Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-09-02
LIFE IN CHICAGO.


Ofthe West-SOme of the Mistakes n
Man Makes There.
i think i remarked in my last
letter that l once met a Chicago
lawyer who warmly advocated mar
riage, and who explained to me his
reason for so doing. For such a
man to do such thing, was to say
the least, surprising. | listened
with breathless interest while he
gave me a brief history of his ex
perience during the first ten years
OF his residence in that city:
Said he: al first came to Chicago
fifteen years ago. Then l was
young and innocent, which it is
hardly unnecessary for me to say
that | am not at present. l had a
friend living here whom | had
known while he resided in New
York, and conducted himself like a
civilized man in a civilized commu-
nifty. As he had written to me to
visit himself and his wife when |
came to Chicago, | remembered the
invitation when did visit that city,
and Immediately on my arrival pro-
ceeded TO his house. He was not
at home Just at the moment, and so
| asked to see his wife, whom | had
known only year before in New
York. In answer TO my inquiry for
Mrs. DeVorse, a pretty black, eyed
girl came into the room and receive
ed me quite warmly.
Well, we chatted very pleasantly
together until my friend came in,
and L really began to experience a
very affectionate impulse toward
her, supposing, of course, that she
was his niece, or cousin, or some
thing of hat sort. But in the
course of the evening asked him
whether his wife was at home, and
if so, when he proposed to let me
see her.
To my establishment he replied:
"This lady is Mrs. DeVorse. l
thought you were already aware Of
the fact"
OF course l blushed and felt hor-
ribly uncomfortable, and said that
| was not aware he had lost poor
Emily.
"Oh," said he, Emily is very
well, and has married a partner of
mine. We were divorced you know,
about six months ago, and l mar
ried my present wife only last
week
Well, / didn't feel quite so affec-
Tomato towards her after that, for !
had been warmly attached to
Emily; but said no more about the
matter, and l went away, vOwing
never to get myself into such a
scrape again by asking after any
body's wife. | did not see my
friends new wife for about one
month afterwards, until one day l
met her at the house of a mutual
acquaintance, and in the course of
conversation said TO her:
"By the way, might l ask you to
say TO your husband that l want
him to come to my Office some day
next week.
Il don't think you know my hus-
band" she replied, smiling.
"What do you mean, said l?'
getting rather nervous. -
why, my new husband is named
Smith" she answered. q was
separated from Mr.. DeVorse yester-
day morning, and married Mr..
Smith last night.
Il left that house pretty rapidly,
and registered a second VOW, to the
effect that | would never to my dy-
ing day ask Chicago lady about
her husband again. The two mis-
takes had already made as TO
Chicago wives and husbands made
me decidedly shy OF them. But
the very next day | went into De
Vorse'S store (corn, pork and pro
visions), and found him engaged
with a terribly angular female, who
looked like a compound of a New
England old maid, a Western wo-
mans rights lecturer, and an Ar
kansas squatter's wife. OF course
Ipitied my friend, and, when the
female had departed, ! remarked,
q congratulate you on your escape
that horrible female would have eX
hausJed any mans patience in ten
minutes conversation What was
ny horror when he replied, i must
be- sou to speak more respectfully
of that lady, as she is at present my
wife, a fact Of which you are, o.
course, unaware, as we were married
very privately last night. >"
Il never said a word, but fled alb
ruptly from his presence. Once
more swOrc-and | went before {
notary who had the biggest kind
Of Bible, so as to make the oatl
more binding-that never, never
would / speak disparagingly of any
Chicago woman TO any Chicago
man. After that l felt better, anC
for two weeks avoided making an,
mistakes. At the end Of that time
however, | met the new and angu
lar Mrs. De Worse, 10 whom | ha'
in the meantime, been introduced
having the liveliest kind of quar-
rel with a big prize fighting look
ing fellow, who was evidently OF
the point of knocking her down
OF course few to her rescue, an
demanded to know of the fello'
what he meant; also if he wa
aware who the lady was and VIII
her husband was? To which h
briefly, sententiously, but, as
struck me, irreverently remarke'
He'll
81 maid no further attention