The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1874-09-04

r state occasiOns-rubbed a handfU
, of hogs lard into his hair, anointeI
his boots with the same, and set fort
. with renewed vigor on his wife
hunting expedition.
! Miss Charity looked up grimIy a.
he entered her neat kitchen, anC
placing a chair for him, herself took
another at the opposite side of the
: room.
1t wasn't her custom to receive
the visits of single men alone in hel
: house, as she often said.
Perhaps, because they never
J camel" said the neighbors.
"You're lookin' well Miss Hob.
son, said the Captain, planting his
hands on his knees, and gazing at
her with what he meant 10 he an
amiable smile-mindful, from his
late experience, that it might be
necessary to do q little in the court
ing line before popping the ques-
ton.
"Tm pretty well, thank you" re-
sponded the lady dryly.
"And monsterous snug and com,
Portable lookin'," resumed the suit
or, glaneing round. "But amt you
a little lonesome at times?"
''NOt I! I've got a dog and two
cats-them as you see there; and
mean to hev mockin' bird as soon
as Jabez Long can get one for me.
So I've got no reason to be lone
some"
"But cats and dogs amt human
critters, Miss Hobson," said Captain
Tiller, insinuatingly.
81 reckon ] don't need to be told
that, Captain Tiller. They amt hu-
man creeters, but somethin' better
if anything"
'Not equal to husband, maybe,
Miss Hobson-or baby"
"A what2 shrieked Miss Chari-
ty, fiercelY glaring over her specta-
cles.
"Oh, nothin' particular. Only I'd
think it would be melancholy thing
for woman to be all alone with a
lot O. cats and dogs, as she's gettin'
on into the down hill O. life, and''-
he remembered Mrs. Tyron's express
sion-"and the valley O. the shadder.
Cats and dogs can't lick away the
wrinkles from her face, nor bring
down the gray hairs with-pleasure
to the grave"
Captain Tiller, said Miss Hob
son, laying down on her lap the
stocking she was knitting, and look
ing at him with flush on her sal
low eheek.-"Capt'in Tiller, I'd like
to know once for all what you
meant"
He saw that she was angry. He
didn't know why-but he felt it in
cumbent on him to soothe and please
her. So he drew his chair across
the floor, and sat down close beside
her.
"Come, now let's you and me have
a friendly understandin' together .
said he, leering coaxingly into hel
face. 'Tm sure I've got none but
the sOftest kind of feelings to'ard
lyou, and I don't see why you
shouldn't recipercate." And, to add
point to his words, he put his left
arm across the bac1 of her chair
and with his right fore finger touch
ed her delicately and playfully in the
ribs.
Miss Charity Hobson bounced
from her seat as though a bomb
shell had exploded beneath her.
"Git out of this house." she
shrieked. "I'Il let You know how to
come around, sassing lone woman,
and in her own house too! Here,
Bllnker! at him l-Keteh himr' and
with Blinker at his heels, and Miss
Hobson following wrathfully in his
wake, the innocent-minded Captain
Tiller made his exit from the house
which he had entered with such
amiable intentions.
Very detected he walked home. It
wasn't such an easy thing, after all,
to get wife; and he felt for the
present completely discouraged
from any further attempt in that
line. Moodily he sat down on the
bottom of tub-he rarely took a
chair unless compelled land he mus
ed upon his adverse fate. He felt
humbled and forlorn.
"Please, sir, misses have sent you
some SUPPER" whined a very small
voice behind him; and the Captain
turning beheld Miss Hester Bitting's
small servant, bearing in her arms a
very large tea tray laden with good
things. There was pitcher of
steaming coffee, a nice steak With
onions, and other good things, all
done to the point of perfection.
Poor Captain Tiller's heart warmed
at the sight, even in the midst of his
astonishment.
"You don't mean to say" he re-
marked to the very small servant
"you don't mean to say that she
| that Miss Hester Bidding's sent me
these 'ere fixin's?"
''Yes sir, she did sir" responded
the diminutive handmaid, eagerly,
"She said she couldn't abide to see
even a dog livin' in such way, and
eating such vietuals."
The Captain wasn't offended. He
felt too much subdued for that now;
and, besides the sight Of that tray
would have overcome any feeling of
rising wrath in his bosom. He was
even sensitive of a glow Of gratitude
and, under the influence of this
emotion, he took down from the
mantel-shelf stuffed green parrot
glued to a sea shell and thrust it in
to the hands of the small maiden.
"There, my little gal" said he
"there's something for your trouble;
and say to your missis, I'm highly
obleeged for her kindness"
He emptied the contents Of the
plates and dishes into crockery of
his own, and without thinking of
washing the former, sent them back
to their owner, together with the
small model of a fishing-smack,
wrought by himself in his hours of
leisure while on shore. Miss Hes
ter laughed when she behelp these
things.
"Poor man." she said, she hasn't
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