Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1874-08-14
My Landlady.

I BOARD now, and think | have one of
the kindest landladies in the world. She
seems to think great deal of me, and
sometimes almost decided that | should
weep if any harm came to her.
She is very particular about her board
ers. Before she would take me in | was
compelled to get certificate from three
clergymen, two bankers, and lawyer,
stating that / had never been hung for
murder or sent to State prison for horse
stealing. | bargained for a front room
looking out on the campus martiuS, and
it was understood that 1 was to have the
room alone. On the third night I went
home and found a stranger in bed, and
when | began to raise row Mrs. Dolby
caught my arm and whispered:
"There, now, be good, dear man, and
say no more. He's preacher, and, as he
is going away tomorrow, | thought you
wouldn't mind just one night"
At the end of the week she beckoned
me aside, and smiling like a load of fresh
hay she wanted to know if | would do her
favor-a favor which would place her
under eternal obligations to me. Ireplied
that [ would die for her, and then she
asked me to give up the room looking out
upon the grand square and take one look
ing out upon grand alley, full of ash
barrels and oyster cans. She had new
boarder coming who was awful particular,
and she knew would do anything to
accommodate her.
made the change, and the grateful
look she gave me was enough to melt a
vest button. | had only got fairly set
tied when | was told that she wanted to
see me in the parlor after dinner.
found her in tears. She said that a very
nice man and his very nice wife wanted
to come and board with her, but she had
no room, and it grieved her to think that
she must turn them away when she was
SO hard pushed to get along.
1 told her that if had a hundred lives
| would lay them all down for her and
then borrow q hundred more and add to
the pile, and she seized my hand and
said that Heaven would surely reward
me for being good to fatherless orphan.
j moved into the garnet, the awful partic-
ular man moved into my rOOm and the
very nice man and his very nice wife
moved into the front room.
In about another week Mrs Dolby
whispered to me and wanted to know if
had snake in my stomach? She said
that she had observed that | was very
hearty eater, and she didn't know but ]
had snake. [ set her right, and when
| promised to take full lunches down
town and urge the other boarders to do
the same she put her hand on my Shout
der and remarked that Heaven had a
place for me.
That night my bed was made without
sheets, and when | went to raise row
she took me by the hand and said that
her experience went to show that it was
To oil II, r
going to argue the question, when tears
came to her eyes and she hoped /
wouldn't say anything to hurt a poor,
lone widow whose life had been one long
struggle with poverty. The next night
the feather bed and one of the pillows
went, but didn't say anything. Then
she wanted to borrow my tooth brush
tor a boarder who hadn't any, and she
took my stove to use in the lower hall
| didn't say a word until she wanted to
know if | couldn't spare the old gear
pet off the floor, and if l wouldn't set
the other boarders an example by drink
ing nothing but water and not taking a
second biscuit. Then | told her that was
going to leave that house and try to tear
her image from my heart.
She seized both my hands, tears rolled
down her checks, and she asked:
Mister Quad, will you deliberately
plot to kill lonesome widow who is
working her life out to make your posi-
ton here comfortable, happy and luxuri-
ous?n
i couldn't go. I'm there yet I sleep
on the floor, nut up with cold bites, and
use the boot-jack for a chair when Ihave
company, l wish l wasn't so tender
hearted, but can't bear to think of
hurting Mrs. Dolby's feelings by looking
up another place.-M. Quad, IN Or Fire
side Friend.