The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1873-06-05
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Aant Annie, ! thiuk ln take wife,
be said exactly n he might have said
thiak l'a take another emp Of coffee
Take wife repeated mother, by no
means receiving The information a tran
guilty as it bad been given What fors
Wei, don't know, answered Tom,
thon2hluly. It's notion I've got IL
ms bead, somehow
Al nonscuse said mother. sharply
boyou think sog said Tom, appar-
eutly JoubtiuL but not 10 tie least pat
out
Think sof | know It What Ia the
- ~orid cas- you want ~ wifes AMER az
these years We have lived SO comforlably
together, 20 bring home somebody TO
turn tAe house upside down. And,
then, what. 10 become Of that poor
childr
The poor child rhat was l--reddculug
at being brought into the argument iu
lhi. way, WAS about 10 speak for herself
when Tom intcrposed, warmly;
l'tp sure May knows would never
have any wife who would make it less
home Tor her--dou't YOU, May;
OF course, said
Aud I'm sara gbe Suows 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.
That have 80 real claim on her, sup
pose you mean, ma'am Tom put IN for
the SECOND tmo, iustas was getting
thoroughly uncomfortable, but for all
thai, intend TO keep hcr--that is, added
Tom, with one OF his short-sighted bliuks
sideways at me, as long as she'll stay
with me, ell, May? And whoever has
any thing to say against that arrangement
win haze TO 40 out Of my house TO say it
not that I'm afraid o. any such result
hi this oasc-aud, on the whole, Aunt
Annie, should Ike to try the expert
ment.
Mother smiled grimly, but Tom was so
evidently bent on HE experiment, as
he called it, that .he gave up the argn-
meut,
+ You can dance, if you're ready TO pay
/ the piper, she said, shortly. And, pray
how soon do you mean to get marriedS
Toms face fell little at this ques-
I ton.
Wen, said he, can't ssy e4aptiy |
( suppose we ghal have to he engaged
/ drst,
/ What! said mother, opening her eyes; ;
why, you never mean TO say, Tom, you
haven't spoken to her yet?
Not yet, answered Tom, cheeriully.
Time enough for that, you know, after |
had spoken to you
Mother, as a minister's widow, was not
much given to the Idle mirth that is as
the cracking Of tlorn9 under pot, but
now she leaned back and laughed till 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 LADY,
Oh, yes, answered Tom but, if yeu
win excuse me, Aunt Annie, would
Father not say anything about her just
yet; for, lf-if any thing should happen,
it wouldn't be pleasant for either party,
you know. With which veiIed alIusion
to his possible rejection, Tom took his
hat, aud left the room.
Our household was rather aueerly put
together. Ibete was ua particular reason
why | should have been Of il at ALL for |
was not really related to Tom, nor even
10 mother, as called her, though am
sure We were as dear to each other a. any
mother aud daughter could be. She was
the second wife Of my father, who, like
most ministers, had been richer in grace
than % goods, aud had lelt gs at hi-
death with very little to live an, Then II
was that Tom Dean had come forward
aud Insisted Ga giving home TO his
aunt aud 10 me, whom be had scarcely
seeu a dozen times IN bis life before
That was exactly Ike Tom-queer Tom
Dean, as bis friend, were fond Of saying
who never did anything like any body
else. I suppose iH a.ite O, his eleat
hega lQr business, there Is no denying
that he was whimsical but / am sure
when think OF his unt6liiUa generosity
and aeiioaoy, / eAu't heip wishing lber,
were a few more such whimsical people
.in tie world. Naturally, at lhe time
am speaking of, my opinion had not been
asked; $40 had 10 DO was 10 60 whert
Mother went and while she ave he
Energies la ,nl uogse.keeFigg, give minu
.3 growing up which by lhls iine has
pf0uy wuii accomplished, But pcthap
, for that very rcasou--f0r onc sees witt
3 different efc. al twelve and eighteen
ng position ia Ghe hou-e bad already be
. gun 60 seem unsatisfactory TO ne au.
the mornings Worf' gat A,ua eleara
.,eef. smac hai been gsed a, au argu
;ueat against Tom. marrying, know
lbal mother hAl spoken Aafe.ily, bcIley
ing that .ueA q step would not be for III
happ.uess bat wat nos be the best judg
ei thatf knew him, il reflection shouh
bring him round 10 her opinion, 10 b
o., perfectly capable Of quietly -a-Eiaciu