Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1858-03-13
NJ is G L L / A N Y.
HOW JOHN WOLFE GOT HIS RICH
WIFE.


WIFE.
was passing Wolies store. the other day,
with brother book-kecper, when we noticed
very neat carriage stop at the store, and one of
the prettest women in New York get out of it.
"'Ihere, said my companion, sis John Wolfe's
rich wife. What luck some fellows have i'll the
world Born rich themsclf, they continually
gather riches, while we poor fellows never can
seem to get rid of the blamed wooden spoons
that Dame Fortune stuck into our unfortunate
mouths when we came into this blessed world
But, rich or poor, hang Inc if | would hunt up
a rich wife any how. 1t is rather a mean bust
ness to be marrying woman for her money"
well, my good fellow" said |. " you happen
to be wide of the mark this time. | know how
John Wolfe got his rich wife, and can assure
you that he did not marry her for her money
and moreover, did not dream of ever getting one
cent with her.
"Ay," said he sneeringly, all these rich fell
lows pretend that they don't care anything about
it hut don't think | am quite so green a. to be-
licve any such stuff as that. Facts speak louder
than words, and we all know that John Wolfe
has rich wife"
YES" replied as pretty as rich, and as
good as pretty, and loving as good"
Oh, no. he exclaimed, &" guess you must
have fallen in love with her rather pity you
were married so long ago YOU might have cut
out John, and got rich wife Yourself.
"Not a bit of it, said " but YOU shall hear
the whole story if YOU will come to my house
tonight and while we have our smoke on the
piazza, Ill see if | can not wipe some of the
oynic out of your composition
agreed" said he, - I'll be with YOU after
supper"
About five years ago, John Wolfe's book
keeper married nice. pretty little girl up in
his native village, in Vermont, brought her down
to New York. and started housed Keeping in the
very Suggest cottage in Brooklyn. | was in
vited to the house-warming. and more de-
hghttul evening does not often checker the dull
business of life than we passed. There was not
over a dozen of us, male and female; but we
were all cronies, and intimate enough to be free
and pleasant together we would be at home.
The party broke up at twelve, and Mrs. Dick
and myself trotted home, as satisfied with our
evenings enjoyment as need be.
Just one week after that my wife told me,
with tears in her eyes, that John Wolfe's book
keeper had been quite unwell for two days past,
and not an hour before had suddenly expired,
while sitting by the fireside, with scarcely a
spasm pang. disease of the heart had
carried him off thus unexpectedly, and his wife
was in terrible ailiction.
| did not loose moment in running around
to his house and offering what little sympathy
and assistance it was in my power to bestow;
and of course, took upon myself to do what
ever was necessary upon so sad an occasion.
The yeung widow was terribly cut down, and,
at such distance from her own friends and rel
atives, seemed more than usually forlorn. We
did all we could to relieve her atiiiction, and,
after the funeral had taken place, succeeded in
calming her grief to some small extent.
| then took the liberty of inquiring little in
to her affairs. and discovered that my poor friend,
with careleSsness which was too characteristic
Of him, had involved himself considerably in
debt to furnish his house for his Young wifes
comfort, having purchased every particle of their
household goods upon credit. This matter |
undertook to arrange for her and, by going
round among the various creditors, persuaded
the most of them to take their goods back by
my paying small per centagc for their trouble
in packing and fixing. This, however, required
the outlay of a couple of hundred dollars the.
funeral expenses were one hundred and fifty
more, and she had not twenty dollars in the
world towards it.
The next morning, therefore, saw me at John
Wolfe's store; he had but just returned from
tour South, and was quite shocked to hear of
his book-keeper's sudden death. | briefly re-
lated to him the situation in which the Young
wife had been left, and the arrangements had
made with creditors, and awaited his answer
Call as YOU 90 home this evening said he,
"and will attend to it. am very busy now"
When ! called in the evening he handed me
letter for the widow, and, begging me to let
him know if he could be of any service in the
future, he started for home, and did likewise
left the letter with the widow as went home,
and after supper Mrs Dick and myself walked
over to see her little curious | must say, to
know the contents of John Wolfe's letter.
| confess had never entertained very ia
la Of In m nlf ba hal Il,
seemed to me overbearing and proud, and look
ed, thought, as many young men do, who have
never known any thing of making living for
themselves, and are very apt to think that they
are made out OF rather superior stuff to the rest
Of us, and must be looked up to and smiled up
on by all the rest of the world
But tell you got a new sight into the hui
man heart when read the letter. 1t was, with
out exception, the Rindest, most feeling most
consoling letter ever read-so full of deep svm-
pathy for her sudden loss so Overlooking with
expressions of esteem and regard for her hus
band, and winding up with sentiments of so di-
vine and heavenly trust in an everything Prov
idence, and the sweet consolation of religion
that declare could scarcely think the letter
could have emanated from a man so wholly en-
crossed in himself as he always seemed to be.
The letter, moreover contained his individual
check for one thousand dollars to meet, he said,
the expenses incidental to so sudden and unex-
pected bereavement.
"Well John Wolfe said |, latter this will
never again Judge a man from appearances /"
:" should like to know" said my cynical
friend, interrupting me, what this has got to
do with John Wolte's rich wife ?"
Certainly said | ! we shall probably come
to that IN due course of time. Here, take an
other cigar, and don't be inpatient"
The young willow returned to her friends in
Vermont and what followed, although did not
get acquainted with the fact until very short
TIM ago shall proceed to tell you in the or
de they occurred
Within n weak or so aftar har arrival n, hox