The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-04-25
BY HoRsLEY BROS. & FIGUERs,


Eleanor was now % years of age
almost an old maid" Mrs. John said
to Mrs. Edward Collins, when Judge
Carter fell in love with her.
"This is the very best chance Flea
nor ever had yet" said Mrs John to
her husband, in the quiet of their own
room. Somehow these old girls often
do remarkably we'll"
L shouldn't think of calling Eleanor
an old girl" " said her brother.
"That's because you have always
lived with her, and don't realize her
age. She is an old girl, she's 25, if
she's a day, and I'm sure she's very
lucky. There's Judge Carter, man of
the highest position, of first-rate fam
lily, just elected senator, and very well
off, dead in love with her. But I don't
believe she has an idea of it. haven't
dared to joke her even, for fear she'd
turn the cold shoulder to him. She's
the queerest girl I ever saw in my life
wonder if she will take him p
"Take him OF course she WILL"
said Brother John, scornfully that
is, if she can get him. ] only hope
you're right in thinking he wants to
marry her."
cept him, as am sure he will ask her
to, replied Mrs. John.
Accept him she'll jump at the
chance" said her husband.
I'm not so sure of that" retorted
Mrs. John.
And Mrs John was right. The sena-
tor-elect did propose to Eleanor, who
quietly rejected him as she had so many
Roth Tobn
wroth at this.
"N hat do you expect in a man?"
cried Mrs. Collins.
81 expect him to make me love him,
that's all.
"And why can't you love Judge
Carter ?"
"Tm sure can't tell why"
"Then I can retorted her sister-in-
law. cit all comes from your reading
poetry and novels. You are expecting
to love as people do in books. Let me
tell you nobody does that in real life
In the first place, the men, who are so
noble and heroic in books, are not to be
found outside of them; and, in the
second, if they were, I'm not so sure
that the women could be found to love
them as the ideal ones do But whether
they could or would love in this tre-
mendous way isn't the question. They
don't, and that's all there is to be said
about it. The only romantic love
match ever knew was a runaway one,
and it turned out miserably before a
year they hated each other as heartily
as they had loved each other at first
You are sensible girl. Look around
you, among our acquaintance, and tell
me where do you see two people who
are in love as they are in books. As far
as I myself am concerned, loved John
well enough when / married him, but /
had none of those wild ecstasies, or any
idea that 1 couldn't live without him,
and all that sort of nonsense. But we
get along well together we are fond of
each other, and then he have our chill
dren." Her voice sOftened as she spoke.
" Eleanor" she continued, "there is
no truth in the talk in books about the
way women love men; but there never
has been, nor there never can be put
into words, the emotion that a mother
feels for her baby. So long as God
gives woman mother-love, Eleanor,
they needn't ask anything more. I tell
you, my dear, marriage is very disap- |
pointing to most women. / sometimes |
think children are the only things that
made matrimony tOlerable. But 0,
what happiness the children do bring to
a woman Eleanor, every woman ought
to have a home of her own, and chill
dren of her own.
"But, Mary, cannot think that is
the true ideal of marriage, in which the
children have the first place in the
mothers heart, and the husband the
second"
GAS to the ideal state, Ihave nothing
to say. I only speak of the real one,
and nine-tenths of the women do love
their children best, and they would tell
you so, if they should tell the truth
about it. I never spoke SO candidly to
any one before, but you have a roman
tic, impracticable notion of love and
marriage. tell you the truth, because
am fond of you, and can't bear to see
you throw away such a chance for hap
prness as so good man as Judge Carter
offers you, and all for a mistaken idea.
Eleanor was silent.
"Do you ever mean to marry? What
do you mean to do?" persisted Mrs.
John.
What I'd like to do, I'll tell you,
Molly, though know you'll stare. I'd
like to earn my own living"
"And how could you do it?
'I sometimes think I could by lee
turins. You know they tell me the
story of Harriet Hosmer, that the first
time she ever saw a sculptor modelling
she said she felt in her fingers that she
too could do it. So, when / sit in
church, and hear dear Parson Moody
prose and prose, feel in my tongue
that 1 could do it-only better"
GOOD heavens r' was Mrs. Johns
startled ejaculation.
Don't be alarmed, Molly, / have no
idea of attempting this, but, seriously, |
l do think I might earn a good living |
by dress-making and millinery. | do
good deal of the last graf you is, know,
and my hats are the prettiest in church. |
look round, Sundays, wicked as it is,
and see how stylish mine are. / fairly |
long to get hold of the ugly ones and |
remodel them. Why shouldn't open |
a shop, and make and trim hats and |
bonnets for money ?"
Eleanor Collins, you are joking ! |
The idea of Judge Collins's daughter |
and Johns sister, turning milliner !
You could really never do such a |
thingl"
"No. I suppose I shouldn't have
moral courage enough to do it" said
Eleanor, wearily. "There sis only one |
thing for me to do, and that is-to |
marry. Perhaps 1 ought to. You and
John are vely kind, but, of course, |
can't be burden upon you forever"
here her voice trembled, in spite of eff
forts to steady it.
"That Is really unkind, Eleanor"
said Molly. "When did John or I |
ever give you the least hint of your be-
ing a burden to us?" No, indeed, |
you're a help. I shouldn't know how
to do without you, and you are like
second mother to the children. 1t is
only for your own sake urge you to
marry Judge Carter.
"But have refused him. I can't go
now and request him to marry me, and
he won't ask me again.
"But, if he did ?"
"But he won't"
Mrs. Collins said no more, yet, few
weeks later, Judge Carter did renew his
proposal for Eleanor's hand urged, |
thereto by his own real Affection for
her, and emboldened to make this sec