Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1884-08-14
DR.. vANDERGILL.

Dr. Vandergill possessed strange pas
sion for skeletons. A sculptor could
have derived no more pleasure from
graceful statuary than did this grim med
ical man from his collection of human
bones. On black pedestals, against the
walls of his library, stood skeletons, with
the fixed grin of eerie chill, seeming to
look down in mockery on a life which
they had found to be so full of disap-
pointments; and, near the doctors writ
ing desk, stood an old fellow who, in his
best days, must have stood six feet three
in his stockings.
At the age of fifty the doctor, still a
bachelor, fell deeply in love-or rather,
Bulwer would say, rose highly into it
with a plump young lady. The peculiar
fact of his becoming devoted to SO much
flesh caused comment in the neighbor-
hood, for Sallie Sylvester, in the liberal
way in which she had been supplied with
adipose tissue, exhibited no skeleton sug-
gestiveness. When the doctor, deeply
impassioned and forgetful of everything
save the love which spilled a warm glow
of something all over his soul, told Sallie
of his devotion, she lifted her eyes, soft
as the velvet on the horn of a young deer,
and said:
Doctor, do you think that you love
me quite as much as you would it were
skeleton ~
Oh. yes, he loved her with love be-
yond the power of skeleton to inspire
e'Why, said he, 81 love you with new
creation of something the sudden spring
ing into life of something which hither-
to has not existed within me. Now, I
admire fine skeleton, but 1 do not love
do not love-plague take the indirect
ness of the language not love it.
''No indirectness, my dear doctor, for
skeleton is not necessarily masculine or
feminine
He did not observe that she had called
him 'tdear doctor, /" nor, in the lingual
perplexity into which he had suddenly
been thrown, did he realize that she had
placed her head on his shoulder
81 will admit, he went on, ''that l
derive much pleasure, to say nothing of
instruction-why, bless the girl and
the arm which he had been using as an
illustrator closed around the young lady's
neck. Yes, she would marry him. 1t
made no difference if he were older than
she-the young maple often grew be-
side the old oak; she could make his
home happy-it was large and well
furnished house; she would minister to
every want particularly her own; young
men were shallow -minded-she wanted
husband whose learning she could re-
spect.
They were married. The old house
was charming; the old furniture SO quaint
and interesting. Her happiness was com
plete-that is, excepting the influence
exercised by the skeletons. Whenever
she entered the library chill crept over
her, and, at night, when the doctor was
away, she could fancy that she heard the
skeletons rattling their bones while, in
loose -jointed recklessness, they danced
horrible jig.
Doctor" the loving wife remarked
one evening, pushing an ottoman to the
sofa where the medical gentleman lay,
''you do everything you can to make me
happy, don't yous" seating herself and
proceeding to practice the fine art of en-
dearment
swell, yes" he replied, 81 did not
suspect that you entertained doubt con-
cerning that fact"
81 sometimes do,n brushing tobacco
crumbs from his shirt bosom.
"Ah, my little girl, it must be that
shadow of discomfort which sometimes
arises from lavish attention, that is for
moment clouding your domestic sum-
She was pleased at being called little,
for she knew that she was not. Pettish
women are fond of soft words, even
though they imply misnomer.
"Other people may have skeletons in
their closets, but ours adorn the walls. |
wish they were in closet. When vou
persistenely refuse to remove the horrid
things cannot help but think that you
do not love me quite so much as You
should"
s'Sallie, you know that I am devoted
to you, and, knowing my peculiaritics, l
do not see why you should seek to de-
prive me Of great enjoyment. l have
never known one Of the skeletons to come
out of the library. They are quiet and
well behaved, quite as much of the lady
and gentleman, | am persuaded, as
they were during life. You need not 90
near them. This is very large house,
remember"
81 know all that, but can't help open
ing the door and gazing at them, they
possess for me such an awful fascina-
ton.
'sYou'll Get yer that after awhiIe.n
Eyes, why, Me awfpl things ,haye
frightened me de- 2