The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1867-04-04
From Harper's New Monthly Magazine.
How 1 Happened to Marry.

Sometimes, in obituary notices,
the newspapers give us the causes
of death. Why not the causes of
marriageP We should be vastly
more entertained. For instance !:
"After lingering Irritation, Job
Smith to Kate Fling"
call things como round to him
who will but wait"
Or
"In 6tof pique, the disappoint-
ed Washington Gray to the stupid
Miss White"
Beware OF desperate steps. The
darkest day"
And so forth.
Now propose to give as briefly
as possible the rise and progress of
my acquaintance with the second
Mrs. p, and why l was induced to
make her my wife,.
1 had thought l should never
marry again. Whom l boarded
with my little family at Mrs. Gil.
sons. l remarked to my lapdlady
with deep feeling, that, in case l
should be absent in time of fire, |
hoped she would not forgot to visit
my room and take from the wall
my wifc's portrait. 1 felt that /
could calmly part with small por-
tion of my wardrobe; but the like.
nessof my sainted Elizabeth / could
never spare. Where | 60, thou
goest," said /; 'and never while l
have my senses shall tho canvass
which represents the sweet features
of my lost darling be converted by
second wife into a fire-board."
I had been for years o wholesale
grocer in good and regular stand
ing, and sho'd no doubt have contin-
ued in the same business up 10 the
present time, if had not been sat
isfcd that my four children were
suffering for country air and free
dom. am not q rich man, hut /
have a competency; and | decided
to retire from the city to the town
of Piccadilly, and devote my en-
orgies to tho cultivation of garden
seeds.
Picadilly is q small but thriving
village, with o salub.ious climate,
and q population OF some fifteen
hundred souls. For years had
heard of the superior intelligence
and morality of Picadilly. My-la.
mented Elizabeth had been parti.
ally educated at its Academy,
which still fourishes there behind
four Lombardy poplars.
"Papa," said Caroline, my eld-
est, girl Of fourteen, week after
our arrival, "'Tilda is homo sick
and says she must leave us"
Matilda was urhousokeeper who
had lived with US for ten years, and
thoroughly understood the ways Of
her mistress, the deceased Mrs
Pratt. At the intelligence that she
had given warning, / was so much
startled that | spilled my coffee IN.
to my bosom; but seeing Caddy in
tears, controlled myself and said,
stoically: t
"No doubt, my dear, We shall
continue to live without 'Tilda.
/ can only say she is very fool
ish girl; and we must find some
one else who will do better
Then l lett the table and wen
into my garden; for it was time to
transplant the early tomatoes.
'Tilda ssked my pardon tha
noon with rcd eyes, but with hel
carpet.b4g dangling from her arm
"Sbe was fit to die with gricf al
leaving the dear children" sht
said, Gbut stay sho could not, ant
would not, with tho whole villag'
peeping into her pantry. Sh'
wasn't used to country folks, anc
wouldn't stand and be told she pu
too much cream into her dough
mute. And that woman that sat il
the cupalo woud be the death o.
her yet" j5
l afterward ascertained that Ma
tilda referred to Miss Peters, a wor
thy lady who lived opposite, AM
watched us from her sitting room
window, which, as affording tn
facilities Of an observatory, NATL
da has likened to a cupalo.
There was no help for it, and ou
housekocper left.
ut is 50 strange she dislikos thl