The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1872-04-11
CHOOSING A WIFE.

see bis father aud the boys. ana ols slater,
bu, that be especially wanted to ride old
Bob to the brook once more and TO milk
Cherry again, just to see how it felt to be
. farmers boy
John" said the old lawyer be sure
and 61 up q match with one Of those couu.
try girls; 90 man is Ct for anything till be
is we'll married, and you are nov able
with economy, to support q wife. Mind
you get ono Of those country girls, The
paste and powder people here amt ct for
a young man who wants q young woman
The next morning John bad q .etter
from bis sister. Part Off ran thus:
"Tve concluded. old fellow, that you
don't marry, you'll dry up aud turn to
parchment, I'm going to bring home the
smarlest girl know. Ofcourse she don't
know what I'm up to. but you must pre-
pare to capitulate."
To the old home they we're looking for
the son. The family proper consists Of
TIE father. good Deacon Harlow, Johns
two brothers. ten and twelve years old,
and Huldah, the "belp," This last was
the daughter Of o neighboriug farmer, who
was a poor and helpless rhumat'c, aud
most Of the daughters hard earnings vent
to help out the scauty subsistancc'at home
Aunt Judith, the sister Of Johns moth.
er, "looked after" the household affairs OF
her brother.in law by coming over once q
week and helping Huldah darn, and mend
and make, and BY giving Iluldah such ad-
vice as bcr experience was supposed to re.
quirs. But now Deacon Harlow's daugh.
ter had left her husband to eat his turkey
alone in Boston, aud had brought her
two children home to receive the paternal
blessing. Not that Mrs. Amanda Holmes
had the psterual blessing chiefly in view
in her trip. She had brought with her q
very dear friend, Miss Janet Dunton, the
accomplished teacher in the Paruassus Fe-
male Seminary Why Miss Janet Duutou
came to the country with her friend she
could hardly have told. Not word bad
Mrs. Holmes spoken to her upon the sub.
ject OF matrimonial schemes, She would
have repelled any iusiuua'iou that she had
ever dreamed that marriage was desirable
under any conceivable circumstances. .
She often declared. sentimentally, that she
was welded TO her books, and loved her
leisure, aud was determined to live an old
maid. All the time this sincere Christian
girl was dying to confer herself upon some
worthy man Of coneseiAla atslIl M1hsss'
meant III her case just what It did 10 John :,
EIarlows -segeope who could admire her
aItailmeuts. 80,
Mrs. Holmes and her friend had arrived
tweuty.iour hours. ahead Of John, aud tho
daughter Of the hQhse lad already installed
herself as temporary mistress, BY thought.
lossly upsct,ing and reversing and turning
inside out allathe good 'Huldah's most
cherished arrangements, All the plans
for the annual festival that wise and pracii-
cal Huldah had entertained we're vetoed.
without o thought that this young girl had
beep for d year and a half in actual au-
thority .in the house, and might have some
feeling Of wrong in having sguest for 8
week o,eriurn her plans forthe next month.
But Mr.. Holmes was not one Of the kind 10
think Of that Huldah was hired aud
paid, and she never dreamed that hired
people could have any interest in their
work or their pay or their food. But
Huldah was patient, though she confessed
that she bad a feeling that she had been
really "trampled all over" | suspect
that she bad . cry ct the eud Of the first
day. Ioaunot affirm it, except from .
general knowledge Of woman.
When john drove up 10 the buggy that
the boys had taken to The depot for him.
bis FIRST care was to shake hands With the
deacon, who was glad to sec him, but
could not forbesr expressing hope that
he would shave that hair of bis upper
lip" Then John greeted bis sister cord
ially, and was presented to Miss Dunton =
Instead Of sitting down, be pushed tight
into the kitchen. where Huldah, in q CALI
co frock and clean white apron. vas. vas
baking buscuits for tea. She had been a
schoolmate Of bis, and be took her hand
cordially, as she stood there with the
bright western sun half glorifying heE
head and face.
"Why, Huldsh, how you have grovn!'
was the Grst word Of greeting lie meau'
more than be said. for. though she was mol
handsome, she had grown exceedingly
comely as she developed into woman
"Uudignided as ever" said Amanda,
as she returned to the sitting room,
The next day the ladies could get nc
good out Of John Harlow. lie got uE
earley in the morning aud milked the COW.
He cut wood aud carried it for Haldah.-
He rode old Bob to the brook for water
He did everything he had been accustom.
ed to when q boy. finding as much pleas.
ure in forgetting that he was q .Oan as be
} had once found 10 hoping to be a man =