Weekly Trinity journal., 1872-07-20
MY WIDOW.

he said she was too young and pretty.
Farnum advised me to be an old bach
elor-told me man past forty simply
made fool of himself by matrimony.
Tewks sbery, a man who is notorious for
never minding his own business, told me
she had love affair with Harry Birming-
ham before he went South.
Allen shook his head, and said Clara
Myers might be very pretty, but he liked
somebody mature and settled. (He mar
ried his housekeeper next week and she
is mature enough for old Methuselah
himself.)
Every body thought was trying dan
gerous experiment but l didn't pretend
to suit everybody, so simply suited my
self. went quietly to church with Clara
Myers, and married her one glorious
January morning, when the old St.
Pau's was tringed with gltterng icicles,
and the brisk wind was freighted with
particles Of flying snow, like a battalion
of diamonds on a doube-quick.
She was nineteen and l was nine-and-
thirty. She was beautiful as a rosebud +;
| was an old codger, sound enough at
heart, but, like winter apple, unpromis-
ing on the exterior.
In fact, we were as unlike as May and
November and the good-natured world
shook its head, and said, "a No good could
come of such an unequal match" But
she said she loved me, and l 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 Internationally
to my wife.
"Are you sure you have done wise
thing, Mr.. Foliot ~ said Mr.. Mardyn,
the lawyer, pushing his blue speetacles
up on his forehead until he looked like an
old bald gnome, with double pair Of
eyes. " You see she is much younger
than yourself, and"
"Please be so kind as to mind your
own business, " said l, brusquely. Don't
be offended, Mardyn, but really people
seem to think l am not able to attend to
my own affairs"
"Just as you please" said Mardyn in
a rage, 81 am only mere tool in your
hands"
That's it exactly" said l. SO
signed the will and went home to Clara.
"Oh, Paul you must not die ~ said
Clara, with scared look, when told
her what had done. Nobody ever
loved me as truly 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" began mischiev-
ously, but the curl on Claras lip stopped
me.
:" A mere butterfly" she sighed, haugh-
tily, without either brains or principle,
Paul. Paul ! have found shelter in
your true, loving heart, and l mean to
nestle there always"
And then she cried-this foolish soft
hearted little wife Of mine.
Jones and Tewksbery might have call
ed this policy. Farnum would have said
it was acting. But it was very pleasant,
and felt more than ever like man who
has found precious jewel and wears it
like an amulet on his breast.
So things went on until the firm OF
which was managing partner needed to
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 to lose. Morrison was
old and feeble; Hewett's wife lay very
i'll SO | was the one to go. l kissed
Clara good bye as cheerfuly as | could,
fully expecting to be back in three or
four months.
had to follow the agent up into the
mountains of India. | fell i'll of one of
those burning climate fevers in the bun
gaow of an old native priest and the
months flew by until it was more than
year before found myself on the deck
OF the L" Bue-eyed Mary" steaming in
to New York harbor.
And all this time Clara had not heard
word from me. | had written to her to
prepare her for what seemed almost like
my rising from the dead, but / after
wards found the letters in the pocket Of
the neglectiul native servant, who had
undertaken to deliver the mail at the
Calcutta office. "But it don't matter
much now," thought, 4" she will be the
more delighted, poor little girl" And
then cold chill seemed to creep through
my veins, like November's wind sudden
ly breathing across a bed Of flowers.
Clara had heard nothing from me for
nearly fifteen months. What might have
happened in that time ? All that Tewks-
bury and Jones and Allen and other pro-
phetic ravens had said, recurred to my
mind like the burden Of prophetic
dream. | had been counting the hours
and the very minutes until we could touch
port but now that my feet rung once
more upon the pavement of my native
city, actually dared not go home ! l
turned into a downtown restaurant, to
which | had been wont to go in the days of
my bachelorhood, and skunk into that
dark corner. The twilight was just fall
ing and was sheltered by the partition.