Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1855-08-17
MISC ELL Any.
The Three Wives.

EY I. II. COOK.
Mr.. Jeduthun Spike was an eccentric bach
elur of fifty. His mother died in giving him
birth, and it would seem that the mother
heart died with her for from that hour the
haplCss Jeduthun seemed to have no perceI-
tiun of feminine excellence and diverted him
self with rdiculing the foibles of the sex,
whose true character was to him despised
enigma, AS babe, he was fed and tended
by an invalid brother many years his senior
and he afterwards grew in stature and hard
ungcnial kind OF wisdom, without much pat
ronizing from any body As years and pos
sessions increased, he boarded at fashiona-
ble hotel where the cooks and attendants were
of his own sex, and ignored the address of
his laundress His predspositions against
matrimony were confirmed and strengthened
by the fate of the brother alluded to, who
married somewhat late in life, and after an
unhappy connection Of several years, left his
widow, permanent inmate Of an insane asy-
lum, and his three boys to the guardian
ship of their uncle The recipient of this
unexpected legacy, who had till then loved
nothing in the whole of his miserable life felt
strange pleasure in the duties Of his new
and unsolicited relation. The docility with
which the little fellows accommodated them
selves to the oddities of the eccentric humo-
rist, their unquestioning faith in his most
startling dogmas, and their artless exhibi-
tons of personal attachment, won upon his
isolated nature TO a degree that surprised
| himself. 1t seemed that these helpless chill
| drcn were destined to fulfil to the lonely old
man that feminine mission without which
human life isa failure, and happiness myth
With devotion and patience hardly to be
expected of him, he reared the fragile boys
to manhood, gave them all the needful ad-
/ nj ar ka nd hat
money, and at last saw them all established
in business, aud in way to do credit to
themselves and their connections. Judge
then Of his painful astonishment when all
three waited upon him in body, to an
nounce that they had jointly and severally
formed the audacious resolution of commit
ting matrimony. Neither would have dared
to approach the subject alone, and though
countcuanced by each other, they felt SO
much gratitude, reverence and compassion
for the prejudiced old man, that they fairly
tremhled for the result.p
When the confession was made to Mr.
Jeduthun Spike, he turned his back on til,
agitated young men, and walked quickly t.
the window. After standing silently fol
some minutes, he turned and said very
calmly
We'll, boys, have nursed you through
the measles, and the scarlet fever, and tn
whooping cough, and did my best to allevi
ate what could not prevent. You are nov
the victims OF "A disorder quite as general a
the other, and for which there is no rcmcd
hut experience. Neither precept nor exam
plc,-bere hI5 lips quivcred slightly-hav
been OF any avail in your case Go then AN
marry il you will, give my full consent
ON one condition only. 1t IL that you al
present yourselves in three years from thi
day and hour, and declare solonnly, upo
the worth Of your remaining manhood
. whether you are unhappy, and why. lh
causes OF misery in wodlock are very yariou'
but the result is uniform. will excuse yo
now, boys, as have an appointment wit
my tailor
II is needless to say that the three nephew
ayalled themselves of the permission thus ur
t willingly given, and that any self reproach,
,, they might feel at defeating the cherlshe
: wishes of the kindrht henriuctor did not St
e riously ombttcr the honey moon The thrc
years that followed stole a handful of gre
hairs from the bald forehead Of Jeduthu
Spike and, as if ashamed of the theft secret
restored them hidden among the chestnI
locks of his young relations. And, as
farther restitution, the same silent agen
T transferred unnoticed a portion Of the hop
If ful tenderness Of the youthful Benedicts
III refresh the withcrcd heart of the disappOint
'd bachelor. The time for the interview
y long anticipated, arrived at last. In t
n luxurious rooms of the lonely uncle, Hen
aud Charles, tho two elder nephews, wait
impatiently the arrival Of the younger.