The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1883-02-23
NUMBER FIFTEEN.

j always begin at the beginning when
j write story. Some authors like to
commence in the middle and 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, ! am not. get my living in q
respectable way, by the sweat of my
brow, not by writing liesfor newspapers
Consequently I've but one story to write,
and that is my own.
My name is Roderick McStivers, and
I'm native of the good old town of
Falmouth; I'm forty years old if I'm a
day, and, if l do say it, as good looking
for my age as any man you ever set eyes
on. Twenty years ago was fully as
handsome rs / am now, and at that time
! was engaged to the charming Mary
Black, the belle of Falmouth. That
was the beginning of all my woe-that
engagement. ! was poor then q own
the largest boot mandatory in Tad
mouth to-day, and the Lord only knew
when should be able to marry Mary.
But she said she didn't care, she could
wait two or three centuries just as well
rs not, if I'd only be true to her mean
time
Sooner shall the blue ocean melt to air,
Sooner shall earth resolve itself to sea,
Than resign thine image. oh, my fair!
Or think of anything eyC epting thee.
That's Just what ! said. You wouldn't
think, to look at me now. that l could
say anything quite SO soft as the above
would you, Ell? Bless you! l had
more poetry in my head twenty years
ago than you could shake stick at.
Many are poets who have never penn'd
Their inspirations, and perchancc the best.
That's what's the trouble with me. II
I hadn't confined myself to leather, l
should have played the deuce with ''the
nine" Well, understand from the
above that Mary and were all right. l
swore that I'd be true, and she dittoed;
but, bless you, my dear sir, the sweet
girl had n father, and he was not so
young as we were by several years.
"Those were days when my heart was
volcanic" but the old gentleman's pal
pitator was as hard and cold rs "a cast
iron grindstone. The paternal Black
did not believe much in love, you see.
He had married for money, and. in
his opinion, that was the only thing
worth marrying for; and so, instead of
throwing his only child away upon a
miserable vagabond like myself. he very
unceremoniously showed me the door
one evening. and the very next day
brought lover of his own choosing
home to Mary. The lovers name was
Bunsby. and he rolled in gold, meta
phorically speaking; owned n fine
house in New York, and had horses,
carriages and servants ''too numerous
to mention" Oh, why should linger
over this period of my existence. I'm
sure don't know why, and hang me il
1 do.
You guess the rest. Mary was daz-
zled with her new lovers wealth. She
forgot poor Roderick McStivers, and
married Thomas Bunsby, Esq, and I
L, alas, was not invited to the wedding!
Anything more heartless than the above
can scarcely be imagined. I suppose /
might have ''gone into mourning"
They told me couldn't be nun on ac-
count of my sex.
'.Oh, what shall dop'' / asked, in a
voice that sounded horribly strange,
Notwithstanding that it was my own. /
defy you to tell me what i did do. In
the light OF my twenty years expert
ence, am convin ed that L did the best
thing could under the circumstances.
married my boarding mistress. She
was thirty-five and was twenty years
Of age; she was
A maid unmatched in manners as i'm face,
Skilled In each art, and crowned with every
grace.
And, though never learned to love her
/ must confess that she
could make the best apple dumplings
that ever ate. In the course of time /
became father. A daughter was born
TO us, and we called her Julia, after my
grandmother, who was the most beauti-
full woman In the country, to Judge from
the portrait now before me. NV
daughter looks much as her grandmother
did at her age. Well, as / said,
daughter was born to us and son was
born to Bunsby, and they called him
Tom. We heard of the last mentioned
event up here in Falmouth, but for
years and years never saw either Mary
or her son, notwithstanding they used
to visit her father quite often while the
old gentleman lived. But at last Mr.
Black was gathered to his fathers, and
at about the same time my wife was
gathered to her mothers, and l was left
alone with my little Julia. / was rich
then--the most wealthy man in Tad
/ had outline fine house,
the same that l have lived never since,
with my little Julia as house-keeper.
Well, how things will come about! Last
summer young Tom Bunsby came out to
Falmouth and put up at the hotel-they
have quite number of summer board
ers there-and the first thing the young
man did was to fall in love with nv