Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1875-11-13

our friends who could 90; and when Col.
Blunt sent for us to 90 to his house that
evening and say goodbye, of course we
went. 1t was q lovely. night, frosty, but
brilliant, and Mrs. Blunt's parlors were
crowded half the officers were lrlshmen,
part of the rest rough farmers who lad
| left their ploughs, if they had not turned
THEN. shares into swords. Besides these
were n host of civillians.-delicate and
elegant women. fresh young girls, few
men who could not 60 to war, even as |
could not, and few who were going
soon. The rooms were beautifully adorn-
ed with rich wreaths of autumn leaves
81 caves of asters, purple, crimson, and
white, filled an alabaster vase, and here
a bunch of gentians darkened the sheen
of silver urn with their fringes of mid
night blue; but i'm every room exquisite
spikes of tuberose in ruby or sapphire
glasses filled the air with their odorous
breath and the eye with their indOlent
and ivory calm.
0fscourse we were all enthusiastic, all
excited. War was as vet only pleas
, ant sentiment; its blood and dirt and
agony were unknown to those who
should endure them all before the year
rolled round again. Tent life in the
home camp had been an agreeable picnic
| drill, an amusement. Patriotism famed
high, and patriOts-sOme of them
drank deep. Half the officers there were
redolent of evil spirits in the literal
sense: a few showed their influence de-
cidedly. But when men are going to
die for their country, and wear uniforms
who is going to find fault with their
minor lapscs? Because we stay at home
shall there be no cakes and ale for those
who 90 to war? Did anybody blame
the army who swOre terribly in Elan
ders We should ali have been shocked
to see such a state of things i'm an Ordi-
nary reception in our respectable town,
but now nobody noticed it. 1 was talk
ing with Milesian lieutenant, who had
evidently fortified his courage for the
evening, and we were in an eager dis
course about the woes and wrongs of his
country, as we'll as mine, when L felt a
nervous AMI stringent touch on my arm
l turned around and beheld NanOn, her
face white even to the lips, and her eyes
dull.
Take me up stairs!" she gaSped.
But before i could get her to the hall
she sank dead weight on my arm.
opened the front door, put her in We
randa chair, and sent passing servant
for some water; but the fresh, keen
breath of the west wind revived her be-
fore the water came.
''What is the matter, Nan?" inquir-
ed, anXiously, when her eyes at last
opened brightly, and the bloom came
back to her lips and cheeks.
''TuberOses andf whiskey ugh - she
s&L Ill IN
right home, Jack: | can't bear it another
minute"
Here was the irrepressible nose! /
made such apologies as L could, and
took her home. inwardly thanking Heav-
ell that my own Olfactories were of the
usual sort.
The next unaccountable thing she did
and did the next day tO0-was to pull
me down to bed OF English strawber-
ries in friends garden. that L might
smell the delicious OdOr of the leaves
In vain snutfed and rubbed my nose
and tried to think perceived pleasant
smell; but nothing answered. Nanon
looked at me. amazed. was sorry; but
really smeiied nothing at all, while she
inhaled delicate perfume, she assured
me-. like no other to be described.
have since heard it was a sign O
good birthtO perceive this od0r. Mans
must have been very goou. by,and-Dy
our house was built. we moved into i
year after our Wedding day. L mus
say my little woman proved hersel1
| deft and dainty housekeeper. Our small
cottage was as neat as pee ceii, p'i
not painfully so. 1t was all lived IN IA
h0me-like; no shut-up rooms no over W,
| fine upholstery. too gOOd 10 use me
! carpets were not Brussels or TIE ciiiir'
rosewood, bureverything hafmonAeu III
every room. and MI the ornaments were
good of their kind.
hate room filled with fancy work
like the show-cOunter of an aSiicuitufa
fair, or a wOrsted shop; neither tortured
| crewels nor denominations in canvas vi
papers Uttered up our bright rooms
there were no tides on the chairs. n'
linen covers on the sofas. An ihdeScriD
able breath of purity and freshhess mice
the house. think this was owing u
her nose. confess; though [ nau e
smile when saw her dt,ilr tours through
the premises. with that dilate feature
high i'm the air delicai ely shifting at TIL
door of every closet and chamber aiit
bouncing upon any breath of evil as
nook in our house; the first faint seen
or damp earthiness was detected; th'
corner, the crock. the bottle that gener
ated it was scalded. sOaped, scraprd
dried. and summed on the instant; neithe
was any sour bread endured an hour
| no meat outlived its usefulness or it
pleasantness i'm larder or refrigerator
no pickles were beyond the verge o.
proper p!ckledness; our eggs were al
ways fresh. for Nan averred that fresh
egg had always its own clean OdOr
Heavens! what nose was that which
could pierce an egg shell
My wife was somewhat harassed, ne
doubt. for my wife developed turn fol
locating smells.
"Jack, where have you been? ?" sht
would say, repulsing me suddenly aftel
the first kiss with which she always re
ceived me coming from my office a
night and which pcliteness l was Away
expected to return; ''where have yOl
BEEN" with keen flash and CULVER o
eye and eyelid.
''Why, Nan?'
Because you smell of machinery"
"By George! / wouldn't have you
nose, Nan, tor five hundred dollars!'
Sand wouldn't be without it for five
thousand. Tell me, now, haven't you
been somewhere %
| Yes, | have been to several some
where's. | reluctantly admit, Mrs. Gard
ner, that went 10 Smiths printing of
flee to see about some bill-heads, ant
spent half an hour studying out thei
new press"
81 thought so. know the smell o
machine oil very WE'LL
| Another time l am greeted with an
other shudder
"What is it now, Nan?" I inquire, il
abiect tones of dismay.