—. B. F. McNEIL, and Prppinetoi*. fj IBfilfcnl §pjm IS PUBLISHED, Svery Friday Morning on Juliana Street, OPPOSITE THE .HEXUF.L UOISE, BEDFORD, BEDFORD COUNTY, PA. TERMS: #1.75 a year if paid strictly in advance, JJ.G® if paid within, six months, $2.50 if not paid with -3 six months. Rates of Advertising. One Square, threo weeks or less $1 26 Oae Square, each additional insertion less than three months * 30 $ Months, 6 Months, 1 Year. ©ne Square $3 50 ft 75 $8 80 Two squares 5 00 7 00 1.0 00 Three squares 6 00 9 00 15 00 4 Column 12 00 20 00 35 00 One Column 20 00 35 00, 65 00 Administrators' and Executors' notices $2.50, Auditors notices $1.50, if under 10 lines. Estrays $1.25, if but one head is advertised, 25 cents on every additional head. One square is the SPACE occupied by ten lines of min ion. Fractions of a square under five lines count as a half square, and all over five lines a foil square. Adver tisements charged to persons handing them in. PROFESSIONAL AND BUSINESS CARDS. I.U.IKSKN, Arronxsr AT LAW, SELF one, FA. Will attend promptly to all business entrusted to his •are. Military claims speedily collected. Office on Juli ana Street, two doors north of the Inquirer Office. April 1,1864—tf. EKFY SI. A LSI P. ATTOBXKT AT LAW, BEDFORD, PA., Will faithfully and promptly attend to all business en trusted to his care in Bedford and adjoining counties. Military claims, Pensions, hack pay, Bounty, Ac. spee dily coliecteJ. Office with Mann A Spang, en Juliana street, 2 doors seuih of the Mengel House. April 1, 1864.—tf. A. U. VI'KBORKOff, ATT9KSET AT LAW, BEDFORD, FA. Office one door south of the "Mengel I^onsc," Will attend promptly to all business intrusted to his care Collections made on the shortest notice. Having, also, been regularly licensed to prosecute Claims against the Government, particular attention will he given to tho collection of Military claims of all kinds; Pensions, Back Pay, Bounty, Bbunty Loans, Ac. Bedford, apr. 8,1564 —tf. ALEX. KING, ATTOKXEY AT LAW. Aad agent for procuring arrears of Pay and Bounty money. Office on Juliana Street, Bedford, Pa. April 1, 1864—tf. KIHMEI.L A EINGENFELTER, ATTORXKTS AT LAW, BEDFORD, PA. Have formed a partnership in the practice of the Law. Office on Juliana Street, two doors South of the Mengel House. April 1,1864—tf. JOHN SAJOS, JCSNCE OF THE PEACE, EQPEWELL, BEDFORD OOCXTT. Collections and all business pertaining to his office will he attended to promptly. Will also attend to the sale or renting of real estate. Instruments of writing carefully prepared. Also settling up partnerships and ether tc wllti. April 1, 1864—tf. J MO. MttWKK. ATTORNEY AT LAW. JBEDFCEB, PA., April 2.1664.— tf. JOSEPH vr. TATE, ATTOEXST AT LAW, BEDFORD PA. "II7*ILL promptly attend to eoliections and all business W eitrnstti to bis care in Bedford an i adjoir ;ng conn ties. Money advanced on Ju igtuen Notes and o'her ©Saimt. Has for sale Town Lots, in Tatesville, and bt. Jeseph.s on Bedford Railroad. Farms and unim proved land in quantities to suit purchasers. Office opposite the Banking House of Reed A debet!, apr. IS, 1864—10 m. RUFF, SHANNON, & CO., RANKERS, Bedford, Pa., BANS OF DISCOUNT AND DEPOSIT. COLLECTIONS made for the last, West, North and Boath, and the general business ef Exchange, trans acted. Notes and Accounts Collected, and Remittanees promptly made- REAL ESTATE bought and sold. •. W. ROPP, 0. E. SHAXXOS, F. BBXBDICT. apr. 14. 1864—tf. DANIEL BORDER. Fm STREET, TWO DOORS WEST OF THE BEDFORD HOTEL, Bedford, Pa. ffatohmakeiA Dealer In Jewelry, Spectacles., Ac HB KEEPS ON HAND A STOCK OF FIXE GOLD AND SILVER WATCHES. SPECTACLE? OF Brilliant Double Refined Glasses, alto PcStch Pebble Glasse*. Gold Watch Chains, Breast Piss, Finger Rings, best quality of Gold Pens. He will supply to order any thing in his line not on hand, apr. 8,18(4 —ix. ~ " PHYSICIANS, ~&(T ~ ~ I7N. BOWSER, DENTIST. Permanently located in Woodberry, will carefully and punctually attend to all operations entrusted to his care.— Teeth inserted from one to an entire sett, in the latest and most approved style, and at rates more reasonable than ev •r before offered in this section of country. Call and ite ep<Mncuj of vor'tt. All operation! warranted. Woodbury, April 1, 1831.—tf. C.N. HICXOK DENTIST. (OFFICE IS BAN K BUILDING, BEDFORD, PA. April I,lßß4—tf. DR. B. F. HARRY, Respecttußy under* bis professional services to the w-.ft; I 1 Eodford and vicinity. Office and residence on Mofins Rebuilding formerly occupied by Dr. 3. H. April I,l6Sl—tf. J. L. MARBOURG, M. B. Having permauently located respectfully tenders his wrvtcw to the citizens of Bedford and vi cinity. Juliana Street, opposite the Bank, one door north of HallA Palmer's office April 1, 1864—tf. - HOTELS: THE MENGEL HOUSE. TWTET DOOMS NORTH OF THE PUBLIC SQUARE, JULIA* A ST Bedford, Pa. rIS BO ( USE BO well known to the traveling publie, continues under the ohargc of Isaac Mengel.' He spare; no pains to supply the wants and comfort of all who favor him with their patronage. His table is spread with the best the market affords. Hi* chambers are handsomely ftirniibed. A convenient stable is at tached to the House, attendee by careful hostlers. ' apr. S, 1884—si. r EXCHAN GEHOTKL, HUNTINGDON, PA. JOHN 8. MILLRR. Proprietor. April 2Vtb, 1884.—ft. UNION HOTEL. YAIiENTINE PTBCKMAN. PROPRIETOR, West Pitt Street, Bedford. Pa., Tf Formerly the GloU Uottlf ( , . HB public are assured that he has made ample ar tnegemetute to aceosnmodaMall that may favor him attached. leer.'64. I ■ • /. A LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWSPAPER, DJEVQ.TED TO POLITICS, EDUCATION, LITERATURE AND MORALS. PROCLAMATION . rOX A SPECIAL ELECTION, TO BE HELD ON TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 1864. IN THE NAME AND BY THE AUTHORITY OF THE CO WEALTH OF RSJSILVMU, ANDREW Q, CURTIN. Governor of the said Gommonwealth. To JOHN ALDSTADT. ESQ., Sheriff of tne 'Vitmly of Bed ford —Sendt Greeting : v WHEREAS A joint resolution proposl " - 'jieudl. mints to the Constitution of t'.is (' . . ahicb are as follows, vix : And Whereat, It is provided in . > it. >f said Constitution, that any b;A." at at . --t y u, shall be submitted to the pe in ft- .-ucli •inn, or, aad at tech time, at least 'hree mo: " * after ' jjiig e agreed toby the two houses, as the Legist*.lur - hi.jfSi .tuesfi fc-e : such sub mission to be in such manner. jLjVd for:.'!. that the people ID av vote for CT against each aw* .Xucat separate and distinctly: ' And li'fiereft*. By an act oi the Gc..ral Assembly of this Commonwealth, nassed the twenty-third day of A. 1 pril, Anuo Domini one thousand eight hundred and sixty four, it is provided, -that fur the purpose of ascertaining the eense of the people of this Commonwealth in regard to the adoption or rejection of said i.mer Jmcnts, or either of them, the Governor of th.c Commonwealth shall issue a writ of election, directed to each and every Sheriff of this Commonwealth, commanding them to give notice in tho usual manner, ir. not less than two newspapers in each city and comity Provided, That so many are published therein, and by at least two printed handbills in each e le- tion district, of every city and county wherein no news paper is published, that an election will be held in each of | the townships, boroughs, wards, precincts and districts therein, on the FISST TUESDAY OF AUGUST, < In the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred aqd sixty-four, for tho purpose of deciding upon the approval and ratification, or rejection, of the said amendments, which said election shall be opened, held and closed upon the day last aforesaid, at the places and within the hours, at and within which, the general election of this Common wealth are directed to be opened, held and closed. -Voir, therefore, In obedience to the requirements of the tenth article of the Constitution, mud in accordance irith the true intent and meaning of the General Assembly of thia Commonwealth, I, ANDREW G. CUItTIN, Gover nor of the said Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, do issue this writ, commanding and requiring you, the said JOHN ALDSTADT, Sheriff of the said county, to give notice in the usual manner and as by law required, that an election will be held according to the terms of the Constitution, mid provisions of the act of the General Assembly, aforesaid, in each of the townships, boroughs, wards, precints and districts therein, on the FIRST TUESDAY of AUGUST, in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and' sixty-four, for the purpose of deciding upon the approval and ratification, or rejection, of tho said amendments. Given under my hand and the great seal of tho State, at Harrisburg, this Twenty-first day of June, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, and of tho Commonwealth the eighty-eighth. By tho Governor: ELI SLTFER. Secretary of the Commonwealth. WHEREAS, A joint resolution, proposing certain amend ment* to tho Cocetitution of this Commonwealth, has been agreed to by a majority of the members elected to each ; house of tho Legislature, at two successive sessions of the | same, the first session commencing on the first Tuesday of ! January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight huu ; dred and sixty-three, and the second session commencing j on tho first Tuesday in January, in tho year of oar Lord j one thousand eight huudrfd and sixty-four: I And whereat, It is provided iu the tenth artiele of the I Constitution, that any amendment, so agreed upon, shall j be submitted to the poopls in such manner, and such times, j at least three months after being to agreed to by tho two house*, as the Legislature shall presenile, such submission | to be in such maimer and form that the people may vote for J or against tacit amendment seperateiy and distinctly; ! therefore. j SECTION J, Be it enacted by the Senate and Jfouee of ißcpreientatives of the Core-noMcealth of J'entmylrania in General Aetembly met. and it it hereby enacted by the au thority of the enme, That for the purpose of ascertaining th* sense of the people of this Commonwealth, in regard to the adoption or rejection of said amendments, or either of them, the Govenor of this Commonwealth Fhail issue a writ of election, directed to each and every sheriff of this ! Commonwealth, commanding them to give notice, in the usual manner, in not loss than two newspapers in each city and county: Provided, That so many aro published therein, and by at !eat two printed handbill# in each elec tion district of every city and county wherein DO newspaper is published, than an election will be held in each of tho townships, boroughs, precincts and district* therein, on the first Tuesday of August, in ijhe year of our Lord one thou sand eight hundred and sixty-four, fur the purpose of de ciding upon the approval and ratification, or injection of said Rtuoiidmeats : which said election shall be opened, held , and closed upon the day last aforesaid, at the places and within thehours at and within which tho general elections of this Commonwealth are directed to be opened, held and closed ; and it shall be the duty of the judges, inspectors and clerks ofcaeh of said townships, boroughs, warast pre einots and districts to receive at the said eleetioa; tickets, not exceeding the number of proposed amendments, either written or printed, orpartly written and partly printed from each of theAjuaHfied voters hf tho State, who may offer the same a.id to deposit them ip a box or boxes, to be for that purpose orovided by the prftper officers; which ticket shall be : respectively, labelled on the out nidf, "First Amend ment," "Second Amendment," and "Third Amendment;" and those who are favorable to said amendments, or any of them, may exprefe their appro val thereof by voting, each, a? many scperate written or printed or party written or partly printed ballots or tickets, as there a'r amendments approved by them, containing, on the inside thereof, the words "For the Amendment;" and those wh'o are opposed to such amendment#, or any of them, may express their opposition by voting, each, a* many scperate. written or printed or partly written and partly printed ballots or tick ets, as there art amendments not approved by t'hem. con taining on tho inside thereof, the words. "Against theA mendmentthe electors voting for or against the amend ment shall be considered a* voting for or against the pur posed fourth section to article three of the Constitution, extending the right of suffrage to soldiers: electors voting for or against the second amendment shall be considered as voting for or against the proposed eighth section to ar ticle eleven of the Constitution , and electors voting for or against tho third amendment shall he considered as vo ting for or against the proposed ninth section to article eleven of the constitution. Sac. 2. That the election on the (aid proposed amend ment! (hail, in all reapect, he conducted a. the general elections of this Commonwealth are now conducted ; and it (hall he the duty of the return judges of the respective counties and districts thereof, first having carefully iscer tained the number of vote? given for or against "eilcb of said amendments, in the manlier aforesaid, to make out duplicate returns thereof, expressed in words at length and not in figure only: one of which returns, so made, shall be lodged in the prothouotafy's office of the court Of ■common pleas of the proper cmlnty, and the other sealed and directed to the Secretary of the Commonwealth', and by one of said jndges deposited, forthwith, in the most convenient post office, upon which postage shail he prepaid at the expense of the proper eootaty. Sir. 3. That it shall he the duty of tho Secretary of the Commonwealth, on the twenty-third day of August next before four o'clock, post meridian, to deliver to the Speaker of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Rep resentatives, the rotnrns of the skid election ( from the sev eral eounties of the Commonwealth : and the same shall on the same day and hour bo opened and published in the presence of the members of the Senate and House of Rep resentatives ; and the number of Votes given for and a gainst said amendments, respectively, Bhall be carefully summed up and ossertained, and duplicate certificates of tlie result, shall be signed by the Speaker of the two hous es. One of said certificates shall be delivered to the Sec retary of the Commonwealth, who shall cause the same to be recorded and filed in hie office, and the other of said certificate shall be delivered to tho G oven or, who shall forthwith issue his proclamation, declaring whether tho said amendments, or either of tbera, have been approved and ratified by a majority of the qualified voters of tho State voting thereon: iVort'dcrf, That, if, for any cause a quorum of either house or the Legislature shall not be present at tho day and hourabovc mentioned, then the said votes shall be opened in the presence of such members of said houses as shall ba present : and in case of the absence of the Speaker of either of said houses. the said certificate shall be signed by the Speaker present; or, in case of the absence of both Speakers, by the Chief Clerks of both houses, or either of tbein in the absence of one of the said clerks. SEC. 4. That the several duties required to be performed by the Sheriffs, commissioners, constables, judges, inspec tors, and all other officers whatever," in and about the gen eral elections of this Commonwealth shall bo performed by such officers in and about the election herein providedfor; and unpersons, whether officers or oilurs, shall be liable te the uae pußishajeut for thensglect ti any duty or the BEDFORD, Pa., FRIDAY, JULY 32, 1864. 20 omission of any offence at. in or about the said election as they would for the neglect of like duty or the commis sion oflike offence at, in or abougthe general elections of this Commonwealth. HENRY C. JOTINSON, Speaker of the HOUM of Representatives. JOHN P. PENNEY. Speaker of tho Senate. APPROVED —The of April Auno Dom ini one thousand eight hundred and sixty-four. A. G. CURTIN. In pursnance of the above proclamation of the Governor of the Commonwealth if Pennsylvania, I. JOHN ALD STADT. High Sheriff' of"tbo County of Bedford, Pennsyl vania, do hereby make known and give notice to tho e lectors of tho county aforesaid, that an election will bo held in the said county "of Bedford, ON TUESDAY, THE SECOND DAY OK AUGUST, 1864, for the purpose of voting on -'a joint i;esolulion proposing eertaiii amend ments to the Constitution of the Commonwealth, which arc as follows; There shall be an additional section to the third article pf the Constitution, to be designated as suction four, as follows : "Sec. 4. Whenever any of the qualified electors of this Commonwealth shall be in any actual military service, coder a requisition from the President of the United nt&tes, or by the authority of this Commonwealth, such electors may exercise the right of suffrage in all elections by the citizens, under jueh regulations as are. or shall be i rescribed by law, as fully as it they wore present at their usual place of election." SEC. 2, There shaft be two additional sections to tho eleventh article of tho Constitution, to be designated as j set tions eight and nine as follows: I 'SEC. 8. -No bill shall be passed by the Legislature eon i taining more than one subject, which shall be clearly ex pressed in the title, except appropriation hills. '•SEC. D. NO bill shall be passed by the Legislature granting any powers, or privileges, in any ease, where the authority to grant such powers, or privileges, has been, or may hereafter be conferred upon the courts of this Commonwealth. The elector# of the Borough of Bedford and Township of Bedford, to meet at the Court il6u*q in suit! Borough. The doctors of Broad Top Township, to mo it at the School Houee in the town of Hopewell. The elector# of tho Borough of Bloody Run, to meet at tho School house in said Borough. The elector# of Uolerain township to meet at the house of D. Stuckey, in Rainshurg, in said township. The elector# of Cumberland Valley township to meet at the new School house erected on tho land owned by John Whip's heir# in said township. The electors "of Harrison township to meet at School house No. 5, near the dwelling house of Henry Keyser in said township. The electors of Juniata township to meet at Keyser'# School house, in #aid township. The elector* of Hopewell township to meet at the School house near the house of John Dasher, in said township. The electors of Londondorry township to meet at the huuse now occupied by Win. U. Hijl a# a shop in Bridge port, in said township. Tfia electors of Liberty township to tnett a(,tho School huus'e in Stonerstown in said township. The elector* of Schellsburg Borough to meet at the brick School house in said Borough. The electors of Monroe township to meet at the house lately occupied by James Carncll in Clearville, in said township. The electors of Napier township to meet at tho brick school house, in the Borough of Schellsburg. The electors df Kast Providence township to meet at the house lately occupied by John Nycum, Jr, in said town ship. The electors of Srake Spring township to meet at the ' school house near tho Methodist church on the laud of ! John (J. Hartley. The electors of West Providence township to meet at school house No. 4, near David Sparks, in said township. The electors of St Clair township to meet at the store near the dwelling house of Gideon D. Trout in said town ship. The electors of Union township to meet at the school house near Mowry's Mill, in said township. The electors of Southampton township to meet at the houee ofWm. Adams in saidtownship. The elector# of South Woodberry township to meet at the house of Samuel Inter near Noble's Mill in said township. Tfcc electors of Middle Wi edlniry township to uiect it the house of Henry Fluke in the Village of Woodberry. MEETING OF RETURN JUDGES. Pursuant to the provisions contained in the 2nd section of the act aforesaid, the Judges of tho aforesaid districts' shall respectfully take charge of the certificate or return of the ele.ction of their respective districts, and produce them at a ;noeting of ono Judge from each district, at the BOROUGH OF BEDFORD, on the third day after the day of tho election, being FRIDAY, THE FIFTH DAY OF AUGUST, then and there to do and perform thedutie# required by law of said Judges. Also, that where a Judge by gickne-sorunavoidable ac cident, is unable to attend such meeting of Judges, then the certificate or return aforesaid shali be taken charge of by one of the Inspector# or Clerks of the election of said district, who shall do and perform the duties required of said Judges unable to attend.' Given under my hand, iu mv Office, the eighth <lav of July. A. D. 1864. JOHN ALDSTADT." Sheriff of Bedford County. SifEHirr's Ornci? > Bedford, Pa., July 8, 1861. j [jyi,64-te. Jrtoi I'iiflnu THY AGAIN. The following poetical version of the well-known incident related oi~ Kobert Brucej who was eacour aged to make another and a successful effort to re gain the throne of Scotland by observing the perse verafice and success of a spider, is from the pen of Eliza Cook:— Once Bruce of Scot.'and flung him down In a lonely mood to .'hink ; 'Tis true he was monarch and wore a crown, But his heart was beginning to sink. For he had been trying to do a great deed To make his people glad ; ne had tried and tried, but he couldn't succeed, And his heart was sore and sad. ne flung himself down in sore dispair. As grieved as man could be : And as hour after hour he pondervd there, "I must give it up at last," said l. e. Now juit at the moment a spider dropped, With its silken cobweb clue ; And the king in the midst of his thinking,stopped To see what the sipder would do. It soop began to cling and climb Straight up with strong endeavor, But down it came[ time after time, As near to the ground as ever. But, nothing discouraged, again it went, And traveled alhalf yard higher ; 'Twas a delicate thread It had to'tread, And a road where its feet would lire. Again it fell and swung below. But again it quickly mounted: Till up aud down, now fa#t, now slow, Nine brave attempts were counted. "Sure," cried the king, "the foolish thing, Will strive no more to climb, When it toils so hard to reach and cling, And tumbles every time." But #teadily upward, inch by inch, Higher and higher it passed, Till a bold little run, at the very last pinch, Put it into its web at last. "Bravo! bravo!" the king cried out, "All honor to those who try ! The spider up there defied despair,— He conquered why shouldn't I And Bruce of Scotland braced his mind, And, as gossips tell the tale. He tried ouce more, as he'd tried before, And that time ho did uot fail. From the Evening Telegraph, THE BLONDE. Leave to the harem of the Turk, The jetiy eye and skin of umber ; Leave to his dreams the shades where lurk Immortal hours without number; Leave to him such dtearrs of pleasure On this earth, and fab beyond; Give to me the loveliest treasure— Give the beauty of the blonde. Human, yet her skin transparent, Is illumined by the rays Of the sou! that glows apparcjt, As light in Alabaster vae.' '.'The Kilkenny Cats." A late number of -Votes and Queries, giyes the following account of the origin of the phrase we have placed at the head of this article. The wri ter says:— The story has been so lc.?g current that it lias, a proverb— "as quarrelsome as the Kilken ny cats —two of the cats in which city are as serted to have fought tf> long and so furiously th.it naught WAS found of them but twa tails ! 1 bis is manifestly an Irish exaggeration; an.d when your readers shall have learned the true an ecdote connected with the two cats they will un derstand why only two tails were found, the un fortunate owners having fled in terrror from the se me of their mutilation. lam happy in being able to state that neither Ireland nor Kilkenny is at all disgraced by the occurrence, which did take p:ace in Kilkenny, but which might have occurred in any other place iu the known world. During the rebellion which occurred in Ireland in 1798 (or may be in 1803) Kilkenny was garri soned by a regiment of Hessian soldiers, whose custom it was to tie together in one of the barrack rooms two cats by their respective tails, nnd then to throw them face to face across a line generally used for drying clothes. The eats naturally be came infuriated, and scratched each other in the abdomen until death ensued to one or both of them, and terminated their sufferings. The officers of the corps were ultimately made acquainte d with these barbarous acts of cruelty, and they resolved to put an end to them and punish the offenders.— Iu order to effect this purpose, an officer WAS or dered to inspect each barrack room daily, and to report to the commanding officer in what state he found the room. The cruel soldiers, determined not to lose the daily torture of the wretched eats, generally employed one of their comrades) to watch the approach of the officer, iu order that the cats might be liberated and take refuge in Bight be fore the visit of the officer to the scene of their torture. ,' '" Onone occasion the 'dook-out man" neglected his duty, ami the officer of the day was hear d as cending the barrack-stairs while the eats were uu dergomg their customary torture. One of the troopers immediately seized a sword from the arm rack, and with a single blow divided the tails of the two eats. The cats, of course, escaped through the open windows of the boom, which was entered almost immediately afterwqrd by the officer, who inquired what Wls the eausd of the two bleeding cat's tails king suspended on the clothes line, and was told'xrt reply that I ''two cats had been fighting in the room ; that it.was found impossible to seperate them ; and that they fought so desper ately that they had devoured each other up, wi;h the exception of their two tails which may have satisfied Cautain Sehumelkettel, but would dot have dehideq any person but a boory Prussian, AN APR! L FQO L. AT seventeen Miss Somerset had all the young men in our village at her feet; that is to say, she was surrounded and besieged by them wherever she went Do you wonder that the matrons and maidens of the village did not like this? Miss Somerset WAS monopolizing all the eligible young men—literally, all of them. Imagine how pain ful it must have been to Jane and Emilv and Edith. Miss Somerset would neither marry herself nor let others marry. This was the great offence.— No one grudged her a husband : not at all—"only let her make her choice, ;a,d set the rest, of the young men free to choose elsewhere.'' This, how ever, Miss Somerset w-as in no hurry to do. She was most impartial in the distribution of her smiles and looks of encouragement, and the consequence was that ali the yoUng men helcl on, each one flat tering himself that he would come in winner in the end. This state of things continued for two years, during which period not a single marriage of any consequence took place in the village, much pD the displeasure and disgust, not only of the matrons and maidens, but also of the vicar; the clerk and Jobbins the pastry-cook. At length, howevef. the good news came that Miss Somerset was engaged. I; was doubted at first, as l>eing something much too good to lie true; tut dobbins set the matter at rest by announcing that he hrgl received orders for i he wedding cake. It was no • the turn of the young men to be in jured. Kiss Somerset had given her hand to none of the set that had so long tioekud around her and paid her homage, but to a new comer in the neigh borhood. one Mr. Honiton, the sou of a Man chester manufacturer, who, on the death of his father, had inherited considerable landed property, and set up as a squire. Mr. Honiton was married to Miss Somerset.and the bells rang a uihrry pe'jil. and the little*boys ran after the carriages and shouted, and there was great joy everywhere, except in the breasts of cer tain young men. who felt that they had played the 1110 th aud fluttered about the candle, only to have" their wings singed at last. The marriage of Miss Somerset, cleared the air. The blighted wali-flowers looked up. the young men who at first thought their disease incurable, recovered wonderfully, and very shortly Emily gave her hand and heart to Theodore, aud Edith oiuseuted to link her destiny with Adophus. The matrimonial market had been thrown open and business became brisk. Miss Somerset, however, had spoiled the matrimonial prospects of a few. Sast all redemption. When the flaxen idol first rew votaries to her feet, Miss Jane Morley and Miss Margaret Thompson were of the ripe age of twenty-six ; when Miss .Somerset left the field and slipped the lash in which she had so long held all the eligible lads of the village tied and bound, those two ladies were twenty-eight; and it is won derful how the female flower begins to languish and lose the freshness of its bloom on the approach of the thirties. Miss Somerset did Jane and Mar garet an irreparable injury. Those two years of distraction tided them into old maidliood. In other respects, however, the village recover ed itself, and I have no doubt that we should all have lived happily ever afterwards, had it not been for an event which occurred about a year and a half after .Miss .Somerset's marriage. That event was the death of Mr. Honiton. In the short space of eight een months the flaxen idol had lie come a widow. The village received the news with astonishment, amazement, and perhaps some slight satisfaction. "Mrs. Honiton must expect grief and sorrow like other folks; she lad her snare of gaiety and pleasure, goodness knows,aud perhaps it would do ner good. This is what the oid maids and the sourest of the matrons whisper ed to one another coiuinc home from church after a sermon on charity. Hut the village was not prepared lor one startling consequence of Mr.' Haiton' s death. A tew weeks after that melan choly event, his widow —the idol came back to live among us. and took up her abede kt the house of her papa, ivho, it should be stated, had been in the meantime gathered to his plebeian fathers, leaving his House and his property to his daugh ter Mrs. Koniton did not show herself for some daos after her arrival, and during this period of sUsprinae the village speculated upon the ravages which grief had made upon her beauty. upoD the tears which had dimmed the lustre of her eye, and the nights of watching Which had blanch ed her cheek and clouded her lair brow. The velfiee —-at least the. female portion of it —was prepared lor a walking monument of the pro fotmdert sorrow, a widowed presentment of the tnid conventional type, with weeds hanging loose ly iltmt her figure, scorning all grace and showing neither shape nor make. MisS Jane Morely aud Mi sir' Margaret Thompson, who had taken refuge from &e slights of the world in stern tea meetings in coupection with clubs and a high persuasion, pictured her in a pair of flat-soled shoes, wearing a semffv black stuff gown, short, and without crinoline, and carrying on her head a ooa -scuttle -•wtithed in crape. It was a territfe shock to all these expectant*! when the widow made her first public appearance among them. Lady Godiva riding through tho village in the original Coventry costume, could not have caused a greater sensa tion. Mrs. Honiton was as beautiful, as radiant., as young as ever. It was evident that she had not been nhmtred into any violent grief: sbe had not cried ner eyes out and spoiled her beauty; she had not been left destitute to give others the luxury of commiserating and helping her; and, worse than all, she wore so v6ry natty and retir ing a widow's cap, that you could scarcely*detect that emblem of her bereavemet. 1 dont exactly know what an invisible peruke is, but Mrs. Honi ton's headgear was certainly an invisible widow's cap. It "was considered quite scandalous that Mrs. Honiton should have got over her calamity so easily. In order, however, to acquit the lady of any charge of heartlessnoas which may lie [founded upon these facts, I may state that she gave hot baud to Mr. Honiton at the stern com mand of Iter father, reserving her heart to herself, and that Mr. Honiton was little better than an idiot, a gentleman who spent nearly the whole of his time in the stabie and the kennel, and placed his wife in the scale of his affection after his horse, his dog, rind his gun. Under these circumstances it would have been rank hipocrisy in Mrs. Honi ton to show herself deeply grieved, but what ag gravated the female community most deeply was Mrs. Honiton'B widow's cap. When she unpair ed in it for the first time in church she looked lovelier than ever. The merest suspicion of crimped white muslin peeping out between her black bonnet and her golden hair gave an addition al piquancy to her beauty. And then her weeds were all so fashionably made aud elegantly worn that her figure really seemed to be improved by them. Her pink complexion stood out in charm ing contrast against her black crape bonnet; and this last mentioned portion of her dress was a dainty cockle-shell article, so neat and natty that you might have imagined it to be a wedding bou- j net dyed black. Do you wonder that the women folks were in dignant? They would have leen more than wo men, more than mortal, if they had net. They had suffrered already at the hands of this ensnar ing siren; they had got rid of her. as they had fondly hoped for ever, and here she was again troubling their waters as of yore. Her cap was assailed at once. It was a heartless mockery to Jiut on a thing like that, aud her husband only lead six weeks, and she ought to lie ashamed of lierself! But Mrs. Honiton did not appear at all ashamed. She paid close attention to the service, and said all the responses, aud sang all the psalms, and with her calm pale tape and placid eyes turned upwards looked like an augel—at letist that is what young Parkinson thought—Parkinson who had never closed either his eyes or his mouth since the fair vision burst upon him at the very commencement of the service. Such was the state of affairs when Mr. Charles Bevington came to reside in our village. Mr. Charles Bevington was a rising young barrister—a handsome, dashing fellow, with black whiskers, and an easy, nonchalant address. Physically he was a sort of prize man, a specimen of humanity who would have carried, off the gold medal at an exhibition of his specie! He ha 4 a broad fore head and a broad chest ; his frame WAS muscular and strongly knit; his hair curled all over his well set head : and his eyes beamed with vigor and vi vacity. With all this Le had a ready tongue, a wonderfnl faculty for tdlking rattling nonsense; and he wt?s a bachelor. He WAS the sort of person who, as scon as he is seen, provokes the emphatic commentate, "What a handsome man!" His good looks so strongly developed, find, as a whole, so complete and undeniable, that ***•*n married la dies. in the presence of their husbands, could not res' rain their admiration ; ant" husbands could hear their remarks with complacency, for it was a start ling fact which nobody could deny. It was natu ral to say that Mr. Charles Bevington was hand some, as it would have been to say that a man sev en feet high was tall. Like all the others, Mr. | Bevington became attracted by the beauty of the 1 young widow, and very shortly after his arrival in "the Village he came to me raving about her. '"I wish you would marry her, I said. Mr. Bevington WAS startled at my coniiri down upon hint plump at the first word with the c.vpre.- sion of such a wish as this. "Why—how—what do you mean?" ho stam mered out. "I mean exactly what I sav." I repeated. "I wish you would marry Mrs. Honiton. for thereby you would do the village a signal serviod." "1 should have thought quite the contrary," he repled, "for all the young fellows are mad af ter her." "That's the mischief," I said. "Mischief! I really dont understand you." "Why, the fact'is, Mrs. Honiton monopolizes the attention of all the young men. aiid the other young ladies in the village have nobody to make love to them. ' If Mrs. Honiton were married, five or six eligible parties would be let loose from her tail to go and court elsewhere. Our damsels are languishing for beaux, and ai, on account of this bewitched widhw. "Well," he said, I don't wonder at that." "No," I said, "but the youn£ ladies ponder at it, and what's more, they don't like it; and if you'll only go and marry Mrs. Honiton out of the way, I m sure they'll subscribe for a testimonial to you." "Are you really serious?" he said "Perfectly so." Implied;" "in fact I would marry her myself out of pity for the poor girls, only for the trifling obstacle of which you are a ware, that I am married already." "Has she money?" he asked. "Lot*," I replied. "Then," he said, there is no need to ask more questions, for I dor.'t require you or any one else to tell me that she is as bea jtifu! as an angel. By Jove I'll talte your advice, and stick up to her." "Do," 1 said ; "and if you only win the widow's h mrt, you Will at the same time win the heara'of all the "unmarried ladies of tlie village. M aidens aud matrons will all'bc ready 1 to praise you." "IR that ease," ho said. "J shall step into a perfect mine of affiWtkm. Well, I'll go in for it, at any rate." "Yes," I said, "do go in and win." Mr. Bevington did go in for it. He laid siege to the widow immediate, much to the indignation ami disgust of her train of admirers, who looked upon the encroachment of the tall, handsome bar rister as something entirely disproportionate ahd unfair. When Mr. Bevington dashed into the midst of them, ami carried the widow off in tri umph, his rivals fell off timidly, and looked up at him as much as to say, "Why don't you compete with one of your own size?" The widow, howev er, bv no means inclined to encourage a nio nopolj'" of* hersjlf, and still continued to distribute her smiles with impartiality. The consequence was, that her many admirers held on for some time and did their btst to dispute the ground with the handsome barrister ; but it was very discouraging work. The barrister almost invariable got the best, of it, and Qn such occasions the widow would look at Iter train, ami shrug her pretty shouldiers, as much as to say "It is really not my fault. I try to give you all a chance : and if you let this dashing, black-whiskered man cut you out, why, you Lave only yourselves to blame." Mrs. Jlonitoa a followers began to drop off one by one. and the female villagers looked up. Mr. Webbe r, the cotton-broker, was the first to relax his hold arid sink into the waters'of despair ; t hen Captu .Jarvis; then youngJenkeus, the alderman's son, and two or three more, until the prize was disputed by only two—Mr. Bevington, the hand some barrister, and 31 r. Joseph Perkins, a mild little gentleman, whose sticking up to Mrs. Honi ton had always been regarded as like his inipa defcec. As some half dozen of Mrs. Honiton's adthirers had now been detached for other service, tho village was in a humor to lie affirmed at the pretension* of "little Perkens." particularly as little Dorians hail only four hundred a year, and wot short, and by no means what the ladies call Vol. 37: N0.30. Handsome. Little Perkins had another fau'it —or, rti least, he exhibited certain traits of character which are a positive advantage when placed in competition with physical beauty and dash. Per kins was amiable, gentle and unobtrusive in his mariners, kind and generous of disposition, and, on all occasions. ipghly considerate of the feelings of others. And because he was aft this,"and wasn't, six feet high,, and hadn't black whiskers, and didn't bounce and talk loud, the girls called him a "molly." It is the same in the matrimonial market as m the shop or the bazaar. It is the showy article that takes. Women see a gaudy man, all dazzle and bright, color, and they say .at once, "1 il take this article, please." without even stopping to inquire if hewilhrash, if he will wear, and if its colors are fast. I believe that if it were the custom for women to propose, and if thev were left to make their choice, they would ail throw the hankerehicf to the long-legged black, whiskered, handsome fellows, perfectly irrespec tive of brains or character. Scholars, philoso phers. and men of thought aud uiiad would not get wives at all. So the village laugh ed,at the pretensions of little Mr. Perkins, and of course Mr. Bevington was in every respect above seriously regarding so insig nificant a person as his rival. He treated him as a big mastiff treats a little puppy dog. He did not exhibit any impatience when Mr. Pferkins joined the society of himself and the widow, but rather tqok delight indrawinghimout and encour aging him to go ou. Mr. Bevington, in fact; wax aniu-ed with the little man, and liked to u trot liiin out," as he expressed it before the widpw.— And the widow seemed to enjoy the fun, and was forever sending Perkins to fetch and carry for her. If, when she was sitting by the side of the dashing Mr. Bevington, she happened to drop her hand kerchief, she would call to little Perkins to pick it np for her, and Bevington would qnietly keep his seat and allow Perkins to perform the office. " Ev erybody pitied little Perkins and wondered that he could be such a fool But Mr. Bevington was suddenly called away on business, and Mr. Perkins had the field all to himself. He seized the opportunity to make an offer to the widow. He fell upon his kuecs. vow ed that he loved her to distraction, and swore that he could never be happy without her. Mrs. Hon iton rejected him, and actually laughed at him.— Poor little Perkitts weat home and took to his bed, and was ill for weeks. tn the mean time the hapdsome barrister return ed, 1 and hearing of Perkin s declaration, was im mensely amused, and told the story everywhere with great gusto and delight. One day, shortly after this, Bevington called up on me with an invitation to an evening party at Mrs. Ifoniton's house. "Well," I kaid, I presume you havo done it: gone in and won as I advised you." '"Well," he said," I think I may safely say I have." "And it's ail settled," I said. "Well, not exactly,' ho said ; "she has sotno scruples about giving her consent so soon after her —her bereavement, which is quite right and proper, you know, and .1 like her the better for it; hut it's all right." "Ah ! doesn't like the idea of serving up the funeral baked meats at the wedding tables." I re marked. "Precisely, and wants to wear out the black dress ; but you'll come to the party, won't you?— I want you to be there particularly, for we arc go ing to have a lark with little Perkins." "What," T said, "will he bo there after what has occurred ?" "Theie's the lark." he said ? "observe tho wtet: r P "a &r * : f"* I a<kcd how they intended to proceed. He ex plained : . ,• • Oh. it is the simplest thing in the world, be said. I have written a long letter to Perkins, a? if from Mrs. Honiton, inviting him to the party and giving him to believe that she relents towards him and is anxious that he should renew his ad ' ''Does Mrs. Honiton know of it?" I asked. " Oh, yes: of course she does, and enters into the joke "with an anticipation of rare fun. What i Lark it will be to see little Perkins hoaked ? "It will, indeed," I said, "and I shall certainly be there to see." „ , .. . I went to the party on the first or April, and ar riving rather early, found Mr. Bevington and the widow concocting an elaboration of the plot tor making an April fool of Perkins. It was arranged that Mrs. Honiton should give Perkins great en- and lead him to a second declaration, and that the guests should all ccme in at the mo ment and discover bum on His knees at Her ieet.— — I thought this going rather to fur. and was some what surprised that Mrs. Honiton should, be so eager to join in so heartless a plot, but as a.l tho guests who were in the secret looked upon it as a great piece of fun, I S&id nothing and let matters ' Perkins arrival, was announced, and entered the drawing-room in a faultless evening suit, evi dently ordered for the occasion. He went straight to Mrs. Honiton, shook her warmly by the hand, and looked his happiness and his thanks with an expression of honest earnestness, wlncii made mo feel ashamed of myself for havfhg, i'l the remotest way, entered into the conspiracy against him I could not have imagined Mrs. Honiton so consum mate an actress, She returned his warm grasp in the most impresive manner, and put on an expres sion of delight and pleasure which it would have been imp&ssible to suspect. Bevington was hold ing on by the mantlepiece. convulsed with sun pressed laughter. Mrs. Honiton saw him frown graveb", sustaining her part to perfection. \\ hen Bevington had managed to control Ins laughter, he went up to Perkins and whispered words ot encouragement in his ear; ana all the evening no followed him about, muttering such things as "Paint heart never won fair lady, "l-ortunc la vors the brave," "Go in and win, She loves you. Perkins." , , e The moment came. It was after supper, and at the first quadrille. Mrs. Honiton, who Wte Perkin s partner, led him away out oi t.ic draw ing-room into an adjoiniug appartraent. ijeving ton gave the initiated the signal, ana we followed. Mr. Perkins and Mrs- Honiton were .walking up and down the room, arm-in-arm, talking sottiy. Every now aud then we eoiild hoar I erkins JU3K ing mention of his "heart his 'devotion, lus "long attachment," his "unalterable devotion. Mrs. HonitoO was silent and looked down niooeat ly, with admirable art. Perkins handed her to a chair. He sat down beside her; he whispered more words of love —he fell down on his knees ft' her feet. , , "Now is the time," cried Bevington. anl he rushed into the room, and brustintoa roar o. laughter. Perkins rose in haste and contusion, Mrs. Honiton rose also, but looked calm and flon ous. She turned coldly on Bevington, and aid '' Pray, what are vou laughing at. sir . I "Capital! Capital!" cried Bevington; bow ! admirable she acts her part! . . ' Mr. Bevington," said Mrs. Honiton, in the I same cold, earnest manner, "the part I am act- I ing is one in which I am prompted by my heart I and my inclination, and not by your cruei ancs un j manlv designs. Mr. Perkins has made me an ot ter of his hand, and I accept it, confident that bo i also bestows upon me a heart capable 01 lo*e, c ; pahle of feeling and capable of kindness and |;*nor- Sir. Bevington was still trying to laugh, but it : was a little 011 the wrong side of his mouth now Mrs. llouiton's acting was too deejro too pro found for him. She continued: , "You must remember, Mr. Bevington, that 1 i am a widow, and that I haw been 1 while very young, to acquire exjncnce of yovr ! sex. That experience has not cotno too ..'do .or mv happiness. I have thoughtfcit posMrdt, mr, i that a person who had acted with such douwtratu ' . ( Ojifctrrfel • py?- '
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