The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1886-02-27
herbert anu Emily.
Teeas SiHings

1
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| Teeas Siftings
Mrs. Van Pelt was young widow,
who lives on Murray Hill, New York.
AS IS often the case with old widows,
her husband was dead. Old Van Pelt
was very old to be, or rather to have
been, the husband OF such young wo-
man. While he was alive he was the
most jealous husband imaginable. 1t
was impossible for young Mrs. Van Pelt
to do or say anything without being
suspected by her husband of being act
uated by unworthy motives.
If she happened to glance sideways
or write letter in hurry, or to take
out her handkerchief, her husband i'm
agined that she was preparing to elope
with younger and handsomer man.
If she eloped at all it would have to be
with younger and handsomer man, SO
old and ugly was her husband. If she
put on new dress, or arranged her
hair in a new style, he imagined the
change had some allegorical significance
understood only by herself and the
friend who was seeking to break up his
domestic happiness, or rather unhappi
ness.
Mrs. Van Pelt complained bitterly to
her friend, Mrs. Peterson, who called
to see her once in while.
you have no idea what a wretched
life lead, said Mrs. Van Pelt.
you must feel very lonesome in your
isolated condition. should think you
would feel more lonesome when he is at
home than when he is away said the
visitor.
mo, l can't say that feel lonesome
when he is at home. You see he has
got catarrh.
%, he is musician, is he? didn't
know that he played on any instrument.
4 said that he had catarrh, not a
guitar
That's different thing. A catarrh
is wind instrument, whereas a guitar
is only a string instrument; but how
does your venerable husbands catarrh
crevent you f.e--- fs-l;-c loreco,neo - a--
sHe has a dreadful chronic cough
with it that seems to come from his
chest. 1t sounds like different voices,
and when he coughs it seems as if there
were half dozen different persons con-
versing. So really imagine at times
that there are three or four persons
present. He has falsetto voice
Not only falsetto voice, but also a
false set O. teeth, remarked the visitor.
Eyes, that is another one of his ac-
quirements, sighed the widow.
During the last month of Van Pelt's
wretched existence, being in very fee
Bile health, he changed his programme
somewhat. His jealousy made way for
another and different mania. He shut
himself up in his private office and re-
fused to allow anybody to enter, except
his body servant John.
One morning the wretched old man
was found dead in his bed. Very like
ly his soul had often sighed to be deliv-
eredfrom the broken-down, dilapidated
old tabernacle in which it must have
Escn ashamed to be seen on the streets
His widow felt very bad, but then black
was very becoming to her. Life is full
of ofcompensations. She forgave him be-
cause his love for her was evidently sin
cere, although somewhat egotistical and
selfish, and then, as we stated, he was
dead. She had never loved him to ex-
cess, but she had become accustomed to
seeing him around and to hear him
growl She missed his wheezy old
cough. She was very lonely for short
time.
We will not keep tally of the tears
she shed. The briny drops that fell
from her pretty blue eyes are no doubt
checked up to her credit in heaven.
She grew more cheerful, and, at times,
she even smiled pensively. By degrees
she shed the dusky habiliments of woe.
Her heavy bereavements gradually as
sumed the phase of mitigated affliction.
AT Easter she blossomed out in pink
muslin, &c.
In the meantime, a young man OF
| ahont her own age had heen adoring
her silently. He was lawyer in COM
| Portable circumstances. His name was
Herbert. He proposed and was accept
ed. The young couple were exceeding
ingly happy, for she did good deal OF
reciprocating. There was considerable
Yum Yum business when the young law
yer took his leave after spending the
evening at the palatial residence of the
consolable widow. They had even fixed
day for the ceremony.
| One morning the letter-carrier lett
letter at the widows mansion. 1t wa:
addressed to her. The widow opened
the letter and swooned away on con
venient sofa. The letter was in the un
mistakable handwriting of her late hus
band who was supposed to be hiberna
ting in his marble sarcophagus in Green
wood Cemetery.
New JERUSALEM, Jan. 20, 1886.
nv Dear WJfe:--I know everything
l am an unseen witness of your Yum
Yum goings on. I know that you con
template marrying again. refIH1ss I1 E, t t
allow it. Something dread1ul Will nap
pen to you if you don't desist.
Your HUSBAND.
That's the way it read. :,
The widow was badly scared. Sh
saw her late husband looking over nc
shoulder whenever she glanced at tn
: mirror. She heard his cough at tn
dead hour of midnight. i.
When Herbert called he was surprl
ed. Her eyes were full of tears; re-
ones. Her nose was red. The lawy'
looked at the letter and said: