The weekly Shasta courier. [volume] (Shasta, Calif.) 1872-190?, 1873-06-14
Toms Wife.

TOMS VIE.
We had just finished breakfast Ton
LAID down the egg spoon he had been play
Ing with and looked across at mother
Aunt Annie, think I'll take wife
ne sad exactly as he might have said, L"
think IL take another cup of coffee"
Take wife," repeated mother, by nc
means receiving the information as tranquil
ly as 1t had been given. What for ?"
Well | don't know" answered Tom
thoughtfully. :" It's notion I've got in my
head, somehow"
"All nonsense - said mother, sharply.
" DO you think so ?" said Tom, apparent.
Iy doubtful, but not in the least put out.
Think so? ] know it. What in the
world can you want Of wife? After all
these years we have lived so comfortably to-
gether, to bring home somebody to turn the
house upside down. And, then, what's to
become of that poor chld?"
The poor child that was I-redden-
ing at brought into the argument in this
way, Was about to speak for herself when
Tom interposed warmly:
am sure May knows / would never
have any wife who would make it less a
home for her-don't you. May?"
"Of course" said 1.
And I'm sure she knows nothing of the
Sort, persisted mother, 'nor You either,
ION Dean. How can you answer for what
vile may take it into her head to do,
once you get her fixed here? You cant
expect her to forget, as you do, that May
has no rea! claim on YOU
That have no real claim on her, SUD-
pose You mean ma am" Tom put in for the
second time, just as l was getting thorough
~ uncomfortable. But for all that, [ in.
tend to keep her-that is, added Tom, with
one OF his short sighted blinks sideways at
me, " as long as she'll stay with me, Ell,
May? And whoever has anything to say
against that arrangement will have to 20
out OF my house to say it not that Pm
afraid OF any such result in this case-and
on the whole, Aunt Annie | should like to
try the experiment"
Mother smiled grimly, but Tom was so
evidently bent on his experiment" as he
called 1t, that she gave up the argument
gu can dance, if you re ready to pay
the piper" she said shortly And, pray
how soon do you mean to be married ,"
Toms face fell little at this question.
Well" said he, can't say exactly. l
suppose We shall have to be engaged first"
What" said mother, opening her eyes
why, you never mean to say, Tom, you
haven't spoken to her YETI"
Not yet answered Tom, cheerfuly.
Time enough for that, you know, after
had spoken to you"
Mother, as "a ministers widow, was not
much given to the idle mirth that is as the
cracking of thorns under a pot, but now she
leaned back and laughed TIL the tears stood
in her eyes.
Well she said, if it was anybody else.
l should say he was cracked but you new
er We're like other people, and you never
will be, Tom Dean. But, at least, you have
fixed on the lady?"
Oh, yes answered Tom "but, if YOU
will excuse me, Aunt Annie. | would rather
not say anything about her just yet for, if
II anything should happen, it wouldn't be
pleasant Tor either party, you know" With
which yelled alluson to his possible rejec-
ton. Tom took his hat. and left the room.
Our household was rather queerly put to.
gether. There was no particular reason
why L should have been of it at all for was
not really related to Tom, nor even to
mother, rs called her, though am sure
We were as dear to each other As any moth
er and daughter could be- She was the
second wife of my father who, like most
ministers, had been richer in grace than in
goods. and had left us at his death with
very little to live on. Then it was that
Tom Dean had come forward, and insisted
on giving home to his aunt and to me,
whom he had scarcely seen a dozen times
in his life before. That was exactly like
1om-'queer Tom DEAN as his friends
were fond of saying, who never did any,
thing like anybody else" suppose, in spite
OF his clear head for business. there is no
denying that he was whimsical but | am
sure, when | think of his unfaiIinp peneros
Ity aud delicacv, can't help wishing there
were lew more such whimsical people in
the world. Naturally, at the time that |
am speaking OF, my opinion had not been
asked: all had to do was to 90 where
mother went, and, while she gave her ener-
gies 10 house Keeping. giving mine to grow
ing up, which by this time had pretty well
accomplished But perhaps for that very
reason-for one sees with different ewes at
t"ei'e ana elghteen-my position in the
house had already begun to seem unsatis-
factory TO me- and the mornings words put
1t IN a clearer light since it bad used as an
argument against Toms marrying knew
that mother had spoken honestly. believing
that such step would not be for his happ.-
ness; but was not he the best Judge of that.
i knew him. it reflection should bring him
round to her opinion, to be perfectly capable
oil quietly sacrificing his own wishes for nv
sake, who had not the shadow of claim on
him; so it must he my part to prevent his
own kindness being turned against him now
Sui, II was not so easy to see how was to
provide for myself, in case it should become
advisable What could do? Draw and
sing aud play tolerably, but not in man.
per 10 compete with the hosts that would be
III, the field against me. Literature? I
had read so many stories whose heroines,
with turn of the pen, dashed into wealth