The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1877-09-27
ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL.


Mrs. Bracegirdle fingered moment
with her left hand upon the door-knob
and with the thumb and fore-fnger of
the other twisting and untwisting her
apron string in a little, hesitating way
she had when she wished to say some
thing. She mad just come in at my
summons, to receive the quarterly rent
for my room. l am young "mede-
cin,' as the French very appropriately
and significantly term physicians, and
being then a single man, hired front
parlor of good Mrs. Bracegirdle, the re-
minder of whose very genteel house was
occupied by her .'bread-and-meat board
ers," as she termed her boarders who
took their usual meals at her table, by
way of distinguishing them from mere
room occupants like myself.
l had been Mrs.. Bracegirdle's lodger
and tenant for year and three months,
and never chad word' with her
save in the kindliest manner and tone
AS | never was in arrears, and always
cheerfully prescribed for her rheumatics
without charge, was favorite.
"Well, Mrs. Bracegirdle, have you
any thing to say?"
Her eyes surveyed deliberately and
admiringly my handsomely furnished
room, with its handsome curtains, ele-
giant bookcases, rich sofa and chairs and
snowy carpet, before she replied, and
then, with a pleasant smile and knowing
nod, she said:
81 do wonder, doctor, you don't get
married. Such nice room, and you
could have the one above it for sleep
ing-room and could, you know, if you
liked, let you have your meals private
like, letting your office-boy, Tim, the
lazy rogue, with nothing to do but play
marbles and chalk my sidewalk, to set
and wait on and clear off table! | do
wonder you are content to live alone
And such a pleasant-spoken gentleman,
and SO quiet and respectable, for young
doctor, i'm your habits-all calculated to
make a wife happy! It's a pity such
nice furniture and such q nice room
should be thrown away so."',,. ~.
Mrs. Bracegirdle was handsome, not
over forty-one, a widow and $50 said
rumor) had laid up not less than 5000
in the savings bank, with the good will
of a popular clearinghouse. These
facts forced themselves upon my mind,
and looked now at my hostess to see
if she was trying to lay snare for me.
1t is true she had on shade smarter
cap than usual, and looked unusually
attractive; but when / reflected that
she had regarded me always more with
motherly feeling than a "young wild
owish' one. l dismissed the unworthy
suspicion from my thoughts and said,
smilingly:
"And where shall I get wife, dear
madam?'
"Bless me! handsome young man
with such white teeth" (Mrs. Bracegir-
die had splendid teeth), ga horse and
buggy, good practice and some money
of his ownsto askswhere he shall find a
wife! There's fifty ladies would jump
to get such a chance!"
You fiatter me, my dear friend"
answered, secretly rejoicing in the flat.
terry, as all we vain bipeds do, albeit we
profess not to be taken by it. ga wife
is dangerous risk. One must change
ones habits if one marries. | should
lose my independence. / can now dc
as l smoke, lounge, wear my
slippers, 60 in and out as 1swish, sit on
three chairs and table too, if take a
notion to spread myself, and if II Law
any thing down | know where to find it
Why, II 1t makes me nervous to see your
Betsy, the chambermaid, come into my
room with that buster of an old, torn
silk handkerchief, lest she should do
mischief, what would become of me
with wife who would put seyery thing
in ORDER not understanding that
there exists a certain systematic
arrangement perceptible to my own eve
IN all this chaos? If my pipe lies on an
open book it is to mark a reference: if
my shoe is on my bed, there is proba-
bly, under it, for safe keeping, speci-
men Of newly discovered beetle-bug 4;
if haf-brick is on my writing-desk,
put it there to keep the papers from be-
ing blown away. But you know nv
habits Mrs. -Bracegirdlc.
''Yes, doctor, and that is the reason
you ought to be married, for your words
show you are selfish, and there is no
cure for it but wife," she said with
emphasis.
"Yes, l have no doubt wife would
quite put me out of conceit with myself
| answered with half-sneer. 50 But to
tell the truth, Mrs. Bracegirdle, 1 have a
great desire to be married, but am the
most difficult person to suit. MY wife
must be perfection. l can't bear ugli-
ness, and bad feature in woman can
never forgive,n