The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1883-06-28
Number Fifteen.

ends; but that isn't my way, {
rather it wouldn't be my way if
was in the habit of writing storie
which, thank heaven, l am not.
ge my living in respectable way
by the sweat of my brow, not b
writing lies for newspapers. Con
sequently I've but one story t
write and that is my own.
My name is Roderick McStivers
and I'm a native of the good oil
town of Tadmouth; I'm 40 year
old if I'm a day, and, if l do say il
as good looking for my age as an,
man you ever set eyes on. Twent,
years ago 1 was fully as handsom,
as 1 am now, and at that time wa
engaged to the charming Mar
Black, the Belle of Falmouth
That was the beginning of all ny
woe-that engagement. 1 was poo
then L own the largest boot manu-
factory in Tadmouth to-day, anC
the Lord only knew when l should
be able to marry Mary. But SHE
said she didn't care; she could wait
two or three centuries just as wei
as not, if I'd only be true to hel
meantime
Sooner shall the blue ocean melt to air,
Sooner shall earth resolve itself to sea-
Than resign thine image, oh, my fairl
Or think of anything excepting thee.
That's just what 1 said. You
wouldn't think, to look at me now
that 1 could say anything quite sc
soft as the above would you, ehi
Bless you! 1 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 perchance the best
That's what's the trouble with
me. If 1 hadn't confined myself to
leather, i should have played the
deuce with ''the nine" Well, you
understand from the above that
Mary and l were all right. / swore
that I'd be true, and she dittoed
but, bless you, my dear sir, the
sweet girl had a father, and he was
not as young as we were by several
years.
Those were days when my heart
was volcanic, but the old gentle
mans palpitator was as hard and
cold as 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 on a miserable vagabond like
himself, he very unceremoniously
showed me the door one evening,
and the very next day brought a
lover of his own choosing home to
Mary. The lovers name was Buns
by, and he rolled in gold, meta
phorically speaking; owned a fine
house in New York, and had horses,
carriages and servants 'ttoo numer-
Gus to mention" Oh, why should
1 linger over this period of my ex-
istence. I'm sure / don't know
why, and hang me if I do.
You can guess the rest. Mary
was dazzled with her new lovers
wealth. She forgot poor Roderick
McStivers, and married Thomas
Bunsby, Esq, and II, alas, was
not invited to the wedding! Any
thing more heartless than the above
can scarcely be imagined. 1 sup
pose L might have 'gone into
mourning" They told me 1 could
not be a nun on account of my sex.
"Oh, what shall l do?" l asked, in
voice that sounded horribly
strange, Notwithstanding that it
was my own. 1 defy you to tell me
what did do. In the light of my
twenty years experience, 1 am con-
vinced that l did the best thing ]
could under the circumstances.
married my boarding mistress. She
was 25 and l was twenty years Of
age; she was
A maid unmatched in manners as in face
Skilled in each art, and crowned with
every grace.
And, though 1 never learned to
love her eXtravagantly, must con
fess that she could make the best
apple dumphngs that l ever ate
In the course of time l became O
father. A daughter was born tc
US, and we called her Julia, after
my grandmother, who was the most
beautiful woman in the country, tc
judge from the portrait now before
me. Ny daughter looks much as
her grandmother did at her age
Well, as said, daughter was borr
to us and a son was born to Buns
by, and they called him Tom. W.
heard of the last mentioned event VI
here in Falmouth; but for years
and years l never saw either Mary
or her son, notwithstanding thel
used to visit her father quite Otter
while the old gentleman lived. Blu
at last Mr.. Black was gathered t.
his fathers and at about the sam
time my wife was gathered to he
mothers, and / was left alone wit
my little Julia. was rich then
the most wealthy man in Tadmoutf
and ! had built me a fine house, tn
same that l have lived in ever since
with my little Julia as housekeepel
Well, how things come about! Las
summer young Tom Bunsby cam
out to Falmouth and put up at th
hotel-they had quite number c
summer boarders there-and tn
first thing the young man did wa
to fall in love with my daughte
Julia. OF course the poor fello'
was not to blame. he couldn't hel
it, for she was the most bewitchin
little woman that you ever saw
Notwithstanding that old McStiver
is her father. He saw her first at
picnic, danced with her, kissed he
in the ring and walked home wit
her at night. remember the ever
ing very well. was sitting in m
library smoking cigar and thinl
irg of the late Mrs. McStiVers-ol
those apple dumplings! my mout
waters every time 1 think of thel
when, the windows being opel
l heard voices at the door. kne
it was Julia, and l knew that st
had young fellow with her, an
faor NV u5ioe If bA WASN'T hoCOip