The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1878-11-05

No, I'm cursed - I'm bachelor !"
"Deary me that is bad I'd ask you
over here to play, sir"
"Oh he interrupted
But Pm afraid the doctor next door
would come in and ask If anybody was
hurt, she continued.
"Oh ~ he said again, in quite diff
ferent tone, and Immediately left. Five
minutes after he was moaning out The
Last Link is Broken, as If that link had
in its 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 i'll and didn't know any
body. Hastily throwing on her dress,
in she went, and saw him lying there in
state of collapse, with his wig over
one eye.
"Ginger and cayenne pepper and
brandy ~ ordered the little widow, while
she held his head Then, forcing the
fiery dose down his throat, she held him
tight, while he spluttered and grasped
for breath.
Whatever 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
specimens of that proverbially cool veg
etable in his hand. Then, the Doctor
becoming better, she went home as
cheerful as ever, and slept the dreamless
sleep of the innocent and of the non
dyspeptic.
Early the next morning the baker
called.
l hear that DR.. Ash was sick last
night, and that you went in ?" said he
almost as though he had right to
ask.
Yes" she answered. "The girl
came for me, and did the little could.
Poor old chap! It's u pity he never
married. He might have had wife
and family around him, instead of a
poor, ignorant servant-girl, who calls up
the neighbors on trifling causes"
Widow that's what l always say.
A lone man is the DEVILS delight-if
you'll excuse profanity. Everthing con-
spires to make his life unbearable What
allied the doctor ?"
ooh, 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 melan-
choly 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 box in the window aside to
count them. She smoothed her apron
down and shook her head. She ex-
DSClCu as anu JuSU uU
that moment in came the bachelor from
over the way.
SIS anybody sick next door, ma 'am ?"
he asked
Yes, sir DR.. Ash was taken ill
last night. Why?"
"I was playing We Met, Twas in
Crowd late, feeling miserable, and L
saw his servant come here, and saw you
go in with her. What allied him 2''
Now, sir, cannot tell you. L am
afraid I've been the cause of future
agony to the baker at the corner by
telling him; so if you'll excuse me, ,we'll
say the doctor was imprudent."
I'm afraid Pm that myself, ma 'am,"
he said spiritedly; "and 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
cob you play too vigorous, sir" she
said. 81 once knew gentleman who
played the fife lovely; but he died sud-
denly, sir and the doctor who opened
him told me he was clear as a whistle
inside, sir-his own, identical words;
clear as a WHISTLE Everything had
gone"
"But, dare say, he was married
man ?''
''Yes, indeed A blessed wife, and
twins"
Ah That's the reason. I'll never