The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1872-03-07
MY WIDOW.

Zones advised me not to marry her-he said
she was too young snd pretty.
-'.Fsrnu.n advised me to be an old bachelor
told me q. man past forty simply made fool OF
himself by matrimony.
Tewbsberry-a man who Is notorious for new
er minding his own business-.old me she had
uad lore affair with Harry Birmingham, be-
fore he went South.
Allen shook his head, and said Clara Myers
might be very pretty, but he liked somebody
maturer and more settled. (N.B.-he married
his housekeeper the next week and size Is ma
tnre enonrh for Methuselah himselfD
Everybody thought was trying dangerous
experiment; but ! didn't pretend to suit every
Body-so simply suited myself. went quietly
tD church with Clara Myers, and married her
one glorious January morning, when the old
st Panls was fringed with, glittesing icicles,
and the brisk wind was freighted with the par
ticles of flying snow, like battalion OF dia-
monds on double quick.
She was nineteen and was nine and thirty.
She was rs beautiful as 3 rose bud, with
shy, pretty way, like timid child, and am
rough old codger, sound enough at heart, but
like winter apple, unpromising on the e1te-
ior.
In short, we are as unlike as May and No
Head. and said: aNo good could come of such
an UNEQUAL match" But she said SIZE loved
me. and + believed her. Nobody could look
into Claras blue eyes and not believe her, you
see. ;,sse. -. =, -,
And the next day 1 made will and be-
queatheda all my property, Internationally, to
my wife. -. ao;,a . ,v;.. tb;,o
Mr.. Folliottf' said Mardyn,5 the lawyer, push
mo his blue spectacles upon his forehead, until
hs looked like o bald old gnome, with double
,pair of eyes. "You see she is very much
Younger than yourself, and"
aPlease to be so kind as to mind your own
business" said /, brusquely. "Don't be Often
ied, Mardyn, but really people seem to sup
pose / am not able to attend to my own at
.fairs.s'
'ssT an, mere tool in your hands," .4oa
..sThats it exactly" So signed the Will and
1Oh. Paul, YOU must not dieP said Clara,
with scared look, when / told her what 1 had
done. sNobody ever loved me as truly and
generously asyou have done, and don't know
what should do if you were taken away !"
sThere WAS young Birmingham, if all re-
ports were true" mischievously began, but
the curl on Clara's lip stopped me.
LA mere butterfly" she said haughtlly,
awithout brains or principle. Paul, Paul, l
have found shelter in your true loving heart,
and I mean to nestle there alwaysp'
And then she cried--this foolish, soft-hea2ted
Ettle wife of mine.
Jones and Tewksberry might have called this
nolicy. Farnrm would have said it was acting.
!RntI Il was very pleasant, and felt more than
ever like man who has found some precious
level, and wears it, Like an amulet, on his
breast
So things went on until the firm of which l
vas managing partner, needed to send some one
tn Calcutta to see after Il turbaned scoundrel OF
an agent, who had absconded with more money
thar we could well afford to lose. Morrison
was old and feeble-Hewitt's wife lay very i'll,
30 was the one to go, I kissed Clara good
bye as cheerfully as could, fully expecting to
De back in three months or so.
I had to follow the agent up into the noun
rains of India-I fell i'll. of one of those bur.
ming climate fevers in the bungaslow OF an old
native priest and tho months few by, until
It 1as more than 8 year before 1 found myself
on the deck of the lBlue-eyed Mary steaming
into New York harbor!
And all this time. Clara had never heard a
word from me!
}, : had written to her to prepare herself for
what seemed almost like my rising from the
dead. but had afterwards found my letters
in the pocket of the neglectful native servant
who had undertaken to deliver the mails to the
Calcutta Office. 9,
ro"But i, don't matter 80 much, nowW L
shought, she will be the more delighted, poor
little girl -,
through all my veins, like Noyember's wind
suddenly breathing across bed OF flowers
Clara had heard nothing of me for nearly
fifteen months-what might not have happened
in that time? All that Tewksberry, and JONES'
and Allen, and all the other prophetic ravens
Of my acquaintance had said, reeurred to my
mind, like the burden of an uneasy dream!
had been counting the days, the hours, the very
minutes until we should touch port-but now
that nv feet rang once more upon the pave
ment Of my native city, actually dared not go
aome.
OF turned into downtown restaurant, where
fhad been wont to go, in the days Of my bach
elorhood, and skunk in that dark corner-the
twilight was just falling, and 1 was sheltered
HUSH that was Tewksberry's voice, harsh
and jarring, as of old.
"Just what might have been expected" said
Tewksberry. "Pretty and young widows don't
go begging in this marketP
"Folliott might have known it," growed old
Farnum. "Poor Folliott there was some good
points about him, tool Sad thing, that, very
sad thing!
1--WE must all die" said Tewksberry, grave
"Yes, but fellow would naturally prefer dy-
ag in his bed to being carried off by an East
Indian fever and buried in the junglesP
shuddered. Had I then come home to my
own funeral as it we're?
"And she's going to marry young Birming-
ham after all P' added Farnum.
The paper dropped from my hand.
sI could have told Folliott so when found
ont what confounded idiotic will he had
made" said Tewksberry. $50 gold has fallen
again. Just my luck sold out to-night" ("
I stayed to hear no more, but staggered out
in the darkness with the idea whirling through