Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1872-10-24
Miscellany.

Hae AL Uleu MAY uive Ii Lney WILL
Miscellany.
TOM FOSTERS WIFE. Il
BY EDN1 DEAN PROCTOR. .ees.
THAD Just returned from two years.
stay in Europe, apd was sauntering down
fremont street, in the golden September
morning, when / saw my old friend, Tom
Foster, get out ;ofa horse,car few steps
in advance of me-. | knew him in a mo-
ment, though we had hardly met since
we were ateE Exeter Acadeny together, ten
years before-room mates and blithe COM
panions untifwe parted-I to go to Har-
ward, and he to enter his fathers store, the
wel1-knoWn house of Foster s. Co., Pearl
street HeWasa merry, hearty, practical
felleW, Eclear-skinned and robust as an
Englishman, self-reliant and enterprising
as New Hampshire birth and Boston
training could make him. [ always liked
him; but'he plunged into business and ]
into study, and so, without meaning it,
we had almost lost sight of each other
He was an only child, and his parents
spent their summers at their homestead
in Greenland, near Portsmouth, and their
winters in Boston.
AsI said, i knew him in a moment.
He had grown tall and stout, but the boy
was still in his face, and with a flush of
early feeling Isprang forward and caught
him by the arm:
sTem = How are you %
He looked puzzled for a moment, and
then, bursting into laugh, he seized my
hand in his strong grasp and exclaimed :
"Why, John Ralston! Is this you
Where did you come from? I'm glad to
see You my boy. 8 Why,.I haven't set
eyes on you since we made that trip to
Nahant, in your Fresh nan year. The
truth is, father was SO poorly for long
time then that had everything to see to,
and felt as if the world was on my shoul-
ders. i did hear, though, about your col
lege honors and your gong to Germany;
and I've often thought of you lately and
wished to see you, Why, Jack, in spite
of my weight and your beard and broad
shoulders, I can't realize that ten years
have gone since we were at Exeter to-
gether. We must talk over old times and
new. When did you get back and what
are your plans?"
81 came yesterday, and shall stay in
the city, on account of a business matter,
until next Tuesday Then am going
"We11, now, this is Saturday, and you
can do nothing after three o'clock. Come
and spend Sunday with me in the coun-
try.eaI want to show you my wife"
:" Your i. wife / Are you married,
married nearly year," said he, with
smile,
"You don't look very solemn over
"Solemn It's the jolliest thing I ever
did IN my lfe.s Meet me at the Eastern
Depot at four o'clock, and : tell you all
about it on the way down.
We parted at the Winter street corner
he to go to his store, and to the Parker
House. a54t-.-
"How handsome Boston has grown,''
said I, glancing at the fine buildings and
the Common, beautiful in the September
sun. 90.
"We think it a nice town. he replied,
speaking with the moderate words and
the perfect assurance of the Bostonian, to
whom his city is the sum of all excellence
and delight. Remember, four O'Clock ~
And he disappeared in the. crowd. 10
tom married." I said to myself, as I
walked along. 3s'I dare say its to his
fathers pretty I, ward, Clara. Maitland,
whom | saw when / spent. the day there,
eleven years ago. remember what long
curls she had and how fond she seemed
of him. Yes,I dare say it's to Clara.
hope, though, she hasn't grown up. into
one of those delicate young ladies, good
for nothing but to display the latest FASH
ions, and waltz little, and torture the
piano. Better some rosy, sturdy Ger
man Gretchen than apoor doll like them.
1t would beia shame for Tom, with his
splendid physique and vigorous brain, to
be tied for life to such a Iwomani't And
then, turning down ScheoIs street, my
thoughts wandered off to blue-eyed girl
I had loved for many a syear-a girl who
was not satisfied with the small triumphs
of the crequet-ground, but who could
send an arrow straight hometo the mark =
and climlrthe hills = it'll me, herstep light
and freesas the deer's in the glade below;
and hold a steady oar in our. boat on the
river; apdsWim ashore, if, need. should
be; anqsHfn when walk or row was
over, rSkotcuM SIT down to a lunch Of
cold meat and bread and butter with an
appetite keen as a young Indians after
days hunt; yes, and who knew how to
be efficient in the kitchen and the rarest
ornament; Of the parlor. Howimpa
I was to see her, the beWitching maiden
whom prince might have been proud to
marry. And again / said to myself, as I
went up the Parker House steps: s"1 do
hope Tom hasn't made fool of him
self !''~a ..' III ~ m, 81.
Four o'clock found me at the station;
and a. moment later, in walked Tom, car
ryingl ia basket filled with Jersey peaches.
They don't grow in Greenland, I" said he,
tuckihg the paper down over the fruit.
"Cone this way i followed him, and
we hadajust seated ourselves comfortably
in the. ear when the train moved off.
"Now for the story, Tom, 2 said, I. as
we crossed the bridge and caught the
breeze cool from the sea. But can guess
beforehand the girl you married. It was
Clara Maitland" .1qfa
A shadpy passed over TOMS face.
"Claxaadas been dead four years, nsaid he.-
She inherited consumption from her
mother. We did everything for her-took
no use. she didn't i've to see her eigh-
teenth birthday - sit.saia esl.s
"Pe9r Clara! She loved you dearly.
Then | suppose you chose some Boston
girl of your acquaintance?" efa
Jack, you couldn't tell who Mrs. Tom
Foster was if you should try from now
till morning. I shall have to enlighten
you," and moving the basket to one side
and settling himself in his seat, he went
on: "You know have the misfortune to
be an only child. After I was twenty-one,
father and mother Degan to talk about my
marrying. I'have plenty of cousins, you
know, and we always had young ladies
going in and out of the house; but while
Clara lived she was company for me, and
after she died was full of business, and
didn'ttrouble myself about matrimony.
To tell the truth, Jack, didn't fancy the
girls. Perhaps was unfortunate in my
acquaintances; but they seemed to me all
curls and flounces and furbelows, and I
would as soon have thought of marrying
fashion-plate as one of these elaborate
creatures. don't object to style; / like
it. ButEyou can see fine gowns and bon
nets any day in the, Washington Street
windows: and nv ideal of a woman was