New-York tribune., 1905-12-17

to this somewhat ambiguous question,
but Immediately added:
90 Anyhow, some men is, and Puffer's
one o. them. know that l once went
/. to the mat and a girl come out
considerable scand 'lous as to the way
/ she was dressed, or undressed, and she
sung a song about a man whose heart
was right, after all, and somehow l
I thought o. Puffer He's turrible grumpy
and snappy a good deal O. the time, and
4 seems to be tryin' to rub in on me the
/ idee that I'm the dirt under his feet; but
4 let me git real sick and there's nothing
! he won't do or have done for me.
! Once / come mighty nigh passin' on
with fearful shock O. airysipilus and
heerd Puffer sobbin' in a corner, and it
chirIed me up so dun no but it was the
means O me pullin' through.
/ Il know | read story once about an
old couple ridin' along in buggy, and
the hOss run away and upset 'en, and the
old lady was stunned until she was uncon-
scious, but the old man wa n t hurt much.
And when the old lady come to he says:
Why, ma, thought sure you was killed,
and she looked up at him and says real
sharp: You did, hey? And there amt
tear in your eye! should think you might
of had the decency to Of bawled a little
if you thought ] was deadl'. And she
iawed him all the way home until l dun
no but he was sorry she ever come to.
Didn't show much heart, did he?
We'll, Puffer bawled' in a right plea
sin way when he feared that l was goin'
to leave this earthly vale O. tears, and I've
remembered it many a time since when
he's been grumpy. Then I've had other
proof that Puffer's heart was all right
and that his bark is wuss than his bite.
So many men are that way. | reckon
the pore things can't help it. tell you
not many men wear their hearts on their
sleeves, as the sayin' is. They're more
apt to keep 'em up their sleeves like a
gambler does his trump card, and then
haul 'em out only when the 'casion de-
mands it. Amt | right?"
You usually are, Mrs. Puffer."
I'm right far as Puffer is concerned,
and l just want to tell you of the latest
proof I've had that Puifer means well. 1t
was in connection with all this Christmas
wear and tear that we have lived through
without comm down with nervous pros
peration or bein' carried to the insane asy-
lum. Christmas must be turrible strain
on them that goes in heavy, and it can't
be much of a JOY time to the shop-gir1s
pore crittersl Still, it's ali meant for
the best, and lot o happiness does come
out o all the fuss and bother it causes,
and the good Lord knows that there's
need O all the happiness anybody kin
put into the world.
And now l want to tell you that |
never knowed a man that made more
complaint and fuss about what. he calls
all this Christmas tomfooiery' than
Puffer does. I've even heerd that man
90 to the len'th of sayin' that he thought
there ought to be law ag'in' it and that
he'd like to ketch himself goin' into it,
but | take notice that he allus wants
good Christmas dinner and that l find t
L tive-dollar bill or gold piece under my {
plate when l turn it over, and if l go to {
hank him for it he snaps at me.
Z" As for hangin' up stockin's or any |
hing o that sort, Puffer most foarns at t
he mouth if anyone mentions such a {
hing, and of course with no children S