Telegram-herald., 1889-08-26
LEANDER AND SOPHIA.
The story or a VIII and . Pet
Parrot

/ MeFricAs Oldest daughter, a rich old al a.,
\ after whom Soplla lad been named. died
and left sz0. 90 10 Sophia, 50, a. yoa VIII
agree. Sophia was as eligible youug WON
an IA ever started IA upon a patchwork
/ quilt
some folks s2ii-Eotably Hepsival Green,
who wore a pee-wee hat simply because size
/ knew thai the pee wee was LeanCer ;
fayorite blrd-some folks sad that Sophia
was high strung, meaning thereby that
/ Sophia Was neither 20 meek es Noses nor
SO patent ss the god Cd patriarch who
needed cuticura But when Leander saw
/ Sophia as pretty face, or neard her stem
/ torian coDlraito voice lifted up II the choir,
or whel tperchance) he Imaginative fac
u'tes % his mind grappled and callied with
| TIE pleasing circumstance that Sophia had
! $4,000 ia her own Tgft--then. al, u.eB
! Leauder allowed. rot secretly out openly
and boldly. that Sophia was the hke.iest
eirl in the to.. .nsAiP, and outside Of the
! township Le4nder's s acquaintance extended
Lot.
| In spite, therefore, o. the malicious libels
OF the other women folks Leander kept pay
ing attention 10 Sophia, and this sort Of
| thing eliminated. only and naturally. in
wedding, at waicl the brides mother weps
| cOpiously and tho brides father became
| scandalously hilarious over a 0Ipperful Of
hard cider Tne day before the wedding
| Leander made modest effort 10 find out
what portion Of her $4,000 Sophia meant 10
| allot 10 him as a dover, but at the mere
suggestion Sophia went into Mysteries and
had 10 be cupped by the doctor before she
was brought out all right So Leander
made up his mind to bide MS time Love Is
famous begetter of patience and fortitude.
II took Leander just about six months TO
| find out that what folks had said about
! Sophias temper was not libel; Hepsival
Green had told the truth. Sophia was q
shrew The most mOrtlfying phase OF the
| situation, however, was that Sophia hung
on 10 her s30.00O-yes, she guarded and
| clung 10 that so, 900 as only an argus-eyed,
briarean handed woman can guard and
cling Leander had TO work for his living
and that, as some Of Us are painfully aware,
involves an embarrassing lot Of sweat and
WEAKNESS. Still Leander did not repine; it
seemed as If that $50. 90 danced like an
ignis-fatuus continually before his eyes,
filing his bosom with hope, IL not conf
| dence 'An things come TO him who
waits,o said Leander-fOol optimst that he
was!
They had been married about six years
when they moved TO Worcester. Sophia
had tired of country life; she pined for the
noise the hustle and the excitement OF the
city; so they moved 10 Worcester, where
there are six trains a day each way. They
had no children, but Sophia, having drawn
a dividend on her Fitchourg stock one
spring, bought parrot for seven dollars,
and about this callow bird Of song did the
tendrils OF her heart gradually entwine
themselves. II was a gaudy but solemn
bird, was the parrot. For hours would 1t
sit IN the gilt ring in its capacioCs zirc cage,
staring daily into space and uttering no
sound whatsoever Sophia called it Dinkety
surely most frivolous name for SO cir
cumspect bird.
Leander had no use for parrots. AS al
ready int.mated ladvlsedly and without
prejudice), Leander's favorite bird was the
pee wee, the tiny sougster which, either
carolng in IT'S native bush or crowning the
head OF a buxom rural maiden, is alike Joy
and thing Of beauty. Leander saw moth
ing 10 admire In the vulgar hued, watch
eyed and taciturn parrot 1t annoyed him
TO behold that gloomy creature staring va
cantly INTO space--it annoyed and hypno-
tized him Il shall wiring its neck some
time" said he, but he never passed any
such remark In the hearing Of his wife lie
respected Sophia's feelings. There Is, so-
companying the feelings Of wi.e who Is
worth $1,000, a certain sanctity so well de-
fined and so sacred that 20 dlscree: hus-
bard win violate il
They had been married going on eight
years, when SopAia up and died. Lesndcr
buried her AID marked her grave with
simple marble slab bearing tue aMbi guOus
legend: AT Rest"
II transpired taat Sophia had loft viii
II was rather Of a surprise 90 Lcandcr.
LAWYER Beebe fled g. and proved j. up ia
the Probate Court. J. was a simple d0cg-
nent r left SopAas entire fortune to
Leander. IN trust FOR me parrot, ana in the
event of tho parrots death frow natural
causes the fortune was 70 pass without re-
serve 70 Lea16er Lawyer Beebe was sD-
pointed executor of the vii and guardian
of the parrot. without bonds. Tcsja.rix
confded r. Beebe because once upon a me
he had given Ter some iegal advice without
exact.ug Zee
The New York papers sent spe~'a, cor
respor dents 20 ~ 1rc' ster 20 write articles
ABOUT D.nkety. tae famous ves- parrot.
they a.so printed pictures = Dinker and
rro'ty soon Dlaxety became 60 distin-
ruisnes tnst several of The New r. r and
eyes conferred honorary sesrees upou
hlm
Meanwhile Lean5er plotted against the
Ife e tae bird Nsrrsiy euoach. he
ehsfos vr1r- The conditions prescribed bv
srpnis's viii Wh7 should he. hlmaa
being suTsr h-s peace ara G rnif7 n be
snperi.sd by va Far. Eutalnvlag s.-dl
Taa u4rdsrous passion wsxed su1 g~sv n
l.aar-r-s brs or1 lrtil presently it secsu1e
para ON. ard s1soreing "P't11fs
s..s..ss.. <.fr f-e -ee n fzrf TIE ere.t.-