Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1884-04-17
THE LOTTERY TICKET.

respectfully designate him, Dick Fog
rum, or, as he was sometimes styled
on the superscription of letter
from a tradesmau or poor relation
Richard Fogrum. esq, had for some
years retired from business, ial.
though he had not yet passed what il
called the middle age and turning his
back on his shop, where be had made, if
not considerable fortune, at least
handsome competency. rented a small
house at Hackney, or, as he was pleased
10 term it, in the country. His estab-
lishment united due attention to com.
fort with economy and prudence.
Beside a k1chen.ma and an occa. ional
char.woman or errand. boy, Mr. Fogrum
possessed, in the person of the trusty
Sally Sadlins, an excellent superinten-
dent of his little mcnage. Sally was not
exactly gouvrHarte, or housekeeper, at
least she "a umed none ofthe dignity
attached to such post; she seemed in
deed hardly to have will or opinion Of
moda,ed herself to her employers ways
and humors, that by degrees the sp.
parent distance between master and
servant dimini, ed. and as Sally, though
far from talkative herself, was good
listener, Mr.. Fogrum began to find a
pleasure in relating to her all The little
new and anecdotes he usually picked up
IN his daily walk.
Let it not, however, be supposed that
there was anything equivocsl in the kind
of Unconscious courtesy which existed
between these two personages single
glance at Sally would have convinced
the most ingenious fabricator of scandal,
and dealer in innuendoes, that here
there was no foundation on which to
build even the slightest surm Sc Of tho
kind, for both Sally's person aud face
were to her shield that would have re.
butted any notion Of the sort. Alas
that nature, so extollcd by every poet
Tor her impartiality, should be at times
20 caPricious in her fayors, and bcstow
her gifts 20 gruigingly, even on those
whose very sex entities them 10 be con
sidered fair kind goddess, as Will
Of Avon styles thee, surely thou did.t
in this instance behave most unfirly.
bestowing on Sally Stdlins an elevation
Of figure that, had she been Of the other
sex, might have raised her to tho rank
Of corporal of rrenadiers. Yet. if
thou gayes' her an aspiring stature, and
thou gavest her DO aspiring thoughts :;
and if thou dldst deny to her soltnes-
Of person, fortunately for her peace,
thou dIdst not gift her with the least
susceptibility of heart. II Sally was rot
loyable, there was no woman on earth
who could possibly have regretted i,
lees. Indeed, may safeiyayer, the idea
OF love never for an instant entered her
head, much lees had a single twinge of
it ever touched her heart. She had heard
people talk Of love and she supposed
If indeed she ever bestowed a thought
on the subject-that there must be
something in the world so called, other.
wise people would not have invented
name for it; but she could no more
pretend or say what it was, than to de.
scribe the ingredients of the cir she
breathed. In short, Sally was the most
guileless, simple and disinterested Of
mortals that ever entered beneath the
roof Of single gentleman, TO be the first
servant where there was no mistress.
Well, therefore, might Mrs. Thomas,
who was aware that elderly gentleman
in her "dear" uncle's situation, are not
always gifted with that discretion that
beseems their years, but sometimes
commit Themselves TO wedlock, in an
unWary moment, 10 the no small pre-.
iudice Of their affectionate relatives -
we'll, ] say, might the prudent Mrs.
Thomas congratulate herself on having
found such treasuere, 80 invaluable
Jewel, as Sally Ssdlins. She was certain
hat from this quarter, at least, there
was nothing to be apprehended-noth.
ing TO intercept her "dear" uncles three
per cents from what che considered the
legitimate object OF their destination.
Some alarm, indeed. had been excited
in her mind, By hearing that Mr. Fog.
rum had been seen rather frequently of
late knocking at the door Of Mrs. simp.
son but then again she thought that
he:could not possibly be led thither by
any other motive than that Of chatting
awaya an hour with the widow ofan old
friend besides, this lady was not likely
to lead, or to be led, into matrimopy.
In her younger days Mrs. Simpson,