The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1886-11-26

Now, it's no use your cOntradlctlng /
me, because l won't listen," said the |
lady one evening over dessert. She !
spoke aggressively, cracking the shell |
of a walnut with decision. She had |
peeVishly found fault with the fish and
the salad, and had slapped her pug for
no earthly reason. If Josiah had been
less slow he would have opined that
storm was brewing. There was silence
for a minute after Mrs. Dobbs had
opened fire.
Aren't you going to speak?" she
said at length.
ga child?" remarked Josiah, drop
ping his fat chin into his shirt. my
love, that is surely a project requiring
very serious consideration.
Mrs. DObbs tossed her head omin-
Ously. Every inch of lace in her cap
| seemed suddenly to have acquired
starch, while the gilt ornaments thereon
| scintillated fiercely.
''When 1 say n thing l mean it,
as YOU know, Josiah. 1 have
| considered that you indulge your hob
| bies without restraint. It is high time
my benevOlence found something to
occupy it."
Josiah drank up his wine slowly.
| When he spoke again it was in a sub
| dued tone.
Dorothy, my dear, how often have
l reminded you in the past three years
| that your poor sister-left a child. As
l have said before, it is your clear duty
| to
''AIr Dobbsr' The lady rose, and
swept her black satin skirts to the
door. Here she paused to add: Il
| repeat, l remember no sister A dis
/ graceful marriage severed all cOnnec-
/ ton of birth. l beg that you will
never allude to that shameful matter
again"
Perhaps the episode alluded to was
well remembered by Josiah, for he
sighed several times in his after-dinner
solitude. He knew the madcap girl he
had sheltered for many years beneath
his roof was dead, but he knew, too,
that her child lived, and he would fain
have cherished it for the mothers
| sake.
In the course of the evening Mrs.
! Dobbs resumed the question of adOp-
! ton. Josiah was a peaceable man,
and he loved his wife; but this last
whim was a serious one, and would in
| evitably entangle her in difficulties.
I'm going to advertise at once"
she said.
Mr.. Dobbs looked very blank.
Il should advise you to try some
other plan that would give less pub
| licity to the matter, he said, mildly.
| THAT would bring any amount of beg
| gars and impOStors about you"
| Mrs. DObbs looked over her crewel
work in an injured way.
! There you are again, Josiah; al
ways trying to oppose me and make
my life miserable. l declare you con-
tradict me every morning and evening
about something. Haven't / told you
before what lonely life lead? It's
| all very well for you, who go away to
! the city every day and enjoy yourself
making money. You are just like all
men-you are selfish TO the core"
With this final female platitude, Mrs.
Dobbs began to whimper. Mr.. Dobbs
| fel guilty of heinOus cruelty.
| "a companion might ---" he be-
gan.
The lady lifted herself from the sofa
cushion and Josiah quailed.
"A compartment with whitening sar-
| casm, ''to make love to you, no doubt,
Josiah. know their scheming ways.
Didn't have enough of Miss Griggs
and her maneuvering tricks, working
you braces, the hussv, and sending you
Christmas cards. How dare you men
ton person of that sort after all my
| sufferings with themP"
OF course in the end the lady pre-
vailed, and Josiah passively counter
anced the adoption. Matters were soon
set in order for the fulfilment of the
latest whim. Yet verify her heart
failed her during the week following
her advertisement. Her lonely cOndi-
ton had never been so apparent to
her before as when she was beset
by crew of parents and guardians
bearing some puny or blighted infant
for her adoption. All sorts and condi-
tions of men craved IT pity for their
wretched children. She was Devil
dered by the questions put to her, and
terrified by the offensive bearing of
holder applicants. More than once
Mrs. Dobbs had to ring in her respect
able butler to get rid of some insistent
parent who endeavOred to intimidate
her into an immediate purchase. The
result of all this was a cessation of the
daily advertisement. Mr.. Dobbs, of
course, was not informed infinitely Of
all that went on; though an interview
with his butler one evening threw a
little light on things that had occurred.
Il wish to give a months warning,
sir" said this gentleman, in privacy to
his master.
"Whv, now, Tinker, what is the
matter? I'm sure you've a very COM
Portable place, with boy to do all your
dirty work.
Tinker coughed and stammered a
few words before coming to the point.
"Well, now, sir, to speak plain, it S
along of that wild crowd of vagabOnds
as Mrs. Dobbs she's seeing of every
! day. Babies by the score. they re
brought by impident rascals such as
amt been accustomed to. One of 'em
she wouldn't go out of the gate till
called the police. 1t amt respectable
in q gentleman's house, 1 do assure
you, sir.
Somehow or other Mr.. Dobbs man
aged to soothe the outraged feelings of
his man servant and prevailed upon him
TO put up awhile longer with the incOn-
venience of the situation. The worth y
Josiah was concerned for the protection
of his wife.
"How are you getting on with your
business, my love?n inquired Mr..
DobbS that evening.
.Oh, pretty we'll" said the lady
cheerfully. yet persistently avoiding
her husbands eye. Il find it very diff
ticult to make up my mind; and l want
, pretty little boy, not quite a baby,
with no disgraceful connections to
hang about him. No doubt l shall see
one to suit me in a few days"
The few days passed without further
allusion to the subject, and the follow
) ing curious advertisement appeared in
2 all the daily papers:
WANTED, for immediate adoption, a
J little boy between two and four years
s old. Must be healthy and pretty, and
7 sound in body and mind. The
f parents or relatives must sur
[ render all claim uDOn him forever He