372 SKETCHES IN PROSE. 



loss of my clothing, my wife said, was more than made uj3 by 

 the carpet rags she got out of the tramp's clothes. These latter, 

 which had originally been wrathfully carried out with the tongs 

 at arms length and thrown back of the pig-pen, had been, on 

 second thought, tenderly gathered up, disinfected and washed, 

 and made ready to do duty in a new carpet we were about 

 making. For my part, I comforted myself with one reflec- 

 tion, and that was, if ever a well-dressed man left our town 

 my tramp was he. 



One day while busily engaged in the grocery department of 

 my store, shortly after the events narrated, my wife came 

 in with a troubled look on her face and an opened letter in 

 her hand. It was addressed to her, and read as follows : 



MuDDLETON, Jan. 6th, 1876. 

 Dear Mrs. Smith. — Fearing the subject of the within local 

 item, which I clip from the pages of the Muddleton Gaslight, 

 may have got into his dissipated habits on account of the wor- 

 riment of mind a Scolding Wife always occasions, I write to 

 warn you, if such is the case, to be more considerate with him 

 in the future. When the prodigal returns home, on money 

 loaned him by entire strangers, who, according to the poor 

 man's story, are angels by the side of his own household (I 

 mean you), kill the fatted calf for him. I conclude with my 

 best regards, and by saying that when I looked upon the linen 

 of your husband — the man you swore to love, honor, obey and 

 do his washing — I thought that while Charity covers a multi- 

 tude of sins, it is Vanity to think of trying to hide a dirty 

 shirt with a two-cent Paper Collar. Yours in Pity, 



Rebecca Sharp, 

 President Muddleton Sewing Society. 



The following is the Local : 



Another Victim of the Demon Alcohol. — This morning a sad 

 sight was witnessed in front of Van Splutter's Lager Beer 

 saloon, in the shape of what was once a respectably dressed 

 man, lying in the gutter in a beastly state of intoxication. 



