Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1877-01-27
PROFESSOR SPIDER BARTHOLO-
NEW.
By MRS. ANNE A. PRESTON.


ace Kidder stopped long enough in his
whistling to observe. as he stood looking
listlessly out of the window, idly drum
ming an accompaniment to his music on
one of the par.es. .Shall / run and tell
Norah to put an extra pinch of Oolong
into the urn. and TO lay an extra plate
and knife and fork ?'' be went on, laugh
inc in spite of himself as he continued
his observations from the sunny bay
..Vho is it Horace ?" asked his mother,
from behind her mending basket.
~Onlv little Miss Clara Bidwell, moth
or. Come, look at her, cousin Hortense.
She is one of the best and dearest little
creatures i'm the world, but she is so short
and so plump and wadtlles along so Slow
ly, that one cannot help being amused at
her appearance and movements. She is
quite rich, they say, and owns a pony
carriage, but she takes long and frequent
walks by the advice of her physician,
who is apprehensive of avordupois OF the
heart, or something OF that Kind"
s.Stop, Stop, Horace" from behind the
mending basket.
.sThese long walks" he ratified or, "are
the innocent cause of making the lady
whom you now see approaching, fire.
quent and honored guest at our hospita-
bic board. Just look at the tout ensem-
bic of her attire, from the crown OF her
iaunty hat to the toe OF her dainty boot,
including shawl. neck-tie and gloves,
Won behold every variety of color. Did
Won ever see so many shades represented
in one outfit:
s.She has all the colors of the rainbow,
to be sure" replied Hortense, who was
visiting the Kidders for the first time,
land looks like a perambulating boquet.
/ dare say she is fond of flowers, but does
not possess the gift of harmonizing their
different hues."
Indeed yes said Horace, ''her garden
is just gorgeous from verdant spring to
autumn grey"
IL should like to know what she is do
ing with her parasol," said HOrtense,
looking at the funny little figure belong
ing 70 the lady whom the two cousins
had been so flippantly describing. who
as she walked along the gravel walk,
was turning her open, blue silk parasol
over and over. first one side up and then
the other. and then holding IL out at her
arms length straight before her.
As she neared the house, continuing
these queer performances. she saw Hor-
ace at the bay window. and with scared
look, very energetically beckoned him TO
come out and meet her.
What is it. Miss CIara?" he asked, as
he fastened down the walk to the gate
where the little woman stood twirling
her parasol i'm evident terror.
.Oh. this dreadful. dreadful spider, and
l am so afraid oil spiders.'
why don't you shake it off, then p
FL fO
the parasol over which large black and
yellow spotted, bottle-backed spider was
making long and nimble strides in search
of some stationary point from which he
might spin his way down TO the ground,
while its captor was frustrating that de-
sign by continually revolving the inter-
esting little animals present world of
operations.
THAT is just what don't want to do,
Master Horace. 1t is such a rare speci-
men. found it i'm the cemetery sus-
pended between father and mothers
monuments, and it's such splendid fell
low want to carry it to Prof. Spider
Bartholomew, as the boys call him. Will
you, please, dear MIR. Kidder. give me
box to put it in ?'' for by this time the
whole family had gathered around her
on the walk.
allow do you do. Miss Chickering q
acknowledging her Introduction TO til or
tense with a funny little bow. II an
glad to meet you. Are you interested il
spiders ?' she continued, as the youn,
girl relieved her of her disagreeable bur
den.
"Only as I am interested i'm all of God
wonderful works. But | am not at al
afraid of spiders" she said. as she poke
the curious animal that had at her toucl
rolled himself into little notified bal
its long legs firmly clasped around it, OF
the silken parasol into the small pape
box which Mrs. Kidder brought for tn
purpose, and putting on the cover, t.
Miss Bidwell's great relief. HOrtens
now instructed her cousin how TO max
two or three breathing places by jus
clipping off the corners of the box witt
his pocket knife.
sAnd now let me inquire who thi
Professor Spider Bartholomew is" sail
Hortense, after Miss Bidwell, relieved o
her wraps, was resting in comfortable
low rocking chair, which her rolly-pOol,
form quite filled.
sOh, certainly. I am glad to tell yol
Young people all about him, for [ ann sur
You will agree with me in considerin.
him TO be very interesting person. HI
is Professor of Natural History at the col
lege. His Christian name is Spio, and b.
being such an enthusiast in his profes
sion. the boys, the students, you know
call him Professor Spider
"They all have the greatest respect fo
him. but just now they are making
speciality of getting up absurd stories
about him, and it's quite the thing now
70 ask, whats the last about the 'Spi
der?' They declare that he will leave of
in the midst of a lecture to watch spi
der entangle fly, or to observe the mo
tions of a worm or an ant upon the class
room floor.
s'They have ridiculous joke on red
headed sophomore who went to sleep II
mis- class the other day. They say tha
the Professor stood over him for half ar
hour, noting the peculiarities of the Go
mestic economy of a large louise (deal
mel as exemplified upon the phrenolog
zeal organs of the sleeping Soph. The
students further declare that the crick
cts, grasshoppers and don bugs met in
solemn convention in the grove, and
passe resolutions to leave College Hill
and Il lat now. as they say it, the sound
of tn, sir music no longer blends with
that of the festive mosquito about the
dormitC rles."
How does all this talk affect the Pro-
fessor ?" asked Horace, who always great.
ly enjoye q MISS Bidwell's chit-chat, and
had now taken seat by her side.
"He doe sn't mind it at ALL even if he
knows any ching about it, which L very
much doat It. lie thinks of nothing APP
parently, nut his lectures and his speci-
mems He is, without exception, the
busis st pers& Dr. ever knew. His rooms