The Portland daily press., 1864-08-11
Thursday Morning, Aug. IL, 1864.
On Wife Choosing.


choose their wives is wonderful TO me; the,
seem to bestow more trouble and pains on the
choice OF a coat. One or two Instances which
have lately come to my notice will account
for the charge l have brought against the
lords of creation; but only some OF them, for
others, finding no one good enough, end by
remaining old bachelors: and it is best they
should, for men OF that sort would have wor.
ried angels, had they happened to marry them
Then there's that young Balmayne l am
sure never thought he would have done as
well as he has, after that imprudent marriage
Of his, and he heir TO SO much. But IT'S all
right now, and I'll tell you how it came to
pass.
You must know Balmayne hadn't much to
do last winter in town, when he was up with
his father, who was in OF the gout; so he used
70 spend great deal of his time looking out
OF the dning-room window; and as his iather
has one of those houses in Piccadilly not far
from Mr.. Beresford's, OF course he saw a
great many people go by in the course of the
day.
One morning it rained very hard-quite a
pelt; and as he was at his post, he saw pref
ty girl run across the road from the park,
straight to the shelter of the porch, which was
over the front door of his fathers house. She
had no umbrella; SO of course, Balmayne's
first impulse was to lend her one. He put on
his hat and coat just as il he was going for "a
walk himself and opened the door.
She really was very pretty, and very wet.
She wouldn't come in to be dried, for she was
in a hurry to be at home; so, as the offered
umbrella was a heavy one, Balmayne carried
1t for her himself. She was a girl OF good
family but very poor-that evil worse than sin,
In the eyes OF some people. However, to
make a long story short, Balmayne married
her before the season was over and more than
that, he told his father that such was his iE-
tention. This brought another fit ofthe gout
and the old gentleman vowed aud declared
that he never would see her; and so matters
were in this fix till it was time TO go down for
the 18th; and as the moors were in capital or
der, and large party coming to the old gen.
temans Highland box, Balmayne must come
with him, and leave his beautiful young wife
behind. This grieved him sadly; but at last
alright idea occurred TO him, which he car
ried out as we shall relate; for all these are
true stories.
At the Euston Square railway station, when
Balmayne arrived with his father, there was
such a rush for seats that they had some diff
Guilty in finding one; and as to a carriage to
themselves, that was out of the question; but
they secured a compartment which, as we all
know, contains only four. One lady was al
ready IN this, but with the old gentleman's in
nate politeness, he would not hear Of her NOV
ing, though, as his gou;y foot was obliged to
be placed on the opposite seat, there was only
just room Tor them.
Inc iaoy sae oy tne 0iu gentiehah, ana lhe
son opposlte 10 neT. Inc iaoy was very pref
", anu scented so solry anu synpalnizing
expression from the old gentleman, that al
last he began 10 take some notice of her, and
TO talk TO her. BalmayAe, absorbed in his
newspaper, iel. ,he,i eheneiy 70 tnehiseises !
ana before they aad reached iork tney were
quite good irienos. IL so happened tnat Inc
young iauy, 700, was gong 70 spena the nlgnt
at iotk, aug as sne was quite aione, lne Ola
gentleman toio ner sne nad better come 10
the same hotei as tney did, and his servant
Snouia look aIter her ,hngs lor evidently
Daiihayne uiu no. ihtenu 70 taAe ine shaiiest
nouce OF her, ana seeing MS sons want OF
proper politeness, perhaps, made the good old
gentleman All the more attentive.
Next morning they again SET out on theif
northern Journey, and all together as before
Tor the lady seemed quite 70 oeiong 10 them
now. hasins asce,ealiieu .nat sue was goiug
down 70 place WITHIN Anew mites Q, ms owl
shoo' o'lhg' poA, lhe oiu ,nan Proiniseu NC "oule
see her sae 70 lhe emu Oh ner Journey, whiel
was rather iong one, as she trasellea slowly
peine ~ ,s usiiea1e nealus anu a omine 70 IN
soas, ans olu senuelnan uia .ne salne, So "a, az
taaneu ous; y1 ans. deuia..ea pss' 'ner ens
,n mao.e way. "neh snsy ~ " .ne Las. .a'ion
neioie leasnng .lie iail"ay ioI COUNTY Ioaas
sne .mo sen.,enen go1 oue, 'ne iaeiihr ues,l.
lng ene iauS " .,s ie,ia,n nnere sne was ~ eis
III ooni ~, VII nc nsu iouha ner =.
an Ia pu. Ua " ~, -, ,'sJ one Joe5
nia neryo,,s ps,raa,no o"s .iso ,al,uar uu
~ sh;at -. IA H. ,'I,S,.,"s syo - :;
go. IL 80 i,"i.;rs se. q a., IL n.o,a,
rs@.,a1a ,a., ~ 'o' - ~ A'' r'''t!
PIoFse. -,