The Republican journal., 1873-07-03
Toms Wife.
BY KATE PUTNAM OSGOOD.

81 halF ~ IMAM oS1OOD.
We had Just finished breakfast Tom
laid down the egg spoon he had been play
ing with, and looked across at mother.
"Aunt Annie, think I'll take wife,"
he said. exactly us he might have said 81
think I'll take another cup of cotfee'
Take a wife ?" repeated mother. by
no means receiving the information as
TRANQUILITY as it had been given. "What
for ?''
"Well, don't know" answered Tom,
thoughtfully. ''It's notion I've got in
my head, somehow"
CAN nonsense ~ said mother sharply
''Do you think SOP" said Tom, APP
parently doubtful, but not in the least put
out.
''ThinI1 so? 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
the house upside down! And, then, what
is to become of that poor chld?"
The ''poor child"-that was I-redden-
ing at being brought into the argument
in this way, was about to speak for her.
self, when Tom nterposed warmly:
'I'm sure May knows | would never
home for her-don't you, May"
''Of course,'' said I.
And Pm sure she knows nothing of
the Sort persisted mother, ''nor you
either. Tom Dean. How can you answer
for what a wife may take it 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."
tFThat | haua rca1 a1oi,,, how I
suppose you mean, ma 'am," Tom put in
for the second time, Just as l was getting
thoroughly uncomfortable "But. for all
that, intend to keep her--that is" added
Tom, with one OF his short sighted blinks
with me, ELI, May and whoever has any
thing against the arrangement will have
| to 90 out of my house to say it-not that
| case-and on the whole Aunt Annie, l
should like to try the experiment"
Mother smiled grimly, but Tom was so
called it, that she gave up the argument
the piper" she said shortly. "And, pray,
how soon do you expect to be married ?''
Toms face fell little at this question
W F7toii hC, l Sfth say OhdSll1.
| 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 2"
"Not vet" answered Tom, cheerfully.
Time enough for that, you know, after
had spoken to YOU"
Mother as a minister's widow, was not
ri tn ha iH1p p,irtE fbaf 10 tho
cracking of thorns under pot, but now
she leaned back and laughed until the
tears stood in her eyes.
"Well," she said, "if it was anybody
else, | should say he was cracked, but
you never were like other people, and you
never will be, Tom Dean. But at least
you have fixed on the lady9"
"Oh, yes" answered Tom "but if you
will excuse me Aunt Annie, ! would
rather not say anything about her, Just
wouldn't be pleasant for either party, you
know" With this yelled allusion to his
possible rejection, Tom took his hat and
left the room.
Our household was rather queerly put
together There was no particular reason
why | should have been of it at all for
w flS iiOb lttlllf ICldltti W lOlll, lOI cfCll
to ''mother," as | called her, though |
am sure, we We're as dear to each other
as mother and daughter could be. She
was the second wife of my father, who
like most ministers, who 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 upon giving home to his
nj / boJ
a dozen times in his life before That
was exactly like Tom-"q "queer Tom Dean"
as his friends were fond of saving, 'who
never did anything like anybody else"
| suppose in spite of his clear head tor
business, there was no denying he was
whimsical but | am sure, when think
of his unfailing generosity and delicacy,
! can't help wishing there were few
more such whimsical people in the world.
Naturally, at the time | am speaking OF,
my opinion had not been asked; all had
to do was to go where mother went, and
while she gave her energies to the house.
keeping, gave mine to growing up, which
by this time ] had pretty well accom-
plished But perhaps for that very rea-
son-for one sees with different eyes at
| twelve and eighteen--my position in the
| house began to seem unsatisfactory to
| me; and the morning words put it in a
| clearer light since it had been used as an
argument, against Toms marrying. |
knew that mother had spoken honestly,
believing that such step would not be
| for his happiness; but was not he the best
Judge of that? | knew him, If reflections
should bring him round tn her opinion,
to be perfectly capable of quietly sacrifc-
| ing his own wishes for my sake, who had
| not the shadow OF claim on him; so it
must be my part to prevent his own kind
ness being turned against him now. Still,
it was not so easy to see how | was to
provide for myself in case it should be-
come advisable. What could l do
Draw and sing and play tolerable, but
not in manner to compete with the hosts
that would be in the field against me.
Literature? | had read so many stories
| whose heroines, with turn of the pen.
| dashed into wealth and fame. That would
be very nice, only was not the least bit
literary; had never even kept journal,
which is saying q great deal for a girl in
her teens. "The fine arts" then being
out of the question for me. what remained?
There was some clerkship, or place in
some family, and-there was Will Broom
| ley
That may seem like going away from
| the point, but it was not. l was matter
of-fact, but could see very well what was
going on right under my eyes, and had
pretty clear idea of what was bringing
| Will to the house so often as he had taken
to coming lately. There was ''situa-
ton that would give me the home life l
liked best, and felt myself best suited for;
but would ii answer in other respects? l
overcast the long seam | was sewing
twice over, was so busy trying to make
up my mind whether liked Will Broom
lev well enOuph to naSs INV uholo Iifp