The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-05-10


dure! lie said so, and nothing made
him more angry than for some rudely
unsympathetic person to express a
doubt concerning his wrctchcd condi-
ton. His troubles were not of physic-
al nature; he could have endured any
ching of that sort and always worn a
smiling face. He said his misery was
of a mental character; still it made him
excited to tell him it was all in his
mind.
Had you met Beclscnhan Wythe on
the street, you would have seen Mt a
glance that he was miserable man.
He did not wear Grape, but he did wear
the moss detected countenance ever
seen IN human being. The pensive
look in his eyes denoted sorrow, the
dropping corners of his mouth denoted
melancholy, the downward twist of his
short. red mustache denoted woe, tho
sharp point Of his chin denoted n pierre
Ing grief the staggering cast of his thin
nose denoted shattered hopes, and the
wild disorder of his long hair gave him
an aspect OF utter despair. Even about
his clothes there was an air of misery;
and still he was n tailor! He was al
ways followed by most wrctched-
looking dog, that sncalScd along with
its head down and it's tail between its
legs, and seemed to be continually re-
Eretful it was alive.
People carefully turned out for Mr..
Wythe upon the street and shivcred as
he passed, or looked after him with sad
sympathy. People who were laughing
stopped with remarkable suCldenness
when their eyes fell upon him; children
avoided him, and-cXcepting his own
wrctchcd cur-cvcn the dogs SHE'D away
from kim and growled. Whenever he
entered Il pleasant room, he brought n
cloud with him that shut out the sun
shine, and it was little short of torture
to listen to the melancholy droning OF
his voice. 1t was torture if one was
forced to endure it great while.
Nj. Wythe was Stunned in the house
where lie boarded, and Mrs. S;priggs,
the land!ady. said she would not keep
him If he were not such remarkably
Sood pay, and did not stay in his room
SO much when he was at the house. He
seldom spoke OF any thing but his own
misery, and the most trivial things
added to the mountain of woo beneath
which he was buried.
NOW, Deckcnnam ythe was man
who had soured on women as on every
thing else. 1t wAs little wonder for
women arc not usually attracted to
such wcebegone beings as Mr.. Wythe,
and they were not apt TO return smiling
glRnces for his sour ones. The women
and girls who worked for him in his
little shop usually had as little to say to
him as possible, and he repaid them by
only speaking to them in an unusually
unpleasant manncr-as il his customary
manner were not bad enough!
Next to Mr.. Wythc's clearinghouse
stood little white cottage which had
been purchased by widow. The
widow seemed to be an exception to
the usua, run of women. for she sat at
the window and smiled at }cc!icnham as
he passed with his dog slsullsing along
at his heels. AT first he paid no atten-
ton to it, but the widow persisted, and
he was obliged to notice her after q
time. But he thought she was making
sport of him, and he returned her
smiles with his most sour glanccs
Still the widow was not daunted, for
she retained her position at the window
and continued to smile upon him.
''Iomely old tnng!" exclaimed Mr..
Wythc to himself. skinny neck and