Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1899-07-08
AN OLD CONUNDRUM.
..ALp MIR. BAUER" he Is called in
Arbor street. but he is not 80 old

with shining badness hsddcn from view by
a black All skull cap. from beneath wh,ch
thin wisps Of rcdaiSh gray hair s,raggie out
and fall over the collar OF his coat. Ills face.
Which j. not much wrinklcd. except at the
dreoping outercorners Of his keen blue eyes,
u always snocth-shaven- lip and chin. and
the bat OF gray whiskers which he allows 70
grow Is trimmed with precision HIS car
rage is upright, too. for an Old man
Those who have seen The rather cogeared
business cards upon which the landlord and
cwner IN fee simple Of Sl6 sometimes makes
snemorunda know that Moritz Naucr was
at one time a dealer in foreign and domestic
cigars. but that Was a ling time ago. lie -
retired now, and dcvotcs himself 20 the col
lection Of his rents and 10 keeping the house
in order. These occupations, with the Gus.
tivation Of about ten square yards OF ground
IN the hack yard and an inclosed patch OF
turf in front. with the care Of sundry house
plants and vines. keep him pretty buslly en-
ployed during the working hours al the day. \
AS far as the collection Of rents Is con- +.
ccrncd. old Mr. Bauer Is not IS strict as be
might be. though this Is not generally
known, and the nightly gossipers AZ Gott-
reds saloon often wonder what he does
with his money. After Pete Mallory was
ksIied by the bias. IN the Waterman extern
son cid Nr Bauer kept Mn. Mallory Ard
tho little Mailorys for nearly year n their
rooms on the third floor, and Il Mr.. Nal
. lory paid her rent there was no occasion for
f her 10 veep and try % kiss Mr.. Boucr's
guaricd cid fst when she went away 20 keep
I house for her cousin. There were other IN
stances also where families in arrears had
I been forgiven their rent. snd there - a
/ case Of the same kind m the house 20 day
There is one thing rather remarkable about
| the ex-cicar dealer He seems 90 dislike chi-
J dren. avoiding them as much as possible ana
| removing them when they clatter too mostly
up and down the stairs or invade the sacred
precincts Of the back yard or the front grass
plat Il Is remarkable. because Old Mr..
nauer i not a bachelor. but a wicowcr, and
up In his room over the iron bcdstead there
/ hangs a picture OF has wife and chld.
Itisa faded picture. but il seems as II It
were perfectly natural for TIE woman az
least 20 he faded You cannot tell much
about her. She has a fat expression lcss
face and corkscrcw riuE'cts. and her dress.
even 70 the broad linen collar confined with
lrr oval brooch az the throat. seems Ga
have been carved ont Of wood. The little
boy has curls, too. and a rolling torrknot
| and he is clutching AZ the trousers 90 mus
2 ,ached man In the uniform of q corporal al
J. jaeers. That was Morris Bauer when h'
2 was wchrfaris. and when his home WI
/, WurzhurE.
Old Mr.. Bauer Is a firm believer IN tho v1r
tues Of paint lie has room opening on
| onto the roof over the kitchen. which ,
filed with cans u paint Of every imagiushl
= color. At various seasons be compc.s hi
'e tenants 20 stack their cha,tels in the mid
die Of the floor while with a broad, ID
d. brush and a can from his magazine be goc
No over walls and ceiling until the rceu.tin
sr essrs il painful % a sensitive eye. That
H. -. 80 rsa. ~ L. nH| 7
10 rent. When the old man. clad In ovcral
: srnoared with burnt lumber. white lead. vc
~ uikon and blue his head swathcd IN "a hans
u | kcrchicf, and he lean. somber foe teckC
with paint. j. engaged In this occupation
o. looks as nearly happy a. anyone ever Sc
m him
d. After painting comes the gardening. II
* side of the house i altogether taken up
the board walk, whose rot,ing substan
n also covers most Of the AREA Of the yar'
* hut between the walk and the rear II q
=" cottage there = a space Of nch black lo,
~ uherc0n the oid man raises vegetables NJ
flowers In thcs- season. A. the front The
Az = the erass plat. with ~ Tow railing az gree
az painted wood. AID from Arbor street 20 .
- city limits. not excluding the park. tho
- j. not another grass plat Ike Il.
The old man VIII have nothing % do w
oi lawn mowers. Re has a scythe hanging
II the paintroon. ard twice a week DC hrru
me IL down and with a SOW. even sweep shan
81 superluous half an inch or lees 90 I
:, green piat's length. lie dettS twltches &
az point Of the blade between the posts % Z
q ience and between the roots 81 the spre'
b. | ing old willow trcet, and when nc he's d.
ION no one spear az grass stands hairs bread
s1pove another. At times dunEg The one
n.o ton he viii stop. and. drawing whetstc
- | from his pocket, make Arbor street 80
with the raspsns, ringing sound as be Win
Il hack AMI forth along the scythcs ed
Then there - the sweeping, accomplish
srith a birch broom, bought Heaven kno
where. and the rolling and the watering q
- the grubhing up 81 dandelions.
- Il j. lonely life that ne leads. The G
- nan circle a. Goitfriends knows him 2
No one ever Gale 10 rec him and he goes
l. where. Ills Acquaintance with the old
- % ms lodrcrs j. slight, and his conversat
ggsth most q them nrs only once a mol
and j. concerning rent; yet he Is eNircm
-, puDctilious IN the matter OF salutation.
his 'goot-morning" OF ''goot-efening'' =
-. ways IN the case Of women accompanied
= =. ns stiff bow.
L. the morning Mrs. Moersch always n
- cup OF coffee and piece Of kuchen ready
him in the kitchen, and be sits rigidly u
the table and consumes tins reflection II
me ience, though Minnie Moersch sometil
you chatters 20 him during the whole time.
no, ME says that al she can ever get out Of
: a Is sol" and an occasional erimacc I
1ave may be intended for a smile. Yet Minr
eau confirmation frock, stockings. slippers, q
pifn- ers and al. came 20 her in box that
s'ns enc Of Moritz Bauer's old bufiness card
aDce h Wrhc, he has had II. breskfas, he n
/, noe his FIRST cigar. lie has two or three big
mere ccfafr nfnea ~Vi.h sr,frheel sferns bs,,