The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1877-05-24
All for Love.

sion, and any claim her people may
make upon him is honored without hest
tation. We have often heard the mother
of only one child, and that daughter,
commiserated in her helplessness. But
she is not necessarily helpless, unless the
daughter is uglier than sin, and fully as
disagreeable. A little girl of a sweet,
lovable disposition, can keep at least
three little boys fiuttering in the light of
her smiles, and while there is the faint
est prospect of winning her, any one of
them will work his knuckles off in her
mothers service, and feel grateful for
the opportunity. Young Mr.. Miggs is
enchanted with a young lady on Munson
Street. He was RECALLING himself on the
luxury of her presence last Wednesday
evening, when her mother came into the
room. Immediately Mr.. Miggs sprung
up to help her to a chair
81 was just wondering" she said,
glancing pleasantly at her daughter, ''if
Mr.. Miggs would help me to get that sit
ting-room bureau in its place?n
"Why, ma protested the young
lady.
'sCertainly, l will,n hastily and en-
Enthusiastically asserted Mr.. Miggs, his
whole face shining with benevolent in
tent.
at amt heavy, only one can't man.
age it very well alone, you see" explain
ed the willy woman. Il want it lifted
so | can put the carpet under it. 1t
won't take but a minute, and if you can
help me III be ever so much obliged
Help her! her, the mother of his dar-
ling! Help her! yes, indeed, he would
help herl What was the lifting of a
bureau when for her sake he would
march to an instant and horrible death
gratefully smiling all the way? Move
that bureau! Well, he rather thought
he would move it even if it disjointed
his spine, and turned both of his knee
pans upside down.
His face was all aglow as he followed
his darling's mother into the sitting
room.
"Here it is" explained the mother.
Mr.. Miggs looked. There it was to
be sure. 1t was substantial-looking
affair, and Rugged the floor pretty close
1t looked as if 1t had originally been de-
signed for an improved tenement house
in a large city, but had subsequently,
been altered over to suit its present pur-
pose. Mr.. Miggs glanced again at its
massive and impressive front, and then
at the carpet rolled up at its base, ready
to be run under it at the proper time,
and softly and in a subdued way spit on
his hands. Mr.. Miggs did not contrast
fayorably with the bureau. In shape
Mr.. Miggs is more devoted to length
than to breath, and if bureau was
capable of any feeling at all this one
might have hesitated to enter into a
contest where the odds were, apparent
ly, so fearfully great in its own favor
However, Mr.. Miggs appeared hopeful,
believing, perhaps, that where there is
a will there is away, and continued to
moisten the palms Of his hands while
the mother made the necessary prepar-
ations. When finished she said
''Now, Matilda, you hold the light,
while Mr.. Miggs lifts the bureau, and
will push the carpet UNDER
This was an admirable plan. Matilda
took the lamp, and smiled so prettily up
on Mr.. Miggs that he felt at once as if
he was equal to about any thing in the
way of lifting that could reasonably be
called for in this life. He reached down
Rugged the floor very close, and that by
taking it at the bottom of one end it was
bringing his face SO tightly against the
furniture as to seriously threaten free
respiration Then he placed his head
to one side, and this relieved his face.
However, he had to reach so far down to
take hold, that being very tall the bend
in his back was so great as to admit of
very little purchase in the lift. The
brightness in his eye dulled perceptibly,
and he was about to shift about for an
easier position when the voice of the
mother smote his ear
care you ready?''
"Yes'm," he hastily answered, and
set to work with all the strength he was
capable of, and with all the enthusiasm
the presence of Matilda could inspire
him. There was steady strain for an
instant which bulged his eyes, and al
most snapped his spine. Up came that
end OF the massive structure, while
the mother hastily sought to crowd
the carpet under. She worked swiftly.
but it seemed to him as if ages
were passing. The weight grew more
intense every second, his upper teeth
closed upon his under lip and pinned it
there. Every drop of blood crowded in
to his face until the heat therefrom made
it smart; his eyes came very near to STEP
ping out of their sockets, and were so
incapacitated by the strain as to fairly
impair their sight. He would have cried
out had it not been for the presence of
Matilda. How he did despise that bu-
reau! How he did loathe that carpet,
Every second increased the agony. He