The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1888-11-01
A SUMNER BOARDER.
Why Sophronia Concluded She
Didn't Want to Marry.

'.In Japan every man is compelled to
barry as soon as his circumstances are
ach as to support a wife. !"
& Miss Sophronia Shurtleff laid down
sIths paper from which she had read
tthe sentence oabove quoted, and in
5aaIged In the following comment:
wAnd very excellent law it is, too.
am sure the Japanese are good
eal more enlightened than people
i've them credit for. In that respect
would be good idea if Christian
pvernments would pattern after them.
only wish had been born in Japan.
think it's shame and sin that a
pod looking girl of twenty-nine-
Aeml ! mean thirty-nine-should be
lving in single blessedness, without
ashland or any prospect of one."
Sophronia Shurtleff, as the reader
y learned from her soliloquy, was a
alden lady in comfortable circum-
ances, and lived ina little cottage just
Ms OF the village Of Cherryville. As to
aw age, second thoughts might be
most polite. but were not most cor
He Though she made it practice
call herself twenty-nine, the town
aerk knew by his books that she was
within a month of forty. She was
nlther fat nor fair, however. Twenty
we additional pounds would have
|lalped her figure amazingly, and as to
aer lace, If it had been little less sal
low, the nose trife shorter, the ewes
sss inclined to squint, and the cheeks
allttle fuller, the improvement would
nave been SO great that her most inti-
nate friends would not have known
|her.
Gull Sophronia considered herself q
sgood-looking girl" It's mercy
aonely people are so unconscious OF
We iact, ! never knew person who
sa not consider himself at least passa-
ae' and the ugliest man 1t was ever nv
y . De acquainted with was perpetu-
Wy looking in the looking-glass. Poor
aaa' perhaps he was trying to get ac-
as'omed to his peculiar style of beauty.
There was one thing in which
~pnronia agreed with her neighbors,
sla tnatwas that if she ever expected to
3 married it must be soon. She there
"fs determined on bold stroke for a
aasoand. She had somewhere heard
! saas IN emountain will not come to Ma
ss'lee' Mahomet must go to the noun
sla, =, which, being interpreted and ap-
* ss,su y ner own case, clearly meant
~ 4, tsince the beaux made no advances
'ae must save them the trouble.
.,, ,oilerryvilie was not far. from the
wy and being pretty village was
ssasiaerably visited in the summer
s''a'ns oy those who wished to rural
!, - NOW, taking this fact into con-
T. eaa asion, it all at once occurred to
49, ~. oophronia that she might let her
]; wv room to young gentleman dur
S = sae summer, and-and don't YOU
= aear reader? OF course thew
ss'a ssa'u De brought considerably to-
8 ss'aef during that time, and perhaps
-. = hef personal charms and the inti-
s ssaOn that she had some money in the
salk' she might induce him 70 pronose
. ner virgin hand.
tAs accordingly 8 the hopeful spinster had
8. g pant duly cleaned, till it looked as
,s.''1 49, = wax, the furniture polished. and
s,sY aa.lY went to the expense of new
u. sss.alns y for her front room, trusting
- ss = might prove a profitable invest
aA All preparations of this nature
4. ~ concluded, she put a placard in
4. q "lnaow intimating that this room
sss !" let Tor the summer, and that
@.s1s ay Gentlemen were preferred.
IS ou see, as she remarked to the
! ow Jones who happened to look
~ - same day the notice was put up.
Iss, Issu see, Mrs. Jones, men are good
'sss trouble than women. Women