Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1872-10-03
MY iDOM.

Jones advised me Not to marry her-he
said she was too young and pretty.
Farnham advised me to be an old bach
elOr-told Inc a man past forty simply
made a fool Of himself by matrimony.
TeWkesburY--a man who is notorious
for never mindjng his own business
told me she had made a love affair with
Harry Birmingham before he was sent
South,
Allen shook his head and said, Clara
Myers might be very pretty, but he liked
somebody matnred and settled. Y. b
He married his housekeeper next week,
and She is maturcd enough for Metbuselah
himself
Everybody thought was trying dam
gerous experiment; but | didn't pretend
To suit cycrybody-so simply suited my
self | went quietly to church with Clara
Myers, and married her one gloriou,
January morning, when the old Saint
Paul's was frin-ed with glittering icices
and the brisk wind was freghted with
the particles Of flying snow, like a bat
TALON of diamonds on the double quick.
She was nineteen and / was nine and
thirty. She was beautiful as rose; | was
a rough old codger, sound enough at
heart, but like winter apple, unprOmis-
ing on the exterior
In short, we we're as unlike as May and
November, and the good.natured world
shook its head and said, mo good could
come OF such an unequal match. But
she said she loved me, and | believed her
Nobody could look into Clara's blue eyes
and not believe her, you see
The next day | made will and be-
queathed all my property, unconditional
ly to my wife.
"Ale YOU sure you are doing a wise
thing, Mr.. Folliottg" said Mr.. Mardyn,
the LAWYER pushing his spectacles upon
his forehead, until he looked like an old
bald gnome with a double pair Of eyes.
"You see she is very much younger than
yourself and
please be SO kind asto mind your own
business said /, brusquely. Don't be
offended, Mardyn, but really people seem
TO think ! am not able to attend tony
own affairs
"Just as you please" said Mardyn, in
rage II am mere tool in your
hands"
"Thats it exactly said l. So signed
the will and went home to Clara.
"Oh, Paul you II ust not die2' said
Clara, with a scarlet look, when told her
what | had done. Nobody ever loved
me rs truly and generously as you have
done, and ! don't know what | should do
if you were taken away.
There was a young Birmingham, if all
reports are true mschievOusly began,
but the curl on Clara's lip stopped me,
"a mere butterfly, she said haughtily,
without either brains or principle Iaul,
Paul, ! have found shelter in your true,
I -. Il. Ia
always!'
And then she cried--this foolish, soft
hearted little wife Of mine.
Jones and TeHkesbury might have
called this policy. Farnham would have
said it was acting Bit il was very plea
SAINT, and | felt more than ever like man
who had found some precious jewel, and
wears it like an amulet on his breast,
So the thing went on until the firm Of
which was managing partner needed ID
send some one to Calcutta to see after a
turbaned scoundrel Of an agent, who had
absconded with more money than we
could well afford 10 lose. Morrison was
old and feeble, Hewetts wife lay i'll, SO |
was the one to 90. | kissed Clara good
bye as cheerfully as could, fully expect
ing to be back in three months or so.
had to follow the agent up into the
mountains Of India--I fell i'll Of one Of
those burning climate fevers in the bung-
allow Of an old native priest and the
months flew by, until it was more than a
year before | found myself on the deck OF
the Bue.eyed Mary, stcaming into the
New York harbor
And all the time Clara had not heard q
word from me.
had written to her to prepare her for
what seemed almost like my rising from
the dead, but | had afterward found my
letters IN the pocket of the neglectful ma.
tive servant who had undertaken to de.
liver the mail to the Calcutta Office
"But it don't matter so much now
thought; she will be more delighted,
poor girl"
And then a cold chill seemed to creep
through all my veins, like November 5
wind suddenly breathed across a bed Of
flowers
Clara had heard nothing Of me for near
y fifteen months-what might have hap
pened in that times All that Tewkes.
bury, and Soues, and Allen, and all the
prophetic ravens Of my acquaintance,
had said-recurred to my mind like the
burden of an uneasy dream | had been
counting the hours and the very minutes
until we should touch port, but now that
NJ teetrsng once more upon the pavement