The Dickinson press., 1883-05-05
NUMBER FIFTEEN.
I always begin at the beginning whe

"sSAy AA AN hAANoAS CIV
work at both ends; but that isn't my
way. or, rather it wouldn't be my way if
was in the habit of writing stories,
which, thank Heaven, l am not. 1 get
my living in a respectable way, by the
sweat of my brow, not by writing liesfo
newspapers. Consequently I've but one
story to write, and that is my own.
My..name is Roderick McStivers, and
Pm a native of the good old town ofTad-
mouth; Pm forty years old if Pm a day,
and, if l do say it, az good looking for
my age as any man you ever set eyes on.
Twenty years ago l was fully as hand
some as l am now, and at that time l
was engaged to the charming Mary Black,
the belle of Falmouth. That was the
beginning of all my woe-that engage
ment. | was poor then Il own the largest
boot mandatory in Falmouth to-day)
and the Lord only knew when 1 should
be able to marry Mary. But she said
she didn't care, she could wait two or
three centuries just as we'll as not, if I'd
only be true to her meantime
Sooner Shall the blue ocean melt to air.
Sooner shall earth resolve itself to sea,
Than l resign thine image, oh my fair!
Or think Of anything excepting thee.
That's just what 1 said. You wouldn't
think, to look at me now, that | could
say anything quite SO soft as the above,
would you, eli? Bless you. l had more
poetry in my head twenty years ago
than you could shake Il stick at.
Many are poets who have never penn'd
Their inspirations, and perchancethe best.
That's what's the trouble with me. If
| hadn't confined myself to leather, |
should have played the deuce with 'the
nlne." Well, You understand from the
above that Mary ANA i We're all right. l
sTore that I'd be true, and she dittoed:
but, bless me, my dear sir, the sweet
girl had It father, and he was not so
young as we were by several wears.
"Ihose We're days when my heart was
volcanic" but the old gentleman's palpi-
tator wa as hard and cold us a cast-iron
grindstone. The palernal Black did not
believe much i'll love, You see.
lie had married Tor money, and, in
his opinion, that was the Only thing
worth marrying for; and SO, instead Of
throwing his only child away upon Il
miserable v%aganond like myself, he very
unceremoniously showed me the door
II evening, and the Very next day
brought a lover of his own choosing
home to Mary. The lovers name was
Bunsby, and he rolled III gold, metaphors
icaliy speaking; owned Il fine house in
New York, and had horses. carriages
and servants "too To mem
ton" Oh, why should | linyer over
this period of my existence Pm sure
don't know why, and hang me if | do.
You guess the rest. Mary was daz-
zled with her new lovers wealth. She
forgot poor Roderirk McSiivers, and
married Ihos. Bunsby, Esq, and Ii,
alas, was not invited to the wedding.
Anything more heartless than the above
car scarcely be imagined. | suppose |
might have "gone into mourning"
They told me | couldn't be II nun on ac-
count of my sen.
ooh, what shall | d"?' asked, in a
voice that sounded horribly strange, not
~withstanding that it was my own. |
defy you to tell me what did do. In
the light OF my twenty years experience
/ am convinced that | did the best thing
L could under tn" circumstances. |
married my boarding mistress. She
was 10 and L was 70 years of age; she
was
A maid unmatched in manners as in face,
Skilled in each art, and crowned with every
grace.
And, though l never learned to love her
extravugantly, | must confess that she
could make the best apple dumplings
that | ever ate. In the course of time [
became Il father. y daughter was born
to us, and we called her Julia, after my
grandmother, who WAS the most heuuti-
full woman in the country, to judge of
her portrait now before me. My dAllgN-
ter looks much as my grandma her did
at her age. Well, as ! said, Il daughter
Bunsby, and they called him Tom. We
heard of the aforementioned event up
here in Falmouth, but for years | never
saw either Mary or her son, notwith-
standing they used to visit her father
quite often while the old gentleman
lived. But at last Mr.. Black VA
gathered to his fathers, and about the
same time my wife was gathered to hel
mothers, and | was LEFT alone with my
little Julia. | was rrch thcn-the most
wealthy man in Talmoutil-and | bad
built me a fine house, the same that [
have lived in eve since, with my little
Julia as ~housekeeper. Well, how thing
will come abontl Last summer Young
Tom Bunsby came out to Tadmouth anG
put up at the hotel-thcy have quite a
number of summer boarders there-anG
the first thing the young MAJ did was tc
fall in love with my daughter Julia. o
course the poor fellow was not to blame
He couldn't help it, Tor she was tho
most bewitching little woman that vol
ever saw, not withstanding that old Me
Stlvers is her father.
IIa ,u, l,I, ,t..+ ~ ... J...l
with her, kissed her in the ring, ano
walked home with her at night. | re.
member the evening very we'll. | Wa
sitting in my library Smoking a cigar ant
thinking of the late Mrs. Nc Stlvers-oh
those apple dumpiin2>. nv mouth Wa
tcr5 every time | think o thrm-wllen
the windows being open, | heard voices
at the door. | knew it was Julia, and
knew she had Il young fellow with her
and, tear my wig, if he wasn't begging
for a kiss.
How silvery sweet sound lovers tongues by
night,
Like soitest music to attending ears.
REMARKED earnestly to Mr.. McStivers
lnabout five minutes Julia am in blush.
ing like a ten-acre flower garden, and
looking as lovely as d fairy queen.
"Oh, papa. 'I've had such Il splendid
eiule. Haiu sHe, throwing IieTScil llltc
my arms and kissing the cuticle off my
right cheek.
eyes, should think SO, particularly
during the last five minutes,"I re.
marked.
ooh, father" and she hid her face in
my whiskers.
WHO was it, my dear" l inquired
Mr.. Thomas Bunsbv.
Tom Bunsby." l yelled, springing to
my feet. while me y e rolled fearfully
Oh. it WIS q terrIAle si.ht know