West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1885-11-06
MIR. PATTERSON'S MISTAKE.
a Chance Proposal, and It's
Happy Result.

| AAoPpS AN0SulJ.
| Peter Patterson was ill-at least ne
thought so-a' d deprcsscd, no had n
headache; and he hated the dusty
streets, in which the summer heat
burnt and the summer sun shonc before
the green leaves had draped the trrcs
and potted geraniums, which had come
to be so blcssedly popular in New York,
lent their summer freshness.
What shall | do. doctor?" he said
to the whitc-hcadcd old physician
"l OF say nothing al, me, but | can
tell what my feelings are better than
you can. | know | shall be down with
something soon. | rode in ear with
a half-dozen dirty children the other
day 60 the small poN hospital |
haven't doubt very red and nasty
| looking, all of them: and while ! was
| buying something i'm store down
Broadway the other day horrid old
woman begged of me because her hus-
band was sick with typhoid fever No
doubt have caught both diseases and
its the complication that puzzles YOU.
Couldn't relish my coffee this morning:
left my IN lk-toast untouched. Hateful
life, that of a bachelor at hotel Oh,
dear mel"
" Why don't you marry then?' said
the DOCTOR
They need so much counting " said
Patterson, "Yous spend six months or so.
at ca {, dangling at woman's apron
str ngs. You must 20 to the theater
and opera if she is gay, and TO church
if she is pious. At fly "A man Iiko, his
II ppers and dressing aown and chair
of an evening. IfitWas Just stepping
over 10 the clergyman and getting
married puttTng ring on her finger
and saWng or noddng yes two or
three times, why, \ .Youldn't mind it,
yoa Know" ~ ~
..Ah, well, courtng Is the funlof II
All, in my opinion said tho old
doctor, but every one TO his taste
And my advice to you is to Get out into
the country"
< To another hotel and more nerce-
nary waitersp said Mr.. Patterson
80 No, - said the doctor; 'sgO to a
nice private home i know one a
mo otherly widow lady, who cook "a dinS
ner' fit for King. River balore the
house, woods behind IL. orchard td the
left, kitchen garden to theC right; no
fever and ague; no mosquitoes. HeaH-
cnly! am going up there Tomorrow,
and IN see II she'll lake you!'
Very well, said Mr.. Patterson; Il
think will try it, '-g +
"And you must drink plenty of milk
and eat plenty of. nice home made
bread. -
''Yes, will,'' said Patterson. over.
ioyed al last at hearing something
that sounded like a prescription %And
you would advise milkP"
Quart of it every day" said the
doctor
''i'll take note of it, said Patter-
son, ''and if should be very III She'll
Nurse me"
"Splendidly" said the doctor, and
went his way.
MIR. Patterson thought the matter
over and thought better OF IL every dav.
and when the little note informing him
that the widow would be willing to
take him in and do for him. reached
him, he had his trunk and portmanteau
already packed, and was already to
start that afternoony As for tho widow.
the doctor had prepared her for her
boarder's peculiarities thus:
Mice fellow; social; plenty of
money; thinks himself in, but isn't
ought to be married; told him so. but
he hates the idea Of courtinQ: marry off
some day, no doubt: viii YOU have
me" Yes Call in clergyman Over.
Very peculiar old bachelor but then
old bachelors are peculiar, generally"
The widow was what the Yankees
call am amazing smart woman. She
had married at sixteen, and had never
rallied 20 have her washing over when
other people were hanging out theirs.
Her bread always rose. her cake was
always good and her butter always
sweet At forty-fve she had married
on all her daughters, was welLto-do.
buxom and happy.
Her son and his wife boarded with
her. and she added TO her plentiful sag-
iugs by taking y summer boarder or
two, If they happened 10 offer
''Fifty and a bachelor said Mrs
Munue, looking IN the glass "WeU.
b. seems a pity; but when elderly gen
tlemon marry IL IS 20 some hjty-Hfv Girl
that leads them a terrible life. and
likely IL for the best"
Then she looked in the glass aOain.
for the widow was but q woman, after
9ll
Mr. Patterson came to the widow
and obeyed the doctors prescription
carefully He ate bread and milk.
robbed the orchards like n school-boy.
and reclinod over the strawberry short
cake after p fashion that would have
made his reputation at the bar Then.
too, Mrs Muntle did not smile at his
aches and pans aud insist that he must
be- perpetually we'll because he had
fresh complexion and dinu,in1 in lie
cheeks She had savory herb teas and