The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-11-25
A NERVOUS MANS STORY
BY N. Il. D.

| When by the advice OF Doctor Sangrado +,
| retired to the very retired village of
POkerville, l was considered the most
wealthy old bachelor in our State. Doc
tor Sangrado advised me to leave the
city Tor two months. "And where shall
go" asked,
"Pokerville. Most quiet little town
in the Union. Pretty place, too. You
can board with Mrs Quobog, very fine
woman, assure you. Take the whole
lhouse and exclude all other bearders,
and it will be your salvation, Mr.. De-
lancy."
| Taken as whole my retreat was all
that could be expected. Mrs. Quobog
did every thing that sne could TO make
all things pleasant to me. She ever
trained her facial muscles to smile in
one particular way, every time the same,
saving me the horror (nerVous horror
of looking upon any unexpected contor-
tiOns OF her features. She carried tun-
lng-lork and always pitched her voice to
a certain key when addressing me. Her
husband took an octave lower so that
| there should be no disc0rd. But there
was one thing, the singing of the birds,
which l mad to tolerate, whether 1T
pleased me or not. With this single eX-
ception, found nothing during the first
week OF my stay there but what was
really pleasant. My nerves were cer-
tainly growing stronger. ...
AS [ said, | had no one to converse
with. and 50 came to this quiet, beauti-
ful place to commune Win Nature. L
| did not exactly understand the m0dNS
| operdndt, you see; but having heard Of
people who did 60 out into the fields and
woods to commune with Nature, l
thought | would go out and see If l.
couldn't strike up u conversation with
the old lady. ...,
| Twas on The morning of the tenth
| day OF August, 49, that for the fifth time
l sailed out for the purpose of cohmun-
ing with Nature. 1t was just such a
morning as shines perhaps once in hun
dred yeaIs-some centuries these MORN
niugS come as often as three or Iour
| times PVe heard, but don't remember
anv such. l threw myself upon the
grass at the foot oil an old oak, the lden-
| tical tree that the Woodman spared, and
was Just wishing that old Mother Nature
would appear, wnen 10! and behotd-she
came. l was surprised and disappointed
| but agreeably so, for l had understood
from one or two books Of poetry that /
had read, but which l confess | didn't
understand at all, that she was an elder
| ly lady Of benign aspect. But on the
|
over tAlrty, and confess that felt my
| bosom swell with pride as l gaZed upon
her, for she was certainly very beauLi-
lul.
| The lady had almost reached me be-
| fore | was observed. When she did per-
ceiVe me she remarked-"Op in such
shrill treble that was fearful that my
nerves would never recover from the
| shock.
~ beg your pardon, ma'am," said l,
rising and lifting my hat. 81 had really
no right to intrude upon your grounds"
"My groundsW The lady was smil-
ing ana blushing in very bewitcbing
manner.
"Why yes," answered: and then
| thought l might be mistaken i'll the
lady. "You are-ah-if l mistake not,
you are"-I hesltated about pronounc-
ing the name, as any one naturally
would in the presence OF the lady herself.
80, my name is Anna"
"Ah, ] see," interrupting her-"Ani-
mated Nature-eXactly, felt sure it
must be you"
The lady laughed.
"You are tacetous, l see, Mr.. De-
lancy"
| stared. sYou know my name?"
"Do 1 not? But you do not know me.
l only arrived last night. L am Mrs.
Y loDogs sister, Mfs. bladlmugs, m of
lnlmplevon: d,A EAIuse nne io[ ihtruaing
upon you; uAu ho' Ano" you hau leit
tne MOUSE.
mo intrusion az al, maam' In lact
l was Jus1 wlsnihs lol some one to LAX
10. l oalie g. ou' W commune me WIN Ma
'uTe, anu d. Ii ~ d. i Go9N you IoL 1el'"
mere MIS-. Dluulmug' smiled again.
tes' she laugneu llgnt out. singular as
IL may seehl' tuefe was sometnlhg sooth-
ing TO me III neI sIlVeIy laugn; IL was
truly Wohoerlui' put nevertheless true,
That every "snlcker, seemed 10 make
my nerves more steauy'
"We shall Jake her placeT she
asked, WIN peNlEcRlng simplicity.
81 shall consider IL faVor."
Mrs. Biddlmugs seated herself upon
the grass by the slde OF the stream and
| sat down beside her. Methinks my
bosom was sWelilng with something
more than pr!de as L gazed upon her.
We talked. can not tell you what our
conversation was about. something or
nothing, IL don't matter which. l liked
to listen to the SOFT tones OF her voice.
| could have sat there beside her-I was
going to say forever, but don't believe
in using such large hyperboles. L will
say this, though, that forgot that had