The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1879-12-25

mousein
"a MOUSEP" echoed Pcletiah, in
tones Of tragic disgust to which big cap
itals can not give expression.
g Here he is!'' said Harry, joyfully, at
the same time giving great punch at the
small animal and knocking a splinter off
the mopboard, for which Mrs. Barnes
did not bless him next day; but the
mouse eluded him and made right for
the young lady, who at once gave fly
ing leap on to the chair Peletiah had va
Gated, and uttered louder shrek than
ever.
. Corner him, Pei! corner him!''
shouted Harry, but Peletiah never
stirred.
"a harmless creature like that! let it
escape, Hen-e-ry,'' he said, sternly.
Oh, do kill it! please do, Doctor
Mrrsh - cried Louise, looking exquisitely
pretty with her dark hair all fallen about
her pale face, and her lovely eyes big
with terror.
Harry made another dab, inspired by
these words, and hit the mouse hard
enough to disable him and elicit shrill
squeak; another blow of the poker laid
him lifeless.
'There!" said Harry, she is done
fcr''
"Oh, is he really dead?' gasped
Louise, a delicate color dawning in her
face.
Yes, indeed he is; dead as Caesar.
Look, Miss Grant! am going to throw
him out of the window
Ought Oh, how can you touch him?
Thank you so much! 1t is splendid to
be brave mani
Harry went off in an irreverent fit of
laughter at this ascription, and Peletiah
said solemnly-
'' You have destroyed thing you can
never re-create."
81 l should hope nOt!" remarked Miss
Grant, with some emphasis, descending
from her perch, and in her heart glad to
have both her lovers take leave at once,
for her dress-skirt was half torn off, her
hair down, and one little slipper left on
the piano-stool, all of which Harry's
quick eye saw, and his equally quick
tact told him he had better leave the dis
heveled damsel to repair herself.
Mr. Merritt also withdrew, for reasons
of his own. All the way home he was
silent as a stick; Harry could not get a
word out of him. But in the g dead
watch and middle of the night tall
figure clothed in white from yellow head
to invinsible heel stood at his bedside
like Williams grisly ghost beside fair
Margaret.
"Cousin Hen-e-ry, I think 1 shall
leave for Dalton by the early train
'sLeave for Dalton! My dear fellow,
what is the matter? Are you inP''
Moved by his Cousins kind tones,
Peletiah sat down and poured out his
soul to Harry, with certain prOvisOs and
circumlocutions, the amount of which
was that he had loved Miss Grant and
hoped to make her his wife, but the
amazing want of courage she displayed
in being alarmed at so minute and harm
less an animal rs Il mouse, and the silly
cOwardfce of her behavior, had proved
to him that she was altogether unfit to
be the partner of missionary's bosom,
and of course he must give it up, though
it rent his heart of flesh and tore his
carnal affections to pieces.
Nonsense, man!'' exclaimed Harry
- s'Women are all afraid of mice; it's pc
cuiiar to the sex. L dare say Miss Lou
would face band of Arab robbers, or 4
dozen Zulus, great deal more calmly
than you could. Don't give her up for
that little thing"
- Your reasoning is not good, Cousin
Hen-e-ry; a woman who is terrified at a
small rodent could never face the dangers
of heathenism, the beasts of the forest,
and the fury of the savage. 1t is an
absurd, Illogical proposition. No.
can leave her for the sake of my calling,
but | must leave at once, lest my weak
ness get the better of my duty"
Harry's persuasions and arguments
all failed; by dim dawn Peletiah left in
the stage for Ludlow, leaving Bliss be-
hind him in more than one sense. His
glasses showed misty, and his lip quiv-
cred, as he wrung Harry's hand at the
| door, and murmured in a solemn whis-
per, - Farewell, cousin, farewell. HRret
Iateri LethGIiS GruHdO -
{. Fiddlestick!" shouted the matter
| of-fact Harry. He was irreverent OF
! this stately and deliberate grief, yet in
his soul he believed in it, for he knew
Peletiah was honest, as far as he went
but to give up Lou Grant because she
was scared at Il mouse! Harry could
not fathom it.
| So Peletiah went his way, reasoning
| in himself, and at last came to the con
! cIusion that he had been self-seeking il
| the matter of a wife; he was truly con
/ scientious, and having made up hi:
mind on cause and effect, he lost ne
! time in applying to constituted authOri
! ties for a recommended partner, anC
was speedily introduced and engaged tC
an upright, bony, excellent female, a
eager as he to labor for the heathen, anC
quite willing TO marry any body sent t.
her for that purpose.
If Peletiah's heart was not satisfied
his conscience was; he felt that hi
Eliza Jane was not one to quail befor
mouse or man, and he tried to lift hi
thoughts above personal feeling and b
absorbed in duty.
He was succeeding well in cultivatin:
this frame of mind, and his marriag
was at hand, when he got note from
his Uncle Marsh telling him that Harr
was very i'll, and would not be able L
come to his wedding.
Peletiah felt that he could not leav
America without saying goodbye to hi
friends in Bliss, so he took Il couple c
days from his brief time in the countr
to run up and see them. He Charge
Eliza Jane to write if any thing shOul
DELAY him over one day, and set off. Blu
what was his grief to find Harry nc
only dangerously i'll, but i'll with tn
smallpox.
Now, Mr.. Merritt was no coward i
any sense; he saw that his uncle wa
harrassed and worn, and found it har
to obtain n proper nurse, so he wrote
brief note to Eliza Jane, and manfull
walked up stairs into the sick-room.
He could have groaned at the visio
that met him. by the bedside stood Lo
Grant, pale, but more lovely than eve
in her nurses cap and apron, coaXin
something in a spoon down the delirioU
, patients throat. She looked up, hal
] smiled, and said simply
5 "YOu see, L am gong to marry hin
S when he gets we'll"
] Peletiah dropped into the neare,