Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1884-05-09
JEANIE'S DIPLOMACY,
A sketch-with n Moral.

EA l.
Everything looked grim, massive and
out of humor about the hard-featured
old homestead, Dark Ridge.
The somber walls, draped heavily, rs
If in mourning, with the dark, writhing
ivy, were certainly grim-looking and
massive enough; and, if they were not,
in their way, out of humor, 1t is not in
the power OF architectural physiognomy
to express ill-humor. If the grimness
of the exterior was austere, the grim
ness Of the interior was morose. A
certain obdurate air of misanthropy
clung to everything. The heavy panels
of tho walls, the smoky holdings of the
ceilings, the deep carvings of the mas
sive furniture, seemed to the nervous
and imaginative little housekeeper like
SO many wrinkles of cne great implaca-
BILE frown.
In this lair lived and growled John
Eldritch, bachelor and Landlords; eccen-
tric, irascible, reclusive. "Auld John, :"
his nelghbors called. him, though he
was not old; and yet neither had he
ever seemed to be young. '1n his earli-
est boyhood he had been considered n
t'maist unco' bairnie." His shock hair
did not bristle from the outside of his
Uranium with less regard to conven-
tional modes than his .'shock' of quaint
notions bristled OH the inside of it, This
fact and the rather more weighty one
that his manners sat us awkwardiy and
loosely on him as did his awry garments
gave him no little repute as philoso-
pher. His philosophy was, however,
of very stern mold; ''pessimeestic,
he termed it.
How John ever came into possession
of his universal premise-"w whatever is
ought not to be-" do not know; but,
having once adopted the spectral waif,
he clung to it with an heroic obstinacy
quite inspiring.
The especial object of Johns abhor
renee was the weaker SEX His antipathy
to anything and everything feminine
was fairly ecstatic.
The feckless, bletherin' corbies,''
he would vociferate. "They care for
naething but dafiin and clatterin'. |
wanna hae onything tae do wi them.''
Wilma We, JohnP 'Bide wee.1
Aud John was q great rider. He
and his shaggy old road mare, 'Meg,"
were known far and wide; and great
was the merriment they afforded the
keen-witted peasantry on the line of
their expeditions, which often were ex-
tended for days. For their JOURNEYS
were but one continued obstinate con
test for the mastership. But if there
was any doubt as to who was, dc facto,
master (more politely mistress) it did
not existin the minds of Meggy or the
lockers on. Whatever it occurred to
this erratic animal to do she did, in
spite of the railing invectves of her
irate but impotent rider. Did clump
of grass on the hillside offer special en-
ticement-
Whoa! WHARF ye gangin' moo, We auld
farran meerep''
But his mandate was as futile as his
irony. Meg's nose was hillward, and
if John did not fancy being dragged
under the low-sweeping branches, his
only successful stratagem was to slip
oil in the rear and await, with as good
(or as ill) grace as possible, the pleas
ure OF his companion. Did particu-
larly cozy place by the roadside incline
Meg to rest, the celerity with which the
staid philosopher slipped from his sad
die and the turbulent enthusiasm with
which he expostulated with his COM
5anu 5aoono PaL.ner Us sne Iay blinking
uai;nnaa aofisyaI'ngy az her nese lora, oc-
oaSiunet o,ona huen suppressed laughter
"''ois 'ne unsyi yinPa.hc'ic observers
Er U.
Nest,;po in one of tho r,ro o,o,,
that crean ont sron, the I MY nastu saons
and bistoric valley 81 tbo ,nood noaioogao n
the o,aint r,.tireJ bomastoaa 90 cran Mas
NOOK Glen Noot was tha ~ uaooat,i "teh
home of David eister fn,npr u pu".eam ,''au
chant Of Ed;nbnrSb re,irod ' u "Hl IN
health and bis s;ste, .Inanio I ~ aia ~
te. % .nauiaS a 'S .S n osaa, ooal'c Le's-
tive oantie' ma on..red ,asn n'a' nnhaa I.a
fortylfiye years Jeania A ,Uas va' perhaps, wdr,,
small yery briobt- ] wi,tnd wor,, wa" u a,ao;f nJ;,f
very w;nn}no maid Of sono ',ny ,hIr,p p'ao'' sor,
meys. n saemad % alwavs 9oo 10 Ins hauo 1un haa,,
summer with her "' ~ h"'0 0oen
At Glen Nook John and Mooov vere
neither infrequent @ nor unweleo9sss UNIV lss VISIT weto