Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1873-07-12


"Well, BOnsall, how goes the
world with you?" asked my uncle,
leisurely taking of his coat and
overshoes.
"Oh, well enough. If it don't 20
TO suit me, | make il, that's all -
answered Mr.. BOnsall. ''But see
here, McFarlane / didn't come here
to handy compliments. ! want to
talk to YOU about a serious matter"
fFWell, what is it?" asked my un-
Gle, preparing to listen, not without
a longing look at his foreign letters
and papers.
'I'm going to speak my mind, as
always dOP' said Mr.. BOnsell- 81
want TO know what you mean to do
about Nancy2"
"About Nancy - repeated my un-
Gle with a little start. "What about
Nancy
"Ayc, what about herg-that's
Just Il. OF course YOU can't 20 on
as you do now. 1t was well enough
when the old lady was alive; but
her death changes all that, and folks
will talk. Nancy's an old maid, 10
be sure-forty, If she's an hour"
''Thirty-fvc :" said my uncle cor
recting him.
ssWell five years don't matter
much. She's an old mald, as l said.
Still, folks will and do talk, and you
ought to marry again; and OF course
you can't with Nancy i'm the house"
''You think soF"
"Why of course not. There's
Miss Regina Schuyler, now. She'd
limp at the chance of marrying you;
but you don't suppose She would set
up housekeeping with Nancy How
ard. do you Z"
al must beg, BOnsall, that you
viii not bring Miss SchuyloI's
name into question:" said my uncle.
''Such liberties are not to be taken
with respectable young ladies'"
'Liberty or not she would have
you in a minute. And there's
another thing about IL. Nancy
Howard is dead in love with you,
herself, and OF course you can't
marry her-that Is out Of the ques-
tion.p
Nancy Howardi" repeated my
uncle, in a tone of bewilderment.
"TO be sure, man. Any one but
YOU would have seen it, though
Nancy is not the woman TO throw
herself az any mans head, I'll say
that for her. Ny wife has known IL
this long time, aud can see Il, too.
OF course YOU can't marry her.
Sheis old and poor and plain, and In
delicate health besides. So, OF
course, all you can do is to get rid
of her. Send her home TO her ma
tive place with a pension, marry
Regina Schuyler, and begin life
anew
Docs Mrs. Bosnall really think
that that Miss Howard entertains
such sentiments ~ asked my uncle,
as Mr.. Bonsall paused a moment;
women see such things more clear
ly than men,"
cor course she does. She was
talking of it last night. Nancy
ought to have n change says she,
IF she don't shell 90 of like her sis
ter. She's aquiet, patient creature
says she, 'but it's easy TO see what
ais her, Now, you sec, her being
oonsumptive is another reason why
YOU can't marry her. So, there
Pve spoken my mind, as i always
do; and / hope you will have sense
enough to act upon it,"
al shall certainly act upon iC'
said my uncle calmly.
"And soon, l hope, sold BOnsall,
rising. ''The sooner the better"
"The sooner the bctter!' echoed
my uncle. 81 quite agree with you.
Thank you Bosnall, thank you"
Il think l did a good piece OF
work this morning!" said Mr.. Bon
sail 10 his wife, as he was preparing
10 90 out; 81 spoke TO Mcfarlane
about Nancyp And he repeated
the substance Of the conversation.
Mrs. Bonsall was q quiet, kind
hearted woman; but, like her hus-
band, she sometimes spoke her
mind. She did so on this occasion.
''Bonsall you are an idiot! Most
men are in such matters, and you
are a perfect one"
''Mr. Bonsall looked as If some
one had thrown a wet towel in his
face. "Why, Mary Ami Whata
that for 20
"You'll find out soon enough.
Go along, do, aud leave mein peace"
Mr.. Bonsall was always very meek
when his Wife took these rare fits OF
plain speaking, and he shut the door
| without another word. Mrs. Bon
sail sat looking at the fire with an
| expression of veXatiOn, which grad
uaily changed to one Of kindness.
"After all, IL might be worse,
said she, speaking TO the fire; "Nan-
cy Is a good soul, and as sweet as
| honey. She will make him happy
and be happy herself, and il will be
good for the boy. But ! think / see
| BOnselPs face when he hears of i'll"
For two hours my uncle sat look
ing through his Office window with
out even thinking of his letters.
Then he drew a deep breath, as Of
one relieved of a doubt, and turned
to his correspondence. lie did not
20 to dinner, but left the Office ear
", stopping at a florists, where he
| bought some beautiful hot-houss
flowers, and two nice hyaeiuth
bulbs in pretty glasses, which last
he sent to Mrs. Sanders.
"Father, may | go up and see
Tom Saunders ?' asked Alick after
tea. And Nancy was sitting at her
work table, fresh and neat from top
to toe. She was composed as usual,
but my uncle fancied he observed 4
slight change in her manner toward
himself. Probably Alexis remarks
might have disturbed her q little.
"Certainly, my son. And be sure
to ask, particularly, how Mrs. Saun-
ders finds herself; l quite forgot IL
this morning"
81 was the more ready to let Alick
20 as / wish to consult you on a
matter of great Importance TO US
both" And then in his usual kind
| somewhat formal manner, he open
cd the subject. He was desirOus,
he said, of going abroad for some
time, perhaps for some years. de
thought the change would be good
for Alick, who showed signs of del
icate lungs.
Aunt Nancy's heart 'fiuttered,
and her color went and came; but
she had long been schooled in self
control, and she made no other
sign, ''It won't be for longl" said
the quiet, breaking heart to itself,
little guessing what was in store.
NV uncle continued. / don't
know exactly how he worded IL, but
he made il plain that neither he nor
the boy could live without Nancy.
Would Nancy consent to become
his wife, and be a mother to Alick
in name, as she had long been in
fact? And so in an hour the mat
ter was all settled.
eve are ssked to a wedding"
said Mrs. Bonsell to her husband,
some SIX weeks afterward.
ga wedding-whose weddingg'
asked Dir. Bonsall, not greatly in
terested.
"Nancy Howard's -
Nancy Howard-yOu don't
mean" The idea which occurred
,, to Mr.. Bonsall fairly struck him
dumb.