The Colfax chronicle., 1888-12-01
A SUMMER BOARDER.
Why 6ophronia Concluded She
Didn't Want to Marry.

Why sophronia Concluded sh,
Didn't Want to Marry.
1n Japan every man is compelled 3
marry as soon as his circumstances ar
such as to support wife"
Miss S0phronia Shurtleff laid dow
the paper from which she had real
the sentence sabove quoted, and in
dulged In the following comment:
"And very excellent law it is, too
| am sure the Japanese are gooi
deal more enlightened than people
give them credit for. In that respec
It would be good idea If Christian
governments would pattern after them
only wish / had been born In Japan
think it's shame and sin that 9
good looking girl of twenty-nine-
ahem! / mean thirty-nine-should be
living in single blessedness, without q
husband or any prospect of one."
Sophronia Shurtleff, as the reader
has learned from her soliloquy, was q
maiden lady in comfortable circum-
stances. and lived in a little cottage Just
out of the village of Cherryville. As to
her age. second thoughts might be
most polite, but were not most cor
rect. Though she made it a practice
to cali herself twenty-nine, the town
clerk knew by his books that she was
within month of forty. She was
neither fat nor fair, however. Twenty
five additional pounds would have
helped her figure amazingly. and as to
her face, II 1t had been little less sal
low, the nose trife shorter, the eyes
less inclined to squint, and the cheeks
little fuller, the improvement would
have been so great that her most inti-
mate friends would not have known
her.
Still Sophronia considered herself a
''good-looking girl" It's q mercy
homely people are so unconscious Of
the fact, l never knew person who
did not consider himself at least passar
bic, and the ugliest man it was ever nv
lot to be acquainted with was perpetu-
ally looking in the looking-glass. Poor
man, perhaps he was trying to get &C
customed to his peculiar style of beauty.
There was one thing In which
Sophronia agreed with her neighbors,
and thatwas that II she ever expected to
be married 1t must be soon. She there
fore determined on bold stroke for a
husband. She had somewhere heard
that II tn emountain will not come to Ma
homet, Mahomet must go to the noun
tain, which, being interpreted and ap-
Piled to her own case, clearly meant |
tina, tsince the beaux made no advances
she must save them the trouble.
Cherryville was not far from the
city. and being pretty village was
visited In the summer
months by those who wished to rural
lze. Now. taking this fact into con-
1t all at once occurred to
Miss Sophronia that she might let her
'front.' room to young gentleman dur
ing the summer, and-and-don't you
see. dear readera OF course thew
would be brought considerably TO-
gether during that time, and perhaps
by her personal charms and the init
nation that she had some money In the
bank, she might induce him to propose
Tor her virgin hand.
Accordingly the hopeful spinster had
The paint duly cleaned, till it looked az
neat as wax, the furniture polished, and \,
actually went to the expense of new
curtains for her front room, trusting ,
hat it might prove a profitable invest /.
nent All preparations of this nature ,
King concluded, she put placard in
ne window intimating that this room
vas to let for the summer, and that
'ingle gentlemen were preferred. Il
You see," as she remarked to the ;
Widow Jones, who happened to look
q the same day the notice was put up,
you see, Mrs. Jones, men are good
eal less trouble than women. Women 4
re poking round all day. and watching
ou all the time. but men are of most
the time.n
Il was about week after the placard :
- put up that q young man walked
p the neat gravel walk. and, lifting Z
liss SophFonia's knocker gave two |
lstinct knocks. Her heart Auttering
ith pleasure. for ehe had observed | .