The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1882-04-13

Rose, who was so pleased to hear MIR.
Cutbilrs cold was better. and hoped so
much Mr.. Cutbill would look in soon to
take a cup Of tea, and hear her sing one
of his favorite songs which she had been
practicing. The third letter was in
mans hand, and referred evidently to
some differences that had arisen be-
tween Mr.. CutbilI and the writer. The
latter-One Brown-wrote, however, to
say that he trusted Mr.. Cutbin would
frankly accept the explanation he had
rendered, and that the painful misun-
derstanding between them would now
cease.
1t has been said that young Carrotson
was an intelligent boy. He proved it by
the calm deliberation with which he now
went to work; for, having found a sam
pie of Mr.. Cutbil's handwriting IN the
adjoining study, to which he repaired on
tip-toe, he applied himself during half
an hour to initiating that writing till he
attained proficiency. He then indited
the three following answers to the law
/ yer's correspondents. his face being as
/ serious as a Judges whilst he wrote,
| though there was suspicious twinkling
in his eyes.
To the Peer he addressed himself
thus:
| VI A<DhD II - very Nil4u VI SOu " AiAFANS
me to dinner, but am afraid cannot accept,
/ because since last saw YOU l have suddenly
are aitoyethSr wrong ABOUT everything. shall
/ be happy to make friends with you again II
| You Will agree to think as 1 do; but, p 'rhaps,
| being obstinate, you won't like to do this
4" So no more Mt present From your lord
| ships Obcdicnt servant. Long CUTBTLL."
Next came Mrs. Higgins turn:
| My DEAR Mrs. HHGGUSs-Your kind letter
| to dear Rosa. l am fond of her that I have
/ been quite miserable from wondering all night
whether she would marry me, and that must
| excuse tho shakiness of my handwriting this
morning. I am sure I should make good
/ husband if Rosa would promise to keep my
washerwoman's account properly balanced.
l am very particular about this. Please think
| over tho matter ana let me have an early
| favorable answer, which will oblge, yours
| truly, LONG CUTBTLL."
| der the mistletoe.
The gentleman who wanted to be
/ reconciled TO Mr.. Cutbill came in fOI
this kindly missive:
my DEAR BROwN-It was / who was in the
| wrong all through our quarrel, 80 please say
| nothing more in tho matter | have vile tenn
pr which 1 freely acknowledge, and If you
! mad kick I'd me down stairs when we last met
! IL would have served INC right, though might
| have objected at the tins. Pray come to dine
and we win have one OF the best bottles OF
yourself to write and say you'il come. as j
shall be out OF town tomorrow ana next day,
I
l. CuTBILL.''
Little CarrOtson put the letters in en-
vclopes, directed them and stamped
them with stamps of his own, after
which, having hesitated a moment, he
| flung the three original letters into the
/ fire. He had thought at first of Testor-
ing them TO their covers and laying
! them on the lawyer table, but he con-
81, 81 hot "a e., ,u~Oy1fd ho oh
! greater if he simply suppressed them.
/ He was seated by the fire, studying the
police reports in the Times, and looking
/ as innocent as possible, when Mr.. Cut
| bill returned home, toward one o'clock.
Now, if the lawyer adj behaved like
/ a gentleman" for the rest of the day,
/ little CarrOtson might have had mercy
on him. The boy was in doubt about
/ posting the letters he had written, and
kept them in his pocket like loaded
weapons, ready for reprisals if Mr.. Cut
bill checked" him any further. I'm
fortunately, the lawyer was dull per-
son, and committed blunder upon blum
der in dealing with his small but sensi-
tive guest. He took him to the Tussaud
show, but opposite the wax effiey of
William Rufus he asked him at what
date that monarch had assembled the
throne. He refused to let little Carrot
son 90 into the Chamber of Horrors,
/ saying it would excite him. He babe
/ him admire the noble brow of Richard
! Golden and took mean advantage
| Of the occasion to bore him about free
/ trade Finally, he drew down on him
! self the contempt of CarrOtson by mis-
/ quoting Shakespeare as they were sur
veying Charles Kemble in the part of
/ Hamlet: THAT'S Hamlet saying: My
/ kingdom for a horse, remarked the
mendacious lawyer.
At Drury Lane in the evening it was
worse. Little CarrotsOn derived some
amusement from the pantomime, and
almost relcnted in his revengeful pur-
poses; but the miserable lawyer re-
fused to stay for the harlequinade. He
said that little boys ought not to be kept
out of their beds after half-past ten.
Little Carrotson silently ground his
teeth, and from that moment Mr.. Cut
bills punishment was decreed beyond
hope OF pardon. The three letters were
posted in the pillar-box of Deans Yard
on the following day, when the boy re-
turne to school.
They were destined to have very re-
markable effects on the lawyers future.
In the first place there came to him on
NiiC II ANAtA1 lAAOAi ~ q oAASAo ONaO bF'C~'
note from Mrs. Higgins:
MY DEAR Ma CUrBILIq-Your original and
amusing way Of proposing for dear Rosa
child is quite alive to the honor which you arc
| conferr ng on her. and can promise you thai
ali the affection which you lavish upon hel
shall be amply repaid in kind. Please come a
once; she is waiting for yoq. Very faithfully
yours, FLORA HIGGINS.
s.What the deuce does this meanP''
asked Mr.. Cutbill, with a blank look.
He wrote at once for explanations, and
then received curt note, begging him
to call at Mrs. Higgins That lady
and her daughter imagined that the
lawyer cherished the unchivalrous de
sign of retracing his proposal, and thi,
they were determined to prevent. Mr.
c. was confronted with his own hand.
writing. He vowed it was not his, but
was driven at last to own that possibly
he had written the letter in his sleep
He had heard of such things happen
ing, and though he did not believe ht
was a somnambulist, he could not, o.
course, swear that such was not the
case.
. But if you wrote the letter in your
sleep, did it betray your unspOkeT
thoughts?' was the clever Mrs. Hig.
gins next searching question. She
smiled kindly as she said this, and Mr.
Cutbill gave in. After all, why
shouldn't he marry RosaP He returned
to Cover street an engaged man; but
by that time he had come to guess whC
was the culprit who had played hin
this trick, and he thought with indigna-
ton of the precocious depravity evinceC
by little CarTotson.
This was on the Saturday. and Mr..
CMtbin had scarcely reached home wher
Brown. his quondam friend, marched il
with beaming face. 1t should be said
that this Brown had behaved very badly