The Van Buren press., 1873-04-08
MlSCELLAw, ,
MY WIDOW.
True Love, First and Last.

| Jones advised be not 10 marry ner-
| he said she was too young AID pretty.
Farnum advised me to be an old bach
elor-told me man past forty simply
made fool Of himself by matrimony.
Tewksberry, man who is notorious
for never minding his ewn business, told
mo she had o love affair with Harry Bir-
min CHAM before he vent South.
Allen shook his head, and said Clara
Myers might be very pretty, but he liked
somebody maturer and settled. n Is.
He married his kousekesper next week,
and she is mature enough for Methusa-
leh himself
Everybody thought was trying dan
gcrous experiment; but ! didn't pretend
| to suit everybody, so simply suited my
self. l went quietly to church with Clara
Myers and married her one glorious Jan
uary morning when the old St Psurs
was fringed with glitterins icicles, and
the brisk wind was froighted with the par
ticles of flying snow, like a battalion of
diamonds on double quick. 1t was a
brisk wintry morning, but the keen ar
only made it the more cxhilerating and
Just the day and occasion to make ones
spirit exhubersnt and happy.
She was nineteen and l was nine and
thirty. She was beautiful as q rosebud ;
| was a rough old codger, sound enough
at heart, but, like winter apple, un-
promising on the exterior.
In short, we were as unlike as May and
November, and the good natured world
shook its head, and said, No good
could come Of such on unequal match. y
But she said she loved me, and l believ
cd her. Nobody could look into Clara s
blue eyes and not believe her, you see.
The next day made will and be-
queathed all my property unconditional
ly to my wife.
Are you sure you are doing wise
thing, Mr.. Folliot?' said Mr.. Mardyn,
the lawyer, pushing his blue spectacles
up on his forehead, until Le looked like
an old bald gnoms, with a double pair of
eyes, you sec she is very much young
er than yourself, and
please be so kind as to mind your
own business !" said l, brusquely. Don't
be offended, Mardyn, but really people
seem to suppose am not able to attend
TO my own affairs
"Just as you please, said Mardyn in
u rage 81 am tool in your hands "
That's it exactly" said !. SO /
signed the will and went heme to Clara.
"Oh, Paul you must not do it y said
Clara, with scared look, when told
her what ! had done. Nobody ever
loved mo as truly as Won have done, and
| don't know whist should do If you
we're taken away.
"Thoro was q young Birmingham, if
all reports are true" l mischievously
began. but the curl on Clara's lip stop
ped me.
"A mere butterfly T. she said haughtily,
without either brains or principle Paul
Paul! have found shelter in yourtrue,
loving heart, and ! mean to nestle there
always.
And then she cried-this foolish, soft
hearted little wife OF mine.
Jones aud Tcwksberry might have
called this policy. Farnum would have
said it was acting. But it was very pleas
ant and felt moro than ever like man
that had found jewel and wears it like
az amulet on his breast.
SO things went on until the firm OF
which / was managing partner needed
to send some to Calcutta to sec after o
tu,baned scoundrel Of an agent who had
absconded with moro money than we
could we'll afford to loose. Morrison
was old and feeble; Hewitt's wife lay
very i'll; so / was the one to 80. !
kissed Clara good bye as eheerfully as /
could, fully expecting to be back in thrse
months orso
had to follow tho agent up into She
mountains Of India, fell i'll of one OF
those burning climatic fevers in the bun.
galev Of an old native priest, and the
months flew by until it was more than q
year before | found myself on the deck
Of the " Blue eyed Mary, steaming in.
to New York harbor.
And all this time Clara had not heard
a word from me- had written to her
20 prepare her for what seemed almos,
my rising from the dead, but l had af'
terwards found my letters in the pocket
Of the neglectful native servant who had
undertaken to deliver tho mail at the CAL
cutta office. But it don't matter SO
much now" | thought, "she will be
more delighted, poor little sirl!' And
then a cold chill seemed to creep through
all my veins, like Nsvember's wind sud
denly breathing across n bed Of flowers.
Clara had heard nothing Of me for
nearly fifteen months. What might have
h,,oonod /, that fimo7 All that ToWke.
berry and Jones and Allen and all other
prophetic ravens Of my acquantances
had said. rscurred to my mind like the
burdens Of an uneasy dream. Ihad been
counting tho hours and the very minutes
until we could touch port; but now that
my feet rang the pavement Of my native
city, l actually dared not to 60 home! !
turned into q downtown restaurant,
where / had been wont to 60 in tho days
~ nv Ia oh elorhood and skunk into that