogra.
ply, which fact rendered the inter.
ruption extremely foreible. 1861
Excuse me, Gideon. 1t is fal
more appropriate that you should gt
to the station surrounded by your low.
ing family. We shall afford the town
OF Pipplnville an opportunity of wit
Messing what it has seen very little o.
for long time past-real coniugal at
fection." .7s. ~
"Just as you say, my dear,H assents
Mr.. Butterfly" s ge4 8. sisars-
Mrs. Butterfly speaks in a voice mu.
seal with feeling and tenderness now
She addressed her four goslings,
"Children, you may put up youi
books. You are going to the station
with pa and myself"
The goslings made themselves jubi-
lently audible. Pa looks al little put
out, but say 8 nothing. His detected
look does not escape Mrs. Bnflerby.
Very little has ever been known to
escape Mrs. Butterfly. ,5s
= Gideon" she calculates, "you are
annoyed at something. What is it p
Here the hand which still contains
the geography lifts itself oratoricaily
4" Y ou need not tell me what it is,
Gideon already know. You had
expected to 60 alone to the station
you had anticipated meeting there
many (perhaps some special one) of
those last, bold females who frequent
the platform whilst trains are going
and coming. Gideon. you needn't at
tempt denial of this charge. You
blush; you are guilty."
Mrs. Butterfly takes out her hand
kerchief, and begins to be narrowing
ly emotional.
GO often WONDER" she continues, as
though confiding the awful informa-
tion to her handkerchief, and this only, !,
(" often wonder what terrific thing
you wouldn't do if l didn't act as a.
yes, / mean it-as a-sort of guardian
angel over you to keep you from
You never go near a
woman, sir, without-without-"
Poor Butterfly looks, for meekness
and resignation, as though you could
overturn him with feather.
Without what, Elizabetta?" he
mildly questions, while she pauses,
Inomentary nasal cOmmuni-
cation with her handkerchief. 8s
Without wanting to ogle her. Yes
sir, it's true. Last night at Mrs. Bigs-
bees party, you were dying to ogle
that black-eyed Miss Lushington. My
presence alone restrained you. Don't
attempt to deny what say" 9aa88
The whole Butterfly family accom-
pany its paterfamillias to the station
that morning in the carryall. Mr..
Butterfly is going to New York, a
distance of about twelve miles, and
TO return by one of the evening
trains. al q; fl9t5rf
"I hardly think 1 ought to let you
go alone" says Mrs. Butterfly, a few
minutes before tire whistle of the
train. You are SO unused, Gideon,
to the hustle and confusion of the
great city,and there are SO many bold,
women, whose arts, If
used upon one of your temperament
but won't finish my sentence, Gid
con. You are going to leave New
York in the six o'clock train, you say.
50 :. Yes, think SO, answered Butter
by, who had abandoned, since mar
-iage, the plan of feeling sure about
81
When Mrs. Butterfly arrived home
hat morning, after saying farewell to
ler Gideon ;she finds that his absence
weighs heavily on her mind. Now
'he imagines him writhing under the
wheel of Broadway om-
ribus; now sees him clutched, an in
Iocent victim, in the awful grasp of
policeman: now he is giving five dol
ars to some impOstor of beggar
low he is in pursuit (Oi last, mosi
thought) of some Broadway
)elle. a ~ afste Ji.
&" Ma" calls out one of the goslings
It about three o'clock that day, "where
ire you going?" n 90 i7flf' afa
AUST out for little while, Lemuelr
Taguely responded Mrs. Butterfly TO
Ter youngest but one. 9
She has on her bonnet and shawl,
md presents a rather smart general
appearance. she might have told Mas
er Lemuel that she was going to
New York for the purpose of meeting
Ter husband and returning with him
n the.six O'Clock train. Mrs. Butter
)y's object is none other than this.
ON reaching the city she discovers
hat she has good hour to wait at the
lepot before the departure of the six
o'clock train. w 4sa
Z" Iwon't wait in the ladies' room"
lecides Mrs. Butterfly. "In that case
here would be slight chance of my
Ieeing Gideon on his Arrival"
Consequently Mrs Butterfly chooses
he gentlemen's department. Ah,
low long the time of waiting is. What
+ some dire accident had befallen
lin? AT last the expectant spouse
,lances, for at least the fiftieth time,
It the clock. Five minutes to six.
Many of tie passengers, for the six
>'clock train had already arrival.