"
And they rode onward in silence, and entered the town with the others.
_Longfellow_.
"ASK MAMMA."
A bachelor squire of no great possession, long come to what should have
been years of discretion, determined to change his old habits of life, and
comfort his days by taking a wife. He had long been the sport of the girls
in the place,--they liked his good, simple, quiet, cheery, fat face; and
whenever he went to a tea-drinking party, the flirts were in raptures--our
friend was so hearty! They'd fasten a cord near the foot of the door, and
bring down the jolly old chap on the floor; they'd pull off his wig while
he floundered about, and hide it, and laugh till he hunted it out; they
would tie his coat-tails to the back of his seat, and scream with delight
when he rose to his feet; they would send him at Christmas a box full of
bricks, and play on his temper all manner of tricks. One evening they
pressed him to play on the flute, and he blew in his eyes a rare scatter of
soot! He took it so calmly, and laughed while he spoke, that they hugged
him to pardon their nasty "black joke.
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