The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1883-03-17
The Beauty and the Skeleton.


When Isaac w. Spraguc, the living
skeleton of Bunnelrs museum, WAS
told that beauty No, Is had taken the
prize in the competition lately closed in
New York Says the SNH), he burst into
tears, dashed his hat upon the floor.
ratified his bones, and declared that the
Judges were not fit TO decide = question
of female beauty. He would have made
different decision, and have awarded
the first prize to II. Miss Minnie
Thompson. Miss Thompson was, in
deed, n very prepos'esNing young
woman, and, with Il sensible apprecia-
ton of her own charms, she was pqucd
at not receiving the 500, or even the
$50 that was given to the beauty who
carried off the second prize. But the
skeleton smiled upon her as soon rs 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 q frank and
independent expression, and though
man of ordinary proportions it might
show a somewhat unbecoming proml-
hence of cheek and chin bones: as COM
pared with the outline of his frail body.
il appears to be positively fat. His
head is surmounted with a fine shock
of brick-colored hair, and goatee and
mustachc of the same hue adorn his
cOuntenancc.
Miss Thompson was attracted 10 him
at once. She said she did not like fat
men, and looked upon the Hon. William
T.. Evarts rs the beau ideal Of grace.
At least she so considered him until she
was sought bv the skeleton, who, TO her
thinking. eclipscd the lawyer. Miss
Thompson is not herself u thin lady.
She weighs. probably, four times rs
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 30
years of age five years the skeletons
junior.
After the New York exhibition was
over the skeleton and Miss Thompson
met often by appointment at the 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 y mistake, how
ever. for his weight, rs 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 curiositics of the show that
the skeleton had neither lungs, heart,
nor liver, and that steady eye could
look through him and see an object be-
hind. Tire existence of respiratory and
digestive organs may still DO Il matter
of doubt, but Miss Thompson indig-
nantly repudiates the rumorthat he 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 cents u copy,
but he charged nothing at all for her
copy. and she, overcome by this last
proof Of her skeleton iovcre devotion,
promised to be his wife. In fatcful
moment tho skeleton was sent 10 the
Brooklyn show. He was in despair,
but his true love comforted him, and an
appointment WAS made for last Satur-
day night. At O'Clock the skeleton
was at the New York museum, where
he me. Miss Minnie Thompson; at 10
o'clock they were in jersey City, and at
II O'Clock they had bacn united in
10 NJ
They returned to Brooklyn and kept the
matter secret until yesterday morning,
when the skeleton announced it to
Manager Bates. The newlymade Mrs
Sprague has consented to support her
husband on the exhibition platform. She
will appear in Brooklyn to-day. sitting
beside him, and billed The Skele-
tons Wife"
Il lost the $780, said the newly
married lady. "but | won huSband.N