The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1878-03-21

ern was in the street.. Oh, the dismal,
dreary, sleeting iniquity Of thst night !!
Where was the station? 1t had Gisap-
peared. Down in torrents came the rain,
freezing as it fell slippery and more
| slippery grew the pavement; only cat
or some animal with claws could have
maintained a systematic perpendicular.
! Suddenly down went Mr.. MGovern.
Perhaps it was a blessing for the sudden
application ef cold ice to the back of his
head restored his consciousness of where
he was, and he turned toward the rail
way station, having in his excitement
wandered half mile in the opposite
direction.
Had that Partial bath suddenly cooled
his passion Clar5fce could not have
told, but somehow he did Ect feel as
miserable as he had expected, Oply very
wet, and the ride home seemed interI1>
iuably long.
Two or three days passed by, and even
yet Mr.. M'Govern v7ss in a remarkably
serene frame of mind for disappointed
lover, A week passed away, when gssd-
denly he began to feel a serious distress
in his left ankle. This struck him at
once as peculiar, as, according to al
precedent the anguish SHOULD have pro-
ce6QeQ QlrecE If0z1 MS R6arJ-
But pretty soon the istisible tweezers
of most malignant imp began 90 french
him in the knee; before long the grip
was upon his arm; 4; thence it struck to
his hip; and utterly in the power of the
gnerny; Mr.. M'9overn awoke one morn
ing and fOund himself, not like the
Philistines, dead; bat unable to move
limb. and helpless befofe tl1e eyes of
Kitty, the waitress, who, late IN the
morning, poked her head into the room
and inquired if he were ever going to get
up.
"Get ups?" No! Not for''weeks upon
weeks did Mr.. MGovern rise from his
bed. They blisteted him, they poulticed
him, they dosed him, they dragged him
but all to no effect. The fever would
have its way in spite of the whole medI-
pharmacop0a. First of all, they placed
him iu the charge of & ccOnstrOus male
nurse, whom Clarence, in his i1cpOtent
fury, mentally denominated a great
hulkffig brute" but without whose
assistance the unfortunate victim OF his
attentions could not even tpFn in bed.
How he grew to hate the horrible crea-
ture that stood over him day and night
Even Mrs. GibsOn's creaking boots and
high pitched voice became a blessing
when, in the intervals of her domestic
labors, she looked in upon the sufferer.
But Aunie-it he could have hsd Annie
Finally, in his semi delirium he began to
call aloud for her; and Mrs. Gibson,
whether out of the mOtheriiness of her
own heart, or because she had her own
ideas about Annie and this thriving
young dry goods salesman-tOO much
| cannot 6e expected of landladies with
marriageable datighters-promised him
that Annie should be sent for.
| At last she came and whether the
strength of the enemy was spent, or
whether he did not dare apply his treez-
ing, burning implements Of torture IN
| Annie's gentle presence, the demon of
rheumatism was exercised and peace be-
gan TO reign.
Mr.. MGovern began to fancy that ne
had lapsed into paradise, such was the
| glory OF cOnvalescence. And Annie was
/ everywhefe. Once more the dust disap-
peared, and Clarence himself witnessed
| the magical gestures through which it
suffered annihilation he also SAW the
very process by which all holes depart
| from, stacking, save one by which the
| foot enters it. Annie's fair fingers, that
only wrote poetry under compulsion,
!
OF broths and soups and jellies.
And then, while the fresh air of the
| springtime stole in through the flowers
! that Annie had placed in the window,
and Mr.. M'GoveTn loiled upon the sofa
| in all the enjoyment of valetudinarian
| luxury, q great strife arose in his mind,
He was thinking-Uf Annie No; of
| Mrs. Gibson. Could he could he? the
blood of the M'GOvernsl
| But when Annie came once mere, and
| her little hands were busy around his
refractory pillows, he found he could ;
and he did.
q Annie, Annie, l love you"
g And Arabella ?"
1t was a cruel blow, and the spirit OF
the invalid was aroused. Excitement
began to CLEAN in the great hollow eyes,
and he had just time to calculate, Con-
found herr when Annie's hand was
over his mouth, and Annie's soft voice
reiterated the doctors injunction to
90 keep very quiet" Then, in a meek
voice, Say yes; won't you, Annie ?"
I" I haven't been asked anything"
"Then put your arm under my head,
and let me go to sleep. If you dom I'll
go into a rage, and make myself sick"
Annie did as she was bid.
Some two hours afterward, when Mr..
M'Govern condescended to awake, his
first distinct articulation was, And,
Annie, -sbOut-yOur-yOur mother p
Annie withdrew her arm, and began to
look severe. Not a word about mother
There isn't such a cook in the universe. ,
" Ne; that is true" And sundry
visions of the days when he had an appe
tile began to rise before MIR. MGovern's
eyes. Z" Annie you are right. She shall
live with us"
And Annie, who had remembered
what she had suffered from Arabella, re
placed her arm, and, like a true woman
answered. "Of course" - THarDer',
| Weekly