The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1873-09-05
WITHOUT Any COURTZNG.

Peter Patterson was ill-at least he
thought SO, and was depressed he had
headaches, and SO hated the dusty street,
in which the summer heat burnt and
the summer sun shone before the green
leaves had draped the streets, and the
squares of grass and wisteria vines and
plotted geraniums which have come to
be SO blessedly popular in New York,
lent its summers freshness.
"What shall do, doctor ?" he said
to the white-headed old physician.
:" You say nothing ails me, but I can
tell what nay feelings are better than
you can. know I shall be downawith
something soon. 4 rode in q car with a
dozen dirty children, the other day
& going tothe small -pox hospital, I haven t
doubt-very red and nasty looking, all
kof EN-; and while I was buying some
thing in . store the other day, a horrible
( old woman begged Of me because her
husband was sick with typhoid fever.
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 a bachelor at O
: hotel Oh, dear me u -a~S.-.,.
"Why don't you marry, then?" said
the doctor.
9sThey need SO much courting," said
Mr.. Patterson. lyon spend six months
or SO, at least, dangling at o woman's
apron strings. You must go to theater
= and opera, if she is gay, and to church
q meeting if she is pious. At fifty man
likes his slippers and dressing-gown and
easy chair Of an evening. If it was
just stepping oyer to the clergyman's
and getting married, put ring on her
finger and saying or nodding yes two
orthree times, why I wouldn't mind it,
you know" 49, ~- ="
"Ah, well, 'courting is the fun of if
all, in my opinion" said the old doctor,
g,"but every one to his taste. And my
!. advice to you is to 60 into the country. y
- To another hotel and more merce.
= nary walters p said Mr.. Patterson.
- .aNo, /" said the doctor; I" go to a nice
private home. I know one-a motherly
widow lady who cooks dinner fit for q
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 I'll see If she Il
!, take you"
: Very WE'LL" said Mr.. Patterson, 81
think I'd try it."
"And you must drink plenty of milk
and eat plenty of nice homemade
htead, (" said the doctor.
nYes, I will, said Patterson. over.
ioyed at last at hearing something that
sounded like prescription. "And you
would advise milk"
i. Quart every day." said the doctor.
And if should be very i'll she'll
nurse me ?"
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, he had his trunk and portmanteau
already packed, and was ready to start
that afternoon. As for the widow, the
= doctor had prepared her for her boarder's
peculiarities thus:
Nice fellow solid plenty of money;
thinks himself Ill, but isn't; ought to
be married told him 80, but he hates
me idea Of courting; marry him of
some day, no doubt: "Will You have
meY yes Call in clergyman. Over.
Very peculiar old bachelor but then
old bachelors are peculiar generally"
The widow was what Yankees call an
amazingly smart woman. She had mar.
ned at sixteen, and had never failed tc
nsse washing over before other people
we're hanging out theirs. Her bread
A'vays rose, her cake was always good,
.nd her butter was always sweet. Al
iofty-fiye she bad married off all hel