Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1873-08-21
OM'S WIFE.
[Appleton's Magazine.]

We had Just finished breakfast.
Tom laid down an egg spoon he had
been playing with, and looked across
at mother.
"Aunt Anne, I think I'll take a
wife" he said, exactly as he might
have said, ~ think I'll take another
cup of coffee"
"Take wifel" repeated mother,
by no means receiving the informa-
ton as TRANQUILITY as it had been Civ
en-. "What for?"
Well, I don't know" answered
Tom, thoughtfully, cts a notion ]
have got in my head, somehow"
call nonsense p said mother, very
sharply.
"Do you think so? ?" said Tom, ap:
parently doubtful, but not in the least
put out.
"Think so? 1 know it. What in
the world can you want of wife
After all these years we have lived
SO comfortably together, to bring home
somebody to turn this house upside
down. And then what's TO become
of that poor child?"
The "poor child'-that was /
reddening at being brought into the
argument in this way was about to
speak for herself when Tom interpos-
ed, warmly:
"I'm sure May knows I would nev'
er have any wife who would make ii
less home for her-don tyou, May?'
"Of course" l said.
"And I'm sure she knows nothing
of the Sort persisted my mother,
"nor you, either, Tom Dean. How
can you answer for what wife may
take into her head to do, once you get
her fixed here? You can't expect
her to forget, as You do, that May has
no real claim on YOU
"That have no real claim on her.
I suppose you mean, ma am" Tom
put in for the second time, just as l
was getting thoroughly uncomforta-
BILE. "But for all that, l intend to
keep her-that is. added Tom. with
one Of his short-sighted blinks side
ways at me, Gas long as she'll stay
with me, eh, May? And whoever
has anything to say against that ar
rangcment will have to go out of my
house to say it--not that I'm afraid
of such result in this case-and, on
the whole, Aunt Anne, I should like
to try the experiment.. )"
Mother smiled. grimly, but Tom
was SO evidently bent on his "experi-
ment,' as he called it, that she gave
up the argument.
"You 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 ques-
ton.
"well," said he, 81 can't say ex-
actly. I 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 yet?"
"Not yet" answered Tom, cheer
fully. "Time enough for that, you
know, after | have spoken to you.
Mother, as u minister's widow, was
not much given to idle mirth that Is
as the cracking Of thorns under a. pot,
but now she leaned back and laughed
till the tears stood in her eyes.
Swell she said. off it was any,
body else l should say he was crack
ed; but you never were like other
people, and you never will be, Tom
Dean. But, at least, you have fixed
on the lady"
go, yes' answered Tom; "but if
you will excuse me, Aunt Anne, l
would rather not say anything about
her just yet; for, if-if anything
should happen. it wouldn't be pleas
ant for either party you know" With
which yelled allusion to his possible
rejection, Tom took his hat and left
the room.
Our household was rather queerly
put together. There was no particu-
lar reason why l should have been of
it at all; for I was not really related
to Tom, nor even to mother" as I
called her, though I am sure we were
IS dear to each other as any mother
and daughter could be. She was the
second wife Of my father, wha like