The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1878-02-01

~ NOW IL QO0c, b1xy buAu buCs
"Pu afraid Iam," said he.
"Sir I" IeatH ta1HnG Inai
st mean I'm afraid il is T. s1.r
Then he took up another, and, out OF /
compassion, she said
"Let me button it for you. All men |
are death on buttons and button holes
/ know by poor Thorn"
Then she fitted on the collar, and the
bachelor was ecstatic. As she handed
him his change, she said
you're the gentleman that plays
such sweet, dreary tunes on the horn,
aren't you?"
Eyes, play little. But it's dread
full lonely playing all by myself"
"Isn't there anyone with you?" she
asked.
"No, I'm cursed-I'm bachelorw
"Deary me that is bad I'd ask you
over here to play, sir"
sob |" he interrupted.
But I'm afraid the doctor next door
would come in and ask if anybody was
hurt" she continued.
"O!" he said again, in quite differ
ent tone, and left. Five minutes after
he was moaning ont "The Last Link is
Broken" as iflthat link in it's soundness
held heaven and earth together. The
doctor needed lot of snuff the baker
was clearly smoking himself into the
grave with his Maria; and the bachelor
used so many paper collars that the little
widow ordered as many boxes of his as
she did of all the other sizes put together.
But at last, one night, came the maid
servant from next door, pounding up the
Widow Thorn, telling her to come in, for
the doctor was ill and didn't know any
body. Hastily throwing on her dress,
in she went. and saw him lying there in
a state of collapse, with his wig over one
eye.
"Gingtr and Cayenne pepper and
brandy |" order ed the little widow, while
she held his head. Then, forcing the
fiery dose down his throat, she held him
tight, while he spluttered and gasped
for breath.
"What ever is the matter with him ?"
asked the frightened servant.
Cucumbers - remarked the widow
for she had seen the doctor march
home that afternoon with two fine speci-
mems of that proverbially cool vegetable
in his hand. Then, the doctor becom-
ing better, she went home as cheerful as
ever, and slept the dreamless sleep of
the innocent and of the non-dyspeptic.
Early next morning the baker called.
:" L hear that DIR. Ash was sick last
night, and that you went in?" said he,
almost as though he had q right to
ask.
eyes" she answered; /" the girl came
for me, and / did the little / could. Poor
old chap! It's pity he never married.
He might have had q wife and family
around him, .nstead of poor, ignorant
servant, who calls up the neighbors on
trifing causes"
"Widow! that's what I always say.
A lone man is the devils delght-if
you'll excuse profanity. Everything
conspires to make his life unbearable.
What allied the doctor?'
go, he'd eaten too freely of cucum-
bers."
Widow Thorn, you know I'm as
much alone as he is"
"Why-bless me, sir-what are you
driving at ?" asked she.
Nothing" he said, with a melancholy
smile, and left the shop.
Ten minutes after, she saw him go
home with five overgrown cucumbers in
his hands-she knew how many, for she
pulled a box aside in the window to
count them. She smoothed her apron
down and shook her head. She expect
ed as much-and more. Just at that
moment in came the bachelor from over
the way.
is anybody sick next door, ma'am?"
he asked.
eyes, sir; DR.. Ash was taken ill last
night. Why?"
81 was playing We Met, Twas in a
Crowd, late, feeling miserable, and saw
his servant come here, and saw you 60
in with her. What allied him."
Now, sir, can't tell you. I'm afraid
I've been the innocent cause of future
agony to the baker at the corner by tell
ing him; so, if you'll excuse me, Wen
say the doctor was imprudent."
I'm afraid I'm that myself, ma am"
he said, low-spiritedly; sand lately I've
got to feeling pain here" And he
pointed in the region of his heart-that
is, his left side, where nobody's heart is,
you know?
go, you play too vigorous, sir" she
said "I once knew a gentleman who
played the fife lovely; but he died sud-
him told me he was rs clear as whistle |
inside, sir-his own identical words, as
clear rs whistle. Everything had |
gone"
"But, I dare say, he was married |
man?"
Yes, indeed blessed wife and |
twins -
"Ah That's the reason. I'll never |
die that way, ma'am-for there's no one |
to mourn for me. I'll keep on blowing
till, after awhile, you'll hear the. echoes
rolling in me, and I'll play the same tune
twice at once, and one a bar behind the
other"
ooh! goodness gracious me p she
said; "you'd better see DOCTOR"
Then he shook his head sadly and
went out.
She sat in the little shop for an hour
or more, writing long letter. She linked
her fingers, said "bother" to the pen
for spluttering, folded the letter crook
edly, refolded it straightly, directed the