Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-03-18
BLIFIsCRy WEDDING.

A~A~SA -
Rugged, saturnine and cynical o. to
appearance; Grabbed, misery and reti
cent as to disposition; such was Blifinch
e. Co., general merchandise brokers and
provision dealers. For Blifinch was
Blifinch, and Company also; the latter
attachment of the firm being purely fc
titious, and designed possibly for eupho.
ny-pcrhaps to give distinction to the
firm title.
Blifinch dwelt in ram-shackle, tum-
ble-down old rookery in Pearl street, an
establishment which had come to him
strictly in the way of business, having
fallen into his clutches through the fore
closure of mortgage, by which process
an estimable but impecunious family
were summarily elected into the street
one raw November afternoon, from
which period they vanished out of mans
cogniZance.
As there could be found no tenant fol
the rookery Blifinch moved into it him
self, being enabled thereby to lease his
former dwelling-place, in more agreea-
BILE location, to excellent advantage.
Blifnch was as universally disliked
and condemned as it is possible for a
mdu W Uc- Ills udIuucbo dt oIIfluS
bargain, his want OF charity-either
for frailty or misfortune-his absolute
disregard for the customary amenities OF
life; these peculiarities caused him to be
summed by all who were not driven to
intercourse with him through business
exigencies. OF these latter, however,
there were very many, and his line of
trade was SO successful in its competi-
4. hn <,f ho h,,oi
that Blifinch had amassed no inconsid-
cradle amount of property, which was
securely invested in the best possible
securities at profitable interest.
There was, however, in regard to Bill
finch one single redeeming feature: he
had daughter-Polly BIifnch-whose
characteristics were in such marked con-
trast to those of her father that they
shed halo of reflected brightness and
beauty over the latter which made even
the surly meanness of Blifinch seem less
obnoxious when she was by.
Polly was by this time twenty years
old, and as sweetly-pretty a girl as one
would wish to see. Her charms of dis
position seemed to have given q special
loneliness to her every expression, and
her amiability and kindness went far
in the estimate of those who knew both
to atone for the rugged and unhandsome
protuberances of character which caused
Blifnch to be so disliked.
Of course Polly had many admirers
for, though she was not permitted to see
any company whatever under the inhos-
pitable roof which covered her gloomy
habitation, there were still ways and
means innumerable by which she could
form comprehensive, and through which
these could grow into affectionate inter
ests. But though many pleasing and
wholly unobjectionable young men
sought Polly from time to time with a
direct view to matrimonial results, these
efforts had been invariably unsuccessful
until period about one year prior to
the date of the present narrative.
At that time Polly had made the &C.
quaintance of young sailor, then mate
of merchant vessel trading with the
West Indies, and who was the brother of
one of Polly's special friends. Constant
association with this mariner when ne
was on shore. and as constantly listening
to his praises when he was at sea, had
at last their natural effects; and when
Sam Collier proposed, just before sailing
on one of his voyages, Polly consented
to be his wife before she had given Bill
finch's probable reception of the matter
q single thought. When, after the first
transports of the position had subsidized,
she did reflect upon her fathers interest
in the important question, her spirits
went down with startling rapidity. In
deed, about FIVE minutes of practical
consideration of the subject resulted in
her conveying to her lover, with many
sobs and tears, the unqualified certainty
that Blifinch would no more let them
marry than he would present his son-in-
law presumptive with new ship. Young
Collier was of sanguine temperament,
however, had very good opinion of
himself, and had never seen old Blifnch /;
so, of course, he had no doubts on the
subject, and insisted on proceeding at
once to communicate with the Gap
tain," as he brevetted Polly's father in
his reference to him.
Polly consented finally, as the shortest
way of surmounting the difficulty; and
that same evening Sam Collier made his
appearance at the rookery, and, being in
troduced to Blifinch by his daughter,
then and there, and in the most seaman
like language, proceeded to demand Pol
ly's hand as an accompaniment for her
heart, Of which he claimed present pos
session.
Blifinch heard him through quietly,
and then, turning to his daughter, said
"Polly, is all this true that this young
man has been sayingG"
"Yes, father"
''And you want to marry him, do
your"
"If you please, father"
Blifinch meditated for about two min
utes; then, turning to Collier, he said
"You are mate of a ship, you tell me,
young MANI"
"Yes, sir" replied Collier, patterning
his replies after Polly's laconic style.
"How would you like to be Captain of
ships" said Blifinch.
"Very much" replied the sailor.
"Very well" continued Blifnch, re-
turning as he spoke to some papers he
had been examining when he was inter.
rupted. "Come to my store tomorrow
at noon. ] will get you the appointment
OF Captain of ship in which I am inter-
ested; she sails next week for Callao. If
you make good voyage on her, you can
yknx