The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1870-05-28
HOW GOT MARRIED.
BY GEORGE TowNBR1pGE.

by GEORGE TowNBRIDGE
Yes, I'm a married man at last, That
is my wife sitting oyer-there in the great
/ arm chair-that slender, delicate crea-
ture, with the soft, creamy face, and lus-
truos golden hair; aud that queer little
thing in her lap, over which she COOS SO
/ tenderly, that is my son and heir, Charles
Townbridge, jun. Heavens. what
| feeling of Importance it gives fellow to
know that his name will live after his
| body is under the sods !! I never knew
that it was to be a man before I'm one
now, every inch of me, as Lear was every
inch king.
A woman-hater That's what I've been
called all my life, and the cogncmen was
not missapplied. did hate women, and
excluded myself fiom their society, and
sneered at their fraiIties until-well, until
that little woman yonder glorifcd the
whole feminine gender for me. I'm a
changed man. l can't pass bit of fe-
male apparel IN shop Window CHG
non. or a knot of ribbon-without ten
| der thrill at my heart. I'm an old fool,
+ that's about the amount eff it.
Twenty years ago! Bless my soul,
/ what long ways to look back Such a
misty, winding road, cut across at every
/ turn by the grass green graves of dead
| friends and b'ighted hopes. All mel l
would net go back aud tread it all over
again if could Twenty years ago |
l met with my first disappointment, and
it made me misauthrope, woman
i-hatcr
| was young STRIPPING then, just six
teen, the sole idol and comfort of an over
| fond mother. We lived all alone il a
neat little villa at Shepherds Bush and
mother was bent on making great man
of me-poor, foEd mother She conf
IDENTIFY believed that | possessed any
amount of undevcloped talent, and denied
herself a thousand little comforts in order
to secure for me the advantages necessary
to bring it into action. Looking back
upon these days now, It affords me kind
Of melancholy satisfaction to know that
she went to her eternal rest, happily un-
conscious that all her selfish labor had
been spent for naueht still fancying, in
the egotism of her love. that - her boy, -
as she called me, would enc day cover
himself with the luster efgreat deeds
| shared her belief then, and when my
sixteenth year and my academieal course
both eliminated at once, [ thought my
fortune made. As matter of course,
the next step to be taken was matrimony
BY way of beginning, / set myself to
work to get up poem, to be dedicated
to the fair one Of my choice, Miss Jessie
Weaver. The composition consumed a
round week. Day. after day [ shut my
self up in my bedehamber, and rack ed
my brain over rhyniing Syllables. At last
it was finished, and elaborately copied on
scented rose colored paper. There were
some two dozen verses, containing swash
sentiment, and morbid melancholy, suih
cient to stock regiment of ordinary
novels but mother listened while | read
them to her in a confident, declamatory
style, her loving eyes full of subdued cx-
ultation
"I always thought so I always
thought you'd make great man, my
boy" she said, proudly.
| sent the poem to Jessie, with nc
hg an opinion of her good sense to be
lieve, for an instant, that she would TAI
to appreciate it; and she didn't, as he1
gay laugh and dlncing eyes attested al
our next meeting.
You'll be famous by-and-by Char
ley," she called after me, over the garder
gate: " second Byron"
} L stroked my sprouting mustache witt
serene self-complacency, running my eye
over the gardens surrounding her father
mansion. She was an only child, ant
would inherit all his wealth. Thad mad'
up my mind TO propose to her on m,
; next visit and it would be a prope
thing to make her present on such al
occasion.
There was gay ruby brooch on exhi
: bition in one of the shop windows at Not
| ting Hill, and on this had set my heart
but the price was FIVE guineas. Hoy
could ever manage to get it | mad
known my desire and intentions tt moth
err on my return home She looked seri
I Gus and thoughtful for a moment; thel
she arose, and going to the corner cup
, board, took down the blue china bowl, i
which she kept her money. I can Sc
her now, with her slight figure and pal
face, as she stood in the glow of the fire
5 light, counting over the heaps of silve
pieces she had poured upon the table.
"Only five guineas," she said, with
? suppressed sigh, as she returned the sui
j plus three or four half crowns to tn
bowl; g but take it, my boy, and we
t come"
l took it and bought the brooch fe
Jessie.
Isn't it splendid. mother r. ! said
, few evenings after, as I was giving tn
J, Flushing touches to my toilet, prepar,'
j tory to the all-importants visit. she,
be sure to take it, won't she
"To be sure she will my boy, she r
/ Piled, fondly futtering round me, poiisl
ing the bright brass buttons ON my Dit