Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1872-09-18
Without any C0urting.


so, and depressed he had headaches, and he
hated theihot and dusty streets, in which the
summer heat burnt aud the summer sun shonc
before the green leaves had draped the trees,
and the squares Of grass and westeria vines
aud potted gcraniums which have come to be
80 blesseiy popular in New York, lent its
summers freshness.
What shall [ do, doctor ?" he said to
the white headed old physician. You say
nothing nils me, but can tell what my feel
ings are better than you can. know | shall
be down with something soon | rode in car
with half dozen dirty children the other
day-going to the small pox hospital, |
haven't doubt-.very red and nasty looking
all of EN- and while was buying something
in store the other day n horrible old woman
begged Of me because her husband was bad
with the typhoid. No doubt have caught
both diseases, and it's the complication that
puzzles you. Couldn't relish my coffee this
morning; left my milk toast untouched
Hateful life, that of bachelor at hotel.
Oh, dear me-"
why don't you marry, then ?" said the
old doctor.
" They need so much courting' said Mr..
Patterson. " You spend six months or so, at
the least, dangling at womans apron strings |
You must 90 to the theatres and the opera |
if she's gay and to church meetings if she's
pious. At fifty a man likes his slippers and
bis dressing gown and his easy chair Of an
evening If it was just stepping over to the
cergyman's and getting married, putting
ring on her finger, and nodding yes two or
three times, why, | wouldn't mind it, you
know"
All, well, counting is the fun of it all, in
my opinion, said the doctor, but every one to
his taste. And my advice to you is, go into
the country"
"To another hotel and more mercenary
walters ?" said Mr.. Patterson.
NO. said the doctor, "go to a nice private
house. know one--a motherly widow lady, |
who cooks dinner fit for king. River
before the house, woods behind it, orchard to |
the left, kitchen garden to the right no fever
and ague no mosquitoes. Heavenly am
going up there tomorrow, and Ill sec ifshell |
take YOU
"Very well" said Mr.. Patterson, IL think
I'll try it,"
" And you must drink plenty Of milk and
eat plenty of nice homemade bread" said
the doctor.
A. Yes, | will" said Patterson, overjoyed at
hea.lno something that sossied like a
prescription. And would you advIse miIAI 4
Quarts of it every day" said the doctor.
I'll make note of it," said Patterson.
" And if | should be very i'll, she'll nurse
me ?"
Splendidly" said the doctor, and went
his way.
Mr. Patterson thought the matter over, and
thought better of it every day and when
the little note, informing him that the widow
would be willing to take him in and do for
him. reached him, had his trunk and port
manteau already packed and was all ready to
start that very afternoon. As for the widow,
the doctor had prepared her for her boarder's
peculiarites thus:
"Nice fellow solid; plenty Of money
thinks himself i'll, but isn't ought to be mar
ried told him SO, but he hates the idea Of
counting; marry of.hand some day, no doubt;
win you have me? Yes Call in clergyman
over Very peculiar old bachelor but then
old bachelors are peculiar generally"
The widow was what Yankees call an amaz-
ing smart woman. She had married at six
teen, and had never failed to have her wash
ing over when other people were just handing
out theirs. Her bread always rose, her cake
was always good, and her butter was always
sweet Al iorty-fve she had married off all
her daughters, and was well to do, buxom and
happy
Her son and his wife boarded with her, and
she added to her plentiful savings by taking
a summer boarder or two it they happened to
offer.
Fifty and bachelor" said Mrs. Muntle,
looking in the glass. " Well, il seems pity
but then when elderly gentlemen marry, it is
generally some hitytity girl, that leads them
a terrible life, aud likely it's for the best"
Then she looked in the glass again, for the
widow was but woman after all.
Mr.. Patterson came to the widows and
obeyed the doctors prescription carefully.
He eat bread and drank milk, robbed the or
chards like school boy, and dcclaimed over
the strawberry short-cake after fashion that
would have made his reputation at the bar.
Then, too, Mrs. Muntle did not smile at his
aches and pains, and insist that he must be
perpetualy well because he had fresh COM
plexion, and dimples in his cheeks She had
savory herb teas and tasty potions, which she
produced when he complained Of feeling mis-
cradle, and she had that blessing to hypochon-
driacs, homeopathic box and book in the house.
There were remedies in that box for everything;
and il was pleasant to find that when there
was crawling sensation in your flesh, or
kind Of uneasy feeling in your legs, there
were dear little globules to be had just suited
for the symptom that to find yourself very
angry about nothing indicated pulsatila, and
that even for unrequited love there was a
For two months and more Mr., Patterson
boarded with Mrs. Muntle, and happier
months he had never lived through. Then he
went back to the city for a few weeks; re-
turned in urgent need of more milk, more
fresh air and more pellets from the medi-
cinec hest, and stayed until the last pink
was blooming on its wilted
tie room, with its white curtains and fresh,
grass-blcaohed linen, of the country good
things, and tho cozy nourishing of buxom
Mrs. Munte, that he could scarcely bear the
thought Of parting with them altogether
After all, why could he not buy house,
and try to get Mrs. Muntle to keep it for
him Perhaps she would. lie would offer
her high salary, and she should have
plenty Of servants. Then, indeed, he might
have his friends to dine with him, and be as
happy as possible.
If only he could approach the subject
without offending his hostess, showing her as |
he did SO that he considered her his equal and '
q lady, and all that, as she certaialy was-s
little countrihed, Of course, buts clergynan's