Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1865-11-23

| NOV, COuoili ~ esiis1 0iieii NJ
you the story about how | frs
met my wife.
1T is just five years ago thi'
summer that | was granted ex
emption for q month from my
desk, and went down with my
chum, Horace Hyatt, to his faith
er's, in old Monmouth, the garden
of that unjustly abused State
New Jersey. Ishould never have
forgotten that visit, even though
/ had not there met with an ad
venture that had its influence Oh
the whole future of my life.
should remember it for the real
true hospitality, the solid, old
time comfort of the farm, and the
quiet way in which, with couple
Of days after my arrival, | was
put in possession of it, and made
to feel that it all belonged to me
to do just what l pleased with
There were plenty of fish, and we
fshed; plenty Of woodcock, and we
shot. All this shall be spoken of
with a proviso. | say we-by
which, let i. be understood, ] dc
not mean Horace's twin sisters,
Carrie and Nettie, as having par
ticipated in all these sports. They
rode, to be sure, and charmingly
they did it; they fished, and |
must confess they were much
luckier than their guest. But
they did not shoot, though Ishall
not exult over their lack Of this ac-
complementary were charm
ing enough without it. | am sure
shall excite no jealousy by de-
claring that which | shall men
ton here, Carrie and Nettie Hyatt
were the most charming girls that
| had ever seen; and | was just
hesitating as to which of them l
should fall desperately in love
with when my calculations were
all disturbed by an incident-for
so l suppose | must call it
though really seeming like a spe-
cial Providence. What this was,
shall tell in the best way | know
how.
'For some days after my arrival
at the farm my curiosity had been
much excited by the occasional
panegyrics lavished by the young
ladies upon once schoolmate OF
their own, May Stevens by name,
who was, according to their high
ly colored account, the most per-
feet thing in the shape of a woman
then living. | tried to persuade
myself that nothing in that line
could surpass Nettie and Carrie
but still the reputation OF this
Nav Stevens haunted me, and
came like a shadow across my new
born passion. l formed, at last,
an imaginary May Stevens; and,
do what | would, the figure was
with me. At last | was worked
into an agony of curiosity, and
trembled with some great purpose
which should bring before me the
object of my thoughts and the
two sisters continual conversation.
In what this would have ended it
is impossible for me ct this time to
say, had / not heard, one morn
ing, as I entered the breakfas
room, the startling words from
Nettie:
sAnd so she is coming at last
I'm SO glad!'
whether it was that the train
of my thoughts was upon that
point at the moment, cannot say
but | knew directly the whole
matter. / saw Carrie with al
open letter in her hand, and coup
ling it; with Nettie's words,
knew that the hitherto only heard
of May Stevens was about to be
come a reality. l had no need tc
ask questions. All the informa
ton was proffered. May Stevens
- the incompatible May-was tt
spend a month at Hyatt's, ano
they were going to expect her al
any moment, though, as the letter
read, she might not be down for
week to come. A week!-it was
an age, a century; and l was In Z
flutter of excitement. My Ions
standing passion, of nearly twt
weeks duration, for Carrie and Net
tie was forgotten in an instant, ant
my whole mind was absorbed ii
making tie best figure possible be
fore this new queen. With thu