The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1876-03-25

umphantly that l had already had tw
offers for the house.
Nothing wonderful in that said he
"this is the pleasantest house in the neigh
borhood, and of course every one would b
glad to get it. But whatever you do, don
make a bargain with any one before W
have place to go to ourselves
81 have heard of a good boarding plac
already said |, confidently, " and l an
going to look at it after dinner. But wa
going to ask you, John, what the rent o
this house ought to be ~
Haven't you settled that yet9 Well
don't ask less than thirty dollars month
and as much more as you can get"
In the afternoon, when | was hurryins
to get my work done in order to 90 out
and luxuriating in the thought of my APP
preaching emancipation from household
drudgery, L was again interrupted by tina
door bell.
A fat, small eyed, red nosed woman
dressed in a strange mixture of colors
stood there, with two children in funny
tinery.
Are you the mistress Of the house %
she asked.
Yes; do you think of renting it ?"
said
81 should like to see it first, ma am, ,
she replied.
Then | had to take the trio into every
room. 1t was slow work, for Mrs Briggs
was ponderous and given to talking, anC
everything in the house seemed to remind
her of something else that she had seen OF
heard of, and felt herself bound to favor
me with full and particular account there
of. In this manner | heard the whole oil
the romantic story of the elopement Of
Mr.. and Mrs. Briggs twenty years ago, and
also the touching events of the sickness OF
several members of her numerous family
Then came the history of several of heI
boarders, who must all have been remarlla-
BILE people from her description. So in
cessant was the stream of words flowing
from her lips, in a fat sort of monotone,
that felt almost as if | must be in hor-
rible nightmare from which l could not
wake. 1t came to an end at last, however,
when she asked what the rent was, and |,
in despair at the thought of perhaps hav-
ing future meetings with her. mentioned
the sum of fifty dollars a month.
She looked aghast for a moment, and
then, shaking her head solemnly from side
to side, Said,-
4" should feel that l was robbing my
poor children to pay more than half of
that and then with as much dignity as
she could assume, and still shaking her
head, she left the house, and | breathed
I freely once more.
Then l went as soon as possible to the
address | had seen in the paper. 1t was a
plain, brick house in row, with all the
window blinds closed. A neat looking
! girl opened the door and ushered me into
the parlor, opening the shutters just wide
enough for me to be able to see the sombre
gray paper, the stiff, black horse hair chairs,
and the sofa, of the same melancholy
material, which rested itself YEARLY against
| the wall as if the sorrows of life, and not
merely old age, had taken all the spring
out of it. The only picture which graced
the walls was the likeness of long faced,
sour looking man, with an awful choker
on, framed in black, with a withered piece
of cypress over the top. In minute or
/ two the door opened, and worn looking
woman in rusty black entered.
81 have come to see the roomS,' | said
rushing to the point at once in way that
would have shocked John had he been
there.
| very well, you can come up stairs, Mrs.
- and she hesitated.
"Selkirk,'' put in, and followed her.
The rooms were large, pleasant, and very
clean. so that began to think myself in
luck's way, and when we returned to the
parlor and commenced talking of terms
all was equally satisfactory. And then
when my mind was almost made up, Mrs
Tweezle-for such was her name-laid her
hand on my arm in an impressive manner
"You cannot think, my dear lady," said
she "what joy | experience in this moment
| recognize in you a kindred spirit, and
feel that, young as you are, you will sym
pathiZe with me in my sorrows. | can
read it in your liquid eyes, and in the
delicate quvering of your sensitive mouth.
The lonely widow will be more to You than
the mere borading house keeper-she will
be your friend and you will be her sweet
conSoler.'
saw she expected me to speak, but so
fearful was | that the delicate quiverng'
of my mouth would become an irresistible
laugh that | merely shook my head con-
dolingly.
"You see that portrait ~ she went on
:" He was my late husband, and, the priv
lege of having been the wife of such man.
SO excellent. so pious. And yet SO humble
was he that he would sit for days before
the fire in this room weeping over his sins,
till his largest pocket handkerchief would
oftentimes be wringing wet with that
saints holy tears. Oh, the task l had to
coax him to eat anything. | was teaching
school then, but the only way l could do
was to hurry home and cook up some kind
of extra, SO as to take him by surprise as
he sat, and then he'd be tempted"
But was he in no business 20 | man
aged to ask.
He bad been clerking in a store, till
his sins took such hold on him that he just
gave it up to have more time for weeping
and meditating. And then his enemies
went and got up the story that he drank,
and that it was the liquor that kept him in
tears at home. Just as if the little drop
of gin he was forced to take between meals
to keep the life il him, could have hurt
one of his character
"Well, Mrs. Tweezle, | really must be
going now" | said rising up.
You will take those rooms 90 urged
Mrs. Tweezle, holding my hands closely
in hers.
q must talk with my husband about it
first:,, replied, disengaging myself from
her grasp.
"Ah yes! you are still blest with
beloved partner. But it will not be for
long" she said, rolling up her eyes, " some
thing seems to tell me that you and | shall
soon be one in sorrows"
son, gracious, hope not. exclaimed,
breaking away and half running down the
street, wondering to myself whether this
extraordinary woman had not been refresh
ing herself with drop Of the same stimu-
liant as that used 10y her dear departed.
But, dear me. if | go on relating all the
experiences of the next few days, | shall
far exceed all rational limits, so | will just
skip over all that | went through in the
way of intruders on my peace, ringing at
that door bell the whole day long, and the
weary walks had in search of a boarding
place, (Mrs. TweeZlc's with all its pious
drawbacks, was the best saw
The climax was reached in this manner.
My opposite neighbor, Miss Pry, was a
person of low origin and pushing ways,
who had several times tried to force herself
upon my acquaintance, but whom | had
always repulsed. She was away from home
when | put ont my notice, but | suppose
had not been back twenty minutes when
she was at my house.
"Mercy on us, Mrs. Selkirk!' she ex-
claimed, pushing into the pallor, "you
don't say you are going to let your house?
l could hardly believe my eyes when | saw
the notice up. But was right glad though,
for my cousin, Ann Stokes, is looking out
for house. aud would just love to be so