Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-11-23
0bilo Statesnan,
MARRIED AT LAST.

Mrs. Bunker must have been sixty.
She lived next door-and waited on an
invalid old lady who never left the house.
She had saved money, but chose to con-
tinue in service.
She had done many kind offices in ac-
cidental sickness for US. Her figure and
face had become familiar-so strong, so
original, so erect, so perfect an incarna-
tion of probity, without one adventitious
charm, that it was quite impossible to
conceive of her otherwise than exactly
as she was when you saw her last. Mir
acles, however, do happen. The inval-
liable old nurse was certainly fixture,
till that early day when her mistress
should need no more nursing; but one
morning remarkable locking old lady
asks an interview with her mother. Ii
was Mrs. Bunker; and how metamor-
phosed! She had on black silk gown,
properly made, handsome shawl, kid
gloves, and on each side of her face large
carroty curls fell in profusion on her
shoulders. My mother was struck dumb
at the apparition. Mrs. Bunker did not
keep her long in suspense. sg.s,
81 see you are surprised at the change
in me, ma am"
Rather" my mother answered
.'but always glad to see You, Mrs. Bun
ker."
"I'm come to take leave of you,
ma am, and thank you for all kind
ness. In fact, Pm going to be mar
ried." s- -H e7ftl
"Dear me !" said my mother.
Yes, ma'am; and you think what a
fool l must bel see you do"
My mother could not for the life of
her deny it. -,.-t
"Well, ma'am, all I say is, hear my
story, and then tell me what you think
about it." e. TEv .e-
, She sat down and began {: 3 d
when was a girl we lived at
c.. My father kept small gen
eral shop-that is, he and my mother;
she kept the shop and he drove the cart
But my mother died when I was only
sixteen, and my father was going to
marry again. did not like the looks of
his intended, so thought would get al
place before she came, and have no quar-
rels.
"There was very nice young man
apprenticed to builder living close to
us, and he used always to walk with me
of Sundays. He was three years older
than /, and coming out of his time. He
was always wanting me to say l would
marry him as soon as he could make a
home for me and dare say, ma am,
gave him too much encouragem ent.
81 soon got place some miles from
c. and only saw him now and
then for a little while of Sundays, un-
til one day he came very smart, quite a
buck, and asked me to come ont. So l got
leave. Aud then he went on more than
ever how he had served his time, and
had good wages as journeymen, and
could do very well for me, and soon he
should be master himself, and so on.
But I said, John respect and love you
very much, and should like to be your
wife but we are very young, and
you've got nothing, nor 1 neither, and
nothing but grief could come of it, Il
was very wrong, ma'am, as it fell out,
and I've often thought so ; but 1 thought
did what was best then. He was
very angry-I could not help that.
And when 1 would not alter, says he,
Miss Bunker'-he had always called
me Polly before, you know-'Miss
Bunker, you won't, some one must, for
am going to marry directly So said
plain, 'Pray marry when you like;
shall always respect and love you. And
about two months after he married a
very respectable girl, and made a very
good husband, and got on in business to
have several houses of his own, and
had six children, boys and girls. l was
always friendly with them; and four
teen years after, when Mrs. Wake was
dying, 1 nursed her for three weeks,
poor dear, and laid her out. John, who
had always been very kind to her,
seemed sorry, but didn't think he cared
so much about losing her as should
have expected.
"Well, about six weeks after I was
staying with my aunt at c., when
he comes in and says, Polly, you know
1 never loved any body like you. You
can't say 1 can't keep you now quite
comfortable; so you'll have me now?''
But l said, mo. John, l can't. could
never be step-mother to your young
children. I might have children of my
own, and then folks might think might
make difference" He begged very
hard, but would not hear of it. I'd
had four offers, and got used to saying
mo" But I never felt as if I could
marry any one but Mr.. Wake. So he
took up his hat, and gave me kiss,
which L let him do, and said, just as he
said when he first asked me, elf you
won't some one else must. l want a
mother now for my poor children" I
was glad to have it over, for it was hard
work.
"I thought I had better go away. Itj
was good place-a nice young lady1
living with her uncle. They had fne1
place in Berkshire, and travelled good
deal, and stayed about in great houses
but before the year was up my young
lady got i'll, and it turned to consump-l
ton. We went to Nice. She was al
sweet young lady; but it was the old
story-weaker and paler every day,
more gentle and more loving, and her
uncle breaking of his heart. He was al
very good man, and sat up all night
with her once or twice week, for he
used to turn me out of the room, and make
me 90 to bed sometimes. At last she1
died, and was buried there. Master shut
himself up for about fortnight in his]
room, and no one saw him but Mr.. Wab-]