The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1877-09-20

" He looked aggrieved and sorely puz-
zled. What had he done amiss! Had
MT he acted the part of gentleman in
avowing his feelings? Wasn't it more
honorable to tell her his intentions
frankly than it would have been to steal
her affections unawares?
"' But how did Miss Sparrow take it p
"sThat's what troubles me-, said my
wretched friend. 'She didn't take it
kindly; she seemed offended, and would
have run away if had not put my hand
on the door-knob and begged her to
hear me through. l assured her |
would not press her for an immediate
answer, but she only burst out crying,
declaring had no right to say such
things to her; she would tell her father
As if should object to his being told !
Indeed, l should have spoken to him
myself on the subject this morning had
not DR.. Pillsbury said he was too i'll to
see strangers. | tried to make this
plain to Miss Sparrow I implored her
to tell me how / had vexed her, but she
broke away from me and rushed out of
the room. | can not understand her
conduct. | might have known such a
bright young girl couldn't fancy an old
fossil like me, but am 90 bad fellow,
Hal, that she need feel insulted by my
love? would have walked barefooted
over burning Goals sooner than have
wounded her Us have done And SO
on, and so on, till the cock crew.
81 ventured a second time to hint
that he had merely been too precipitate
in his wooing, but he shook his head in
credulously, and finally went away as
mystified as he came.
At our next meeting the little So
prano asked me in a shy, conscious way
if my friend were quite WELL Had / ever
fancied his brain affected? / might have
answered with simple negative; l
shall always think a little better of my
self, Steve, that then and there. in the
full bewitchment of Miss Sparrow's $
presence, 1 had manliness enough to
speak good word for Timothy-to tell
her that, spite of some eccentricities, he
had the finest brain, as well as the
warmest heart, of any man of my ac-
qu;tintance.
81 did not see her again for months,
as she withdrew from the choir to de-
vote herself exclusively to her father,
whose sufferings were becoming daily
more intense. These were not so much
from actual pain, as from extreme
nervousness that opiates failed to re-
lieve. DR.. Pillsbury often spoke OF
the case-the Doctor was board
ing here then-and one day he ap-
pealed to Timothy to 60 with him
and try his magnetic power upon
the patient. A queer look came over
Timothy's face, but he went at once,
and was able to soothe the sick man
simply by the laying ON of hands. After
this, while Mr.. Sparrow lived, he went
often, and comforted him greatly in his
last hours, not only by his mesmeric in
fiuence, but indirectly as well by keep
ing those boys out Of the way. The
money he spent at that time in taking
the lads to panoramas and menageries
would have constituted him life member
of missionary society.
"You can see the natural result. Hav-
ing proved blessed narcotic to the dy.
ing father, Timothy ceased to be an irri.
tant to the daughter. An irritant? Tim.
othy couldn't irritate her, and she
couldn't irritate Timothy. I've studied
them curiously the three years of then
married life, only to arrive at this con
viction. And you took them for bride
and groomp Nc wonder! since they still
feast with unabated relish on connubia,
sweets. Ah, well! such diet is not tol
me, my boy; l thrive upon sour grapes >