Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-01-02
BERTHILDA'S OFFER.

MI. THU llttu Vic IL pIiUtolOl VI UolIlS
as hard as his name. Certainly he was
crustv sort of old gentleman, with a
disagreeable habit of telling what he
considered to be the plain truth to
every one As every one did not at
once bow low and say" Mr.. Flint
you are perfectly right" this habit of
frankness had brought him into great
many quarrels with his friends and
relatives, so that at last the only one of
his own blood with whom he was on
speaking terms was his orphan niece,
Be1thilda, who kept house for him, to
whom he was unusually kind, and who
believed him to be a modern Solomon.
She had never once contradicted him.
When he told her that the Flints were
generally good looking, but that she
took after her mothers family, who
were all as plain as pike-staffs, she
answered, Yes, uncle, but that is not
my fault. you know" When he said
she need not mind about being good
looking, because, after all, she was a
nice little thing and would be more
apt to be left to keep house for him for
ever, she appeared to be. comforted
She was mild and meek, and her
vanity had been quite taken out of her
by her uncle's frankness.
She was, really, by no means, so
very plain; but she accepted Mr.. Flint's
opinion without a murmur.
1t was all genuine. She was one of
those little women who naturally bow
down before the male head of the
family and worship him. She had not
ever reflected that he might leave her
his money, or some portion of it. 1t
was too dreadful to think of Uncle
Flint's ever dying at all.
As for marrying it did not enter Ber-
thilda's mind. She had written her
self down a spinster, as soon as she
had heard Uncle Flint's opinion on the
subject, which was oracularly given
when she was about sixteen years of
age; but now that she was nearly thirty,
she was astonished by the appearance
of a lover in the shape of a stout far
nner Of forty, widower without chill
~dren. and owner of as fine piece of
property as could be found in the state
1t was a case of love at first sight on
his part, and Berthilda finding herself
made love to, and being quite unused
: to the situation, felt that it was her
duty to refuse him, since to marry
would be to contradict Uncle Flint's
distinct assertion that she was born to
sbe an old maid; and yet yielded to the
advances of Mr.. Heskins, so far as to
allow herself to be seen home from
meeting, kissed at the gate, and occa-
sionally encircled by large arm, which,
after squeeze or two she always put
away with choked little squeal.
Finally Mr.. Hoskins offered himself,
and Berthilda, having confessed to
partiality for him, ending by asserting
that Uncle Flint should decide the mat
ter, and that she dared not mention the
subject to him.
"Well then [ will" said Mr.. Hoskins
!" [ amt afraid of ne man, and if your
uncle mas anything agin, me he can out
with it and prove it. I'll write and ask
him, since you are SO partickler, Ber-
thildy; though being of age [ can't
see why he has anything to say about
it."
To which Berth1ldy, sobbing, replied
that her uncle's word was her law, and
was kissed at the gate as usual, this
conversation having taken place on a
Sunday evening on the way from
church.
On Monday morning old Mr.. Flint,
going after breakfast, into the little
room which he called his office, and
transacted his business as notary
public, found lying on his desk two let
tiers already left for him that morning,
and opening them found that each
asked him for something.
One was from a neighbor named
Perkins, who desired to borrow horse
of him The other from Farmer Hos
kins, asking for his niece Berthildas
hand
Mr.. Flint was not in the habit of
lingering long over any decision. He
regarded the fact that Berthilda had
an offer as a sort of miracle not likely
to occur again, and he had an idea
that women always liked to get mar
ried.
Hoskins was we'll to do and respec-
table. She should have him, if she
choose. She had been a good girl to
him, and he really felt an affection for
her.
As for Perkins, he should not have
his horse. He had overworked the one
he had borrowed of him last harvest
time, and the poor brute had died in
consequence. Lend Perkins his gray
mare indeed He would give him a
piece Of his mind for his impudence
And he would settle that business be-
fore he attended to Berthilda's offer.
So he drew his blotter toward him,
seized pen and ink, and indited this
peppery epistle:
SIR:-I don't wonder you wrote, and
hadn't the face to come and ask me fol
what you wanted, like man. Let you
have her, indeed When every one
knows you killed the other one with
over-work, and only sent her home to
be buried. A pretty idea that, indeed
She was Just a rack of bones when you
got through with her, and, | judge, hall
starved as well as worked to death.
Yoa'll promise to take good care Of
her no doubt You may if you gel