Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-09-19
The Leisure Hour.
THO.N.sS BLU.NBLE,
AND HOW HE GOT MARRIED.

Blumble boasted of being n confirmed
bachelor, and took pride in being called a
wowan hater. | mean Thomas Blumble of
the importing house of Hood. Silver &
Blumble. He was very fond of letting peo
pie know that he disregarded the charms
of the softer sex, and, was frequently heard
to say hat he would like to see the woman
that could get him under her thumb. There
was a time of course, when Blumble was
susceptible to the overtures of Cupid be-
cause, when he was plain "Tom,' of 10
years of age, and left Rock Cove, came to
the city and entered the employ of Men
sor, Tigby & Hood, he left behind him
young "Polly Ann" with many a sigh and
tear, and more vows than both put togeth-
er TO be true 10 death. For two years he
wrote constantly to his Polly Ann, repeat
ing the manifold vows of boyhood love !;
then he was promoted from boy to entry
clerk, and soon after was introduced TO
very bewitching young lady whom we may
be allowed TO call Hattie Elton. Then he
forgot his Polly Ann down to Rock Cove,
and became very attentive to Miss Elton;
he accompanied her to the theatre and made
her presents he got trusted for his new
coat, and with the money that should have
paid for it they took sleigh-rde TO Bright
on, and feasted on hot chicken and cham
payne; to please her he learned to polka
and waltz; the schottische and varsouvi-
enne were not in vogue then. Things had
sped along very smoothly for about year;
so Tom, thinking he might as well have
the matter settled at once, popped theques-
tion. Miss Elton appeared very much sur
prised; for moment she remained silent,
then lifting up both hands, she exclaimed: I:
"Why, Mr.. Bundle, ,"-she had constant
ly called him Tom for six months previ-
ous-"I've been engaged these two years
didn't you know it?'
"Know it? No." replied Bundle in ut
ter astonishment
"Why, yes, I've been engaged to Char
ley Dudley for long while, and / thought
you knew all about it, and was only pay
ing attention to me out of politeness. Char
ley is in New York, now, but we are TO be
married next Christmas"
"Marred next"
We may guess what Blumble was about
to say, but we shall always be in doubt, for
instead of finishing his sentence, he took
his hat and rushed out of the house, not
even waiting to make the parting saluta-
ton of "good evening"" Perhaps he was
AFRAID TO trust his gnashing teeth, for fear
they would change his well-meant words
into some wicked expression.
Tom, in the privacy of his own cham Der,
with his door locked, his elbows upon his
| light-stand, and his face quite buried in his
hands, reverted to the years time and the
many dollars he had thrown away on Miss
Elton, then he thought of poor Polly Ann,
whom he had ''cut' so shamefully, down
in Rock Cove, and he decided to write tC
| her, to offer pressing business as an excuse
| for not having written before, to sue fol
pardon for past negligence, and to assert
that his affections were still unaltered and
unalterabe. So he unburied his face anC
| penned the tender missive full of fasehooC
and stale love, which he dispatched will
the fullest confidence that Polly Ann woul,
be very happy to receive il. But alas 70
poor human expectations! Polly Ann
letter came. 1t was brief she told Blum
BILE she had heard of his attentions to tn,
city lady, that she had almost forgotten
him, and was going to marry Jerry Smike
the village blacksmith, the next week. Sh'
returned to Tom his earliest efforts in love
letter writing and lock of his hair, and re
quested him to return TO her sundry arti
cles in that line that he had received from
her.
From that day Blumble announced him
self TO the world as a woman-hater. ii
had been false to one woman, and one wo
man had tricked him. So he cried dow
the whole sex. The time which Blumbl
had heretofore divided between love ant
business was now devoted TO business, an,