The Republican journal., 1876-11-09
How DR.. Stone fell In Love with
Grandmother.

GRANDMOTHER.
/ mo, Sir" said Dir. Stone, emphatical-
| ly; 'no widows I've an unconquerabe
aversion to them, and have followed old
Weller's advice to Samivel. since my ear
liest boyhood, and most carefully bewared
Of EN-. If ever marry, the bride must
be young girl; so young, in fact, that
can be almost sure--nO one can be quite
sure Of anything where a woman is con-
cerned-that | am her first and only
Don't screw up your face in that outrage
| Gus manner, Payne; You look as though
you We're going to have a tit, Laugh and
have done with it, aud then let's stop talk
ing nonsense, for | haven't the slightest
idea OF marrying, or falling in love, or
anything of the sort"
mo old bachelor ever has, y said Payne.
But | say, Doe if were you, I'd have
neat little card dangling from a hutton-
hole bouquet, with the inscription, No
Widows for 'pon honor, you're exactly
the sort Of chap a Wcll-to- do, pretty. sus-
ceptible widow would be spoons on,
Handsome, clever, and Just turned for
ty-n
"Stuf" growled the doctor. What
Al ibpl y GU are, dN lie -Ailu lHtH, gIduc-
ing from the office window, he continued.
as his friend, with Il mischicvous twinkle
in his eyes, was about making some fur
ther remarks, "And do be silent for a few
moments, if such thing he possible. for
here comes young Phillips's nurse-maid
and in u hurry too. which is something
remarkable for that usually easy going
and eminently genteel young person
"Well, my girl" as she entered the Of
flee. "what's the matter ?"
'Oh, doctor" she gasped, 'babys took
very sick and We're awful scared, and his
mothers away, and won't be home till
night
Wouldn't be much good t she was, +"
muttercd the doctor; "a Young bit of Il
thing. looking like u baby herself"
Zone Of the kind a man might be u3-
most sure had never loved another-hev,
Stone ?" asked Payne.
But Stone vouchsaled him no reply
''Who's with the child now ?" he inquired
Of the frightened girl,
1.-The seamstress, Sir. We've sent for
his erandmamma, but were afraid she's
away from home too, cause Mrs. Phillips
scarcely ever goes shoppln' without h er"
We'll, run ahead; I'll be there in Il
moment''-struggling into his overcoat.
''And. Payne, take care Of the office. l
won't be long. There's Il new book on
come back. Capital article where the
leaf is turned down-a man blown almost
into pieces, but find it for yourself"
Thank, = you, /" said Payne; ''but if it's
all the same to you, old fellow, | prefer
something not quite 50 amusing"
When DR.. Stone arrived at the dwelling
of the Phillipses, the nurse-maid informed
him, as she opened the door, that the
baby had taken a turn for the better, dear
lamb, and had been sleepin' peacefully for
the last ten minutes
I'm take look at the little fellow"
said the doctor springing lightly up the
stairs and gently opening the door OF the
nursery
The baby lay in its crib fast asleep. and
by its side. holding one tiny hand, sat 81
very pretty woman, who, at the first
glance. The doctor decided to be about
twentY--at the next. at least Twenty-Five
Her golden hair was knotted with artistic
carcles5ness at the back of her small,
shapely head. 4 few pretty tendrl-like
curls escaping TO lie like little stlnbeams
on her low broad brow Her eyes were
large, soft, bright. dark brown, and shad-
ed by long silky lashes Her nose, Slight
ly, 'tip-tlted." as Tennyson has it, lent
an avchness to her face which otherwise,
with s's'h cN ta >.4d l.e,f,, =. ,,,,"th and
chin, would have been ''lanltily tanltless.'
Her dress, of some lustreless gray stutl,
with n bright blue ribbon at the throat and
soft lace rut1les at the wrists. clung close
to a beautiful form; and the hand that
held the baby's was small, snowy white
and daintily shaped All Of which did the
doctor take in in three quick glances, after
the manner Of his kind
"A seamstress pa princess :" was the
Judgment he pronounced mentally AS he
drew of his gloves, and, with unusual
urblnity, proceeded TO make some profess
sional inquiries about the child
The seamstress answered in a wonder
fully pleasant voice and in a remarkably
well bred and self possessed manner.
''Baby seems to be all right now" said
she ''but | think YOU haa better wait n
little while, doctor. ia. fear the Spasms
might return"
The doctor seated himself, not at all un-
willingly, it must be confessed, and while
the baby still slumbercd entered into con-
verse with his beautiful companion. IN u
few moments he found himself turning
over the leaves OF Il Browning which he
had taken from u small table Ey her side,
and then, in another few moments, giving
her, to his great surprise, his opinion Of
that writer and his works.
| say, to his great surprise, for the doc
tor was really q Shy, reserved man aud
not at all given to talking poetry to pretty
women; but this woman was SO pretty.
As he went on, waxing eloquent, it sud
denly struck him that 4 needle-woman
would not be familiar with these poems,
surprise, take up the subject and deliver
a criticism far better and clevcrer than his
own.
From browning and that most resplen-
dent genius, his wife, to Tennyson, Dick
ems, Thacheray, and at last George Eliot,
Of whom the seamstress spoke with Il deep
er crimson on her cheeks and q brighter
light in her glorious brown eyes, "Silas
Marner,n she said, lis the loveliest." But
by this time the doctor had become so in
terested in watching the play of the pret-
tily curved lips and the beWtching dim
piles that came and went with every smile,
lie ceased to hear what the enthusiastic
speaker rus saying; and when she, look
ing him straight in the face. asked, Don't
you agree with me, doctor? he was obliged
to stammer, Il beg thousand pardons,
but what aroS your last remark ?"
1T is | who should beg pardon" said
the pretty seamstress. with q charming
little grimace. How thoughtless have
been How could go on SOP" The
doctor wished she'd go on forever. "But
pray don't stay another minute; only tell
me what to do il baby is taken sick again,
and if | find | can't manage him, l'll send
for you Immediately. hope, however,
to be able to get along without you!"
The doctor hoped she wouldnt-inter-
nally, of course-and then he said, 81 as
sure you, madam, | have still an hour at
your service" Oh, wicked DR.. Stone and
old Mrs Aspen groaning with rheumatism
and expecting you by appointment this
blessed moment. II shall be only too
happy to stay-l mean, think. it neces-
sary | should remain These childish com
plants are, as perhaps you are not aware
nttan yarv danrarouC y And apajn oh