The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1884-10-23
A RIGHTEOUS RETRIBUTION.

My house, like that of the American
patriot immortalized in Martin Chuz-
zlewit," is now "beyond the setting
sun"--that is to say, in the uttermost
regions of western Misunderstanding
there was a time when it was situated
AZ the opposite extremity of CottOnopo-
dis, from which / fed, for reasons to be
hereafter stated, with the feeling that 1
could not put too great a distance be-
tween myself and it. My former habi-
tation was a scmi-detached villa (of
which l was also the proud proprietary
in Paradise Row. NV occupation Law
in the town; but it had in truth but
small charms for me. 1t was there
made the wax from which / derived
the ma or portion of my income; but
my honey and l was a very busy bee
at that time-was made at home after
office hours, still, indeed, by the pen,
but in very different fashion. NY
soul was devoted to Literature, and all
the time that could spare from Messrs.
Bale and Cotton, cotton cornerers, was
given TO composition. Except for the
interval consumed in getting home, l
might indeed have been said to have
stepped from my high stool on to the
back of Pegasus, which took me flights
which lasted from seven o'clock to ten.
Let me hasten to say that this ex-
preston is metaphOrical. As a man
who is still connected Cat all events on
one side) with business, l should be
sorry to have it supposed that l ever
wrote poetry No; it was only prose,
though prose (if / may be permitted to
say sol Cf high order. j wrote stories
for the magazines, and leading articles
for local newspaper or two-what, in
short, may be fairly called imaginative
literature. had a young wife and n
growing family, and the addition thus
made to my official income was very
welcome, yet not more SO than the work
itself With my quill pen in my hand
i could never use a steel one, such as
suificed me in the city, for these flights
my knees in their snug haven under
my writing-table, and good stock of
ideas in my head to draw upon, / felt
as happy as q king. It is modest
pleasure, known to few and evied prob
ably by none; but. believe me, there is
none more satisfying or supreme.
When our little children had been put
20 bed, my wife used 10 come down and
sit with me, occupying herself with
needle-work; it was understood that
(like ghOst) she was not to speak I'M
less she was spoken to, lest she should
interrupt the flow of composition.
could trust her for that, implicitly.
There are some good women, who can
never keep silence when they work for
two consecutive minutes, but must be
always making some muttered Observa-
on about their stitches. Clementina
was not one of that sort, which was
fortunate for both of us.
There might have been two opinions
Chat is, Dly opinion and that of other
I~N - rE.,e
have been of q meritorious or valuable
kind, but, such as 1t was, it required
perfect silence If there was the least
noise, coal flying out from the fire.
door banging in the attics, all was over
with me. If a nightingale had begun
70 sing in the back garden, / should
have been paralyzed. Our two maid
servants always went about during those
hours of composition in list slippers.
For a month after my purchase of
Eden Lodge, Paradise Row, the house
in nc way belied its name; but in the
fifth week the serpent raised its head
among the flowers, and Kissed out:
Sir, you are mistaken about the name
of your residence. This is PurgatOry
Villa"
1t was about 7:15 p. m, and had, as
usual, sat down alone to my beloved
at which my desk was placed, there is
sued forth bang as if a cannon had
gone of, followed by three or four shrlll
explosions, such as are caused by rock
cts. For the moment / really thought
they lCere rockets, and that the sticks
had penetrated my brain, which, in
deed, was scattered in all directions.
My faithful wife, who had felt the !
shock in the nursery, rushed down
stairs. and was by my side in an IN
slant. AS she entered the room the |
hideous cannonade was resumed, and |
with such effect that the hearth brush |
fell down (stunned) in the corner of |
tine fireplace, and the top of my ink |
bottle shut of itself with a click.
"Mercilul heayens" cried. ''What |
is itP''
II feared it would annoy YOU" be-
gan Clementina, in trembling tones.
annoy me! 1t has destroyed me" 1 /
exclaimed. mot another line shall 1 |
be able to write to night. What is itP'
''My dear Charles, am sorry to say
it is the daughter of our neighbor, Mrs.
Brown, who has just come home from
school, and is practicing the The Bat
tie of Prague Jemima, whom we
took with Eden Lodge, you know, says
she does it all through the holidays
The foolish girl never said n word about /
il, or, am sure, you would never have
bought the house."
but do you mean to say this is to 60
on always, dit0GySg" 1 exclaimed,
''Hark at it."
1t was like magnificent pyrOtechnic
display without the fire works. No
n fiend could have inflicted II.
al
my wife, despondingly, "fOr six weeks,
from seven to ten; only, on Sundays,
she plays sacred music"
am not a passionate person, but
am impatient; and If at that moment
could have got at that girl next door,
believe, Notwithstanding her sex, her
age and her piety, that / should have
strangled her. The question was not
lne to be put aside or debated about for
m instant, and l sat down at once and
wrote to Brown (as well as that Internal
melody would permit mel a letter of
courteous remonstrance. was on
moro than speaking terms
With him, and believed him to be, on
he whole, a gOOd-natured fellow; but 1
had a suspicion that he had q terma-
rant for wife. Mrs. Brown laced too
lightly not TO have a temper; out still
he must have a woman's heart beating
and surely, in a Christian
/ anticipate, if that can
,e called anticipation which is the very
'everse of what one has ventured TO ex-
lect.
My letter ran as follows:
DEAR MIR. BROWN; In thus addressing my
elf to you, know ! am relying upon our re-