New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1883-01-24
The Beauty and the Skeleton.

w nen isaac w. Oprague, the nVlnX
skeleton of Bunnelrs museum. WIS
told that beauty No l6 had taken the
prize in the competition lately closed in
New York (says the S,4,a). he burst into
tears. dashed his hat upon the floor,
ratified his bones, and declared that the
Judges were not tit to decide question
of female beauty. He would have made
different decision, and have awarded
the first prize to u. Miss Minnie
Thompson. Miss Thompson was. in
deed, very prepossessing young
woman, and, with sensible apprecia-
ton of her own charms, she was piqucd
at not receiving the $500, or even tho
$50 that was given TO the beauty who
carried off the second prize. But the
skeleton smiled upon her as soon as he
had dried his tears, and she was con-
soled. Not that the skeleton is the
highest type of manly beauty. His arms
are bones hardly concealed by the skin
that covers them, and his legs seem al
most to thin to carry even his attenua-
ted form. But his face has frank and
independent expression, and though
a man of ordinary proportions it might
show somewhat unbecoming promi-
hence of cheek and chin bones: as com.
pared with the outline of his frail body.
it appears to be positively fat. His
head is surmounted with fine shock
of brick-colored hair, and goatee and
mustache of the same hue adorn his
cOuntenance.
Miss Thompson was attracted to him
at once. She said she did not like fat
men, and looked upon the Hon. William
E. Evarts as the beau ideal of grace.
At least she so considered him until she
was sought by the skeleton, who, to her
thinking. eclipsed the lawyer. Miss
Thompson is not herself thin lady.
She weighs, probably, four times Is
much as the skeleton, but as he only
turns the scales at forty pounds, It will
be seen that she is not abnormally
large. She may be called plump, and
she is very pretty. She is perhaps 80
years of age-fve years the skeletons
junior.
After the New York exhibition was
over the skeleton and Miss Thompson
met often by appointment at tho mu-
scum, and the managers Of the show
complained that the skeleton was feed.
ing on his affections and growing fat.
This must have been q mistake, how
ever. for his weight, as he showed By
getting on the scales, had not increased.
Another an older error. too. was cor
rected. 1t had been currently reported
among the curiosities of the show that
the skeleton had neither lungs, heart,
nor liver, and that = steady eye could
look through him and see an object b.
hind. The existence of respiratory and
digestive organs may still be matter
of doubt, but Miss Thompson indig.
nantly repudiates the rumor that ho has
no heart
The courtship was quite short. Miss
Thompson told her lover in plain prose
the history of her simple life. He gave
her poem of twenty-four verses fully
describing his own. This poem he is in
the habit of selling for 5 cents copy,
but he charged nothing at all for her
copy, and she, overcome by this last
proof of her skeleton lovers devotion,
promised to be his wife. In fateful
moment the skeleton was sent to the
Brooklyn show. He was in despair,
but his true love comforted him, and an
appointment was made for last Satur-
day night. At 9 o'clock the skeleton
was at the New York museum, where
he met Miss Minnie Thompson; at 10
o'clock they were in Jersey City, and at
IL o'clock they had been united in
marriage by the Rev. Mr.. Gardner.
They returned to Brooklyn and kept the
matter a secret until yesterday morning,
when the skeleton announced it to
Manager Bates. The newly made Mrs.
Sprague has consented to support her
husband on the exhibition platform. She
will appear in Brooklyn to-day, sitting
beside him. and billed: Tho Skele.
tons Wife"
81 lost the $780," said the newly
married lady, .'but ! won husband"