The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1873-02-18
WIDOW BROWN.

Such was the exclamation of Harry Mi
nus, young gentleman of "refined tastes,
expensive habits, and elegant IDEAS" as he
sat, with his feet on the fender, in his little
bachelor apartment-a four pair back in
pleasant and salubrious quarter of the west
end of Boston. He had just thrown an
unfinished inch of Havana into the smoul-
dering embers, and wisdom came with the
last Whit. Harry was regarded as hand
some young man, though he was slightly
used up by the pace he had gone for the last
few years. Still he was in tolerable pres
ervation, and was well made up by one of
those benevolent Schneiders, who "exult
to trust and blush to be paid" But he
was now in rather an unenviable position.
Cards had tricked him, and i'll fortune
cogged the dice" His landlady, who twas
poor lone woman" was frequently intro
ducng the subject of "her little BILL"
which was fast swelling to the proportions of
a big bill, :" that thre atened to knock the
non-paying lodger in the head.
But there was a ray of hope another
widow--middle-a it was true, but o,
adorable in the responsibility of bank
stock, dear in the amenities of real estate.
Harry had made her acquaintance, and
some progress in her good graces She
liked military men and Harry had served
with distinction in the militia. He some
times went to military balls, in swallow
tailed blue coat, turned up with buff. But
then the widow was fond of poetry, and
Harry could not write q line.
| The exultant exclamation, recorded by
Capt. Minus in the commencement of this
paper, was prompted by his remembering
that he had friend in the literary way
who could aid him in a laudable scheme of
passing as poet with the widow Brown
"done brown, she will be, if the plan sue
ceeds," thought the very moral young
man. ar ~ tr r
A call on Philetus Crowquill was i'm
mediately made. Philetus inhabited very
doubtful lodgings in the neighborhood of
Causeway Street, a classic attic, without
the consultations of Beranger's sky-parlor.
Philetus had commenced life with the set
tied purpose Of making himself the Fon-
blanque of Boston he now subsisted on
writing puffs for quack nostrums, and lead
ing articles for the "very young ladies'
magazine" All the traditional shabbness
of literature was exemplified in his sur
roundings." ala.u
He received Capt. Minus, with "dis-
tingushed consideration" and very readily
agreed, for small consideration, to open
the attack on the widow with three or four
sounding stanzas. Plunging his pen into
the inkstand, he drove it over sheet of
paper at a $40 rate, and soon finished the
verses. They were pronounced excellent.
"They are rather good, think" said
Crowquill, modestly. "Do you think
they'll fetch the widow?'
"Pm sure of it, said Minus, emphat-
ically.
All right my boy answered Crow
quill. "Now just draw your chair to the
table, and while step out and get bite
l haven't eaten morsel to day, you can
copy my poem"
"Good p answered Minus, and he bent
to the task.
The literary gentleman had not beer
gone more than five minutes, before a round
rcd face was cautiously protruded through
the door, and two gray eyes, belonging tC
the face, took a keen survey Of the busy
occupant of the room. After the face,
there appeared, successively red ban
danna handkerchief, a stout drab coat, 4
thick stick, and a pair Of legs and feet
encased in corduroys and cow-hide boots,
constituting an animal of the genus homo
who stealthily approached the table, and
tapping Capt Minds ON the shoulder,
smiled affectionately and familiary upor
, him, as he turned round with dramat
start and beheld the " unbidden guest"
! "You'ie wanted down there p said tn
] proprietor of the thick stick, as he jerke'
his thumb in the direction of Leyeret
: Street Jail.
Minus knew that there was more thar
one writ suspended over his head it wa
the cause of his anxiety to possess tn
widow and he recognized, without dill
ficulty, sherif7s officer To gain iittl
time was all he desired, and it occurred t