The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1875-11-11
FIVE AND A HALF-PATCHED.

no doubt they're right though can't
90 go far as TO agree with them when
thew declare a man owning to hve-and-
forty wears and a dozen white hairs " de-
cidcdIy venerable" and "feariully
gray" ,,,,
However, an old bachelor am dubbed,
and | must confess, if 70 acquire that
distinction one is Obliged 10 enjoy life to
the utmost, M | do, and be made much
Of by lovely women and charming maid
ems, az ] am, | have no serious objection
TO the title.
In the first place, my home is \ home
in every scnsc Of the word, hlIlo"E"
without n mother or even a mot'c'''"
OCCUPY, and have occupied for the
mast wear. n suite of remarkably pleasant
rroomgg tbc front windows looking on a
c;,y nark and the back On a garden made
delightful by two fine old pcach-trcc3, Il
heavy grapevine, and swcct.smcIling
w%jstarja.. The latter has climbed 10 my
windows, and, twining in and out Of the
Stats Of the shutters, cilcctualIy prevents
my closing them, but gives me in recon-
pcnsc great fragrant punches Of purple
flowers.
These cheerful rooms are part and
parcel Of Mrs. Midgcta boarding-hOusc,
No, ! am wrong. Mrs. Midgct-Mr.
Midget was lost mt sea five years ago
does not keep clearinghouse, but takes
a few select boardcrs, Of whom she Is
pleased TO intimate she considers me the
sclectest.
Wonderfully comfortably the "icw So
lcct' find il in Mrs. Midgcts shady, old
fashioned, ncatIy-kcpt, thrcc*Cory brick
house.
"%,Eycrything like wax" my eldest Sis
ter says when she comes to visit me,
which is about oncc in four wccks--a
day or two after my magazines have ar
rived.
''And the landlady," invariably re-
piled, "isn't she awful ~cunning?-so de
murc in her ways and speech for such a
wee thing and 50 pretty, with her bright
blue eyes and yellow hair"
But Maria, | can't divine why, pre-
tends not to hear me, or else repeats with
s~c0rnful emphasis; "Awiul cunningl'
The fact is, Pm X much among my
kinswOmcn that | often find myself when
J wish TO be particularly emphatic, bor-
rowing their queer ~adjectivcs and pccu-
liar forms Of expression.
"Indced, uncle" said Charley to me
the other ~day-namcd for me, Charlotte
(Charles, rs near as they could get at ito
"yOu'rc beginning TO talk likcagirl-and
at your time Of life, tool" And | didn't
feel at all insultcd; for if all girls talk Us
well rs my nicees | consider Charlcy's
remark rather Il compliment than other
wise.
Mrs. Midget knows how to furnish n
table, too; all sort Of little dcIicacics and
unexpected tidbits, stcws and hashcs
above rcproach, bread and pies, marvcls
of culinary skill, and ten and coffee
we'll, really coffee and tea.
AS for Mrs. Midget herself, she's such
n tot of a woman that | feel like laugh
my outright every time ! look at her,
pcrchcd on a pile Of music books placed
ON n chair-thc chair itself taller than
any Of the 'fcw sclccts'-at the head of
the dining table. Indeed, only the other
day, when she asked, in Il solemn man
ucr, fixing her blue eyes on my face, and
lifting a large sOupladlc in her mite Of q
hand, if | would have some soup, | did
burst out laughing, she looked 50 very
like II little girl playing dinner with her
mothers dinner-set.
The miniature woman laid down the
Iadlc and gazcd ut me in surprise.
"Mrs. Midget, | beg your pardon, -
said !; q" suddenly thought of a man
saw at the circus"
"Oh!" said Mrs. Midget, and, returned
TO the soup.
Pm a romantic old foIIow-thcrc, You
see how naturally | fall in my nicccs'
way-Iovc, poetry, music, flowers (NIrs.
Midget always has II p0sy ready for me
in summertime, which she pins into my |
butt0n-hOle with her own fair hands,
and | assure you it's not at all unpleasant
to have her standing IN the tips of her
toes to reach it, with her small, round
head just touching my chin), and the
fair sex.
Yes, old bachelor AS | am, | love, and
always have loved, the fair sex; and ]
really think it is because ! love them 80
well still remain unmarried. never
could make up my mind hat one of all
those admired was prctticr, brighter
and swecter than the others, and as |
wanted the sweetest, prctticst and bright
est | have been in n dilemma all my life.
But I've always meant to, and my intcn-
ton is stronger than ever since the day |
picked up the little patched glove in
broadway in front of Stewards.
feel convinced that the owner of that
glove is the wife for me. | wear il next
my heart. silly? Not n bit of it. No
single man could help wearing a glove
like that near his heart.
Five and a half n pretty mouse-color;
every finger well filled out, scarcely a
crease in thcm-she must be plump; Il
FAINT smell of rose Gas Il general thing,
with the exception of honest cologne, |
dctest perfumes, but if | can endure any
1t is rose, calling TO mind, as it does,
bees, butterflies, flowers, and all that sort
OF thing, and the cunningest patch in
the palm of the hand.
Now Id never seen q patch in a glove
before, 70 it struck me MS something odd,
and examined it critically. The man
ncr in which that patch was sewcd in
told me the wearer of the glove was neat
and methodical; the fine silken stitches
used in sewing that patch in, that she
was dainty; the fact hat the color of the
patch exactly matched that of the glove,
that she was constant, true TO one shade.
Then ! imagined her personal appear
ance; Soft brown eyes, chestnut hair,
slight but plump figure, feet, to cores
pond with her Enthusiastically graceful
and, altogether, very attractive.
"Ill wager she sings, plays and dances
well," said to myself, in conclusion /;
"is not rich, or she would not patch her
glove; or poor, or she would not wear
kids"
/ must find her!
All very well to say, but how to find
Yy.r - ~ q.