Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1864-12-03
HOW I WON MY WIFE.
An English story

Jessie Hale was the merriest, prettieSt,
most provoking daughter OF Eve that ever
existed-at least, i thought so-though per-
haps was not an impartial judge, as | must
must confess | was deeply in lOye,-and, in
fact. don't believe l could remember of a
time when / was not in love with her, 1t
certainly was not when a youngster of twelve
/ took her under my especial care, feeling
prouder of my curly-headed charge than
could now of a mine OF gold; nor when tall,
awkward boy of sixteen, first ventured to
ask for her company home from church; or
still later, when, after four years absence, |
returned to my native town and set up as a
surgeon in the house where Dr. Moore's name
had been since nay earliest recollection.
Oakdale was remarkably healthy place,
or else the good people felt a little afraid of
trusting their lives in the hands of such a
Young ScaDegrace as they had known me to
be, for somehow my horse and gig found
more employment in carrying Jessie Hale to
ride tnan any more profitable business and
il is certain more of my time spent in
Mr. Hale's pleasant parlOr, than In either
study or practice of medicine. Some OF the
neighbOrs silly remarked that l must have a
very sick patient there 10 occasion such fire.
0uent visits and was certain that if | had
no patient there, all the patience l ever had
WAS NltIC AOA VI
tantaIizing little wretches that ever fascinat-
ed and provoked a poor fellow-until he
could not have told whether he was in the !
body or out of it-Jessie Hale was the worst.
And there was Nv illiam Tremalne-stand-
ing six feet two in my stockings, big enough
10 have known better, that is sure, led about
by that little elf, coming and going at her
every beck and call, as if were a great
simpleton, as in truth must have been, for
after PLAYING yours most devotedly" for six
months, was no nearer winning than at first.
Open-hearted and candid she was on every
other SUBJ ect; Dut Just let me speak OF love
or marriage, and might. as well talk TO
stone wall for all the sense l could get from
her. No matter how cautiously might APP
APPROACH the subject, she was always ready
with some off-hand answer as far from what
wanted as the equator from the poles, until l
was almost in despair, but more eager after
any failure I" All is fair in love and war -
or at least thought so, and resolved to try
the result of strategy on my wilful little Ia
dy-love.
One fine morning, as we were about start
ing for a ride on horseback, and was assist
ing Miss Jessie into the saddle, her horse
commenced rearing and kicking at an alarm
ing rate; of course the jagged bits of iron l
had cautiously inserted beneath the saddle
had nothing to do with it. By the time she
was fairly seated be had become perfectly
unmanageable, throwing her violently from
the saddle: of Counsel caught her before she
TOUCHED the ground. No sooner was she in
safety, than, with deep grOan, | staggered
back against the fence, my right arm hanging
helpless by my side. 1t took nicely, for Jes-
sic was beside me in a moment.
WILL" she said piteously, ''tl,at terrible
Hao hroEan what WI
syouido? Poor Will poor Will rU.0 ~
How like rascal felt at sighto her dis
tress; but was not going to give Up then =
so I answered, with another terrib, groan,
" 1t is nothing, dear Jessie | would suffer a
thousand times more to feel that had saved
your precious Iife." tFr - siI 1.1sH
But oh, am so sorryt What can be
done for you ?" she said, in such touching ac-
cents that half repented -
e ssThe end iustifies the MEANS" / thought.
The end accomplished certainly did. Ny am
swer was in q voice low and faint, as if was
'sOnly tell me that you love me, Jessie,
darling; it viii soothe my pain more than
ans thing else in the world" And then, like
the great simpleton that / was, 1I,put that
right arm around her, and never discovered
my mistake until she sprang suddenly away
from me. Obs
d, "Wouldn't little brandy and water do as
well, Mr.. Tremaine?" she said archly-l
stTheFe don't. to be any bones broken;
the injury was internal, 1 should think.n y,
Wouldn'tI have sold myself for a sixpence
But there was no help for it /; SO l had TO own
the trick, and went home wishing L had brok-
en- my arm, or neck, / didn't care much which.
After that, for awhile, was rather shy the
love subject, for did not fancy hearing of
NV last attempt; but "out of the abundance
of the heart the mouth speaketh," and my