The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1874-06-25
TO MARRY AGAIN OR NOT.

. no MARRY AGAIN OR NOT.
No man ever had a fonder or better wife.
say so now, with as full conviction as |
said it when looked my last in her dear
dead face, and kissedit and the fingers that
had wrought so deity and untiringlv for
the poor, for our children, and for me.
am hale, active man of seventy, and,
through Gods mercy, capable of much en-
loyment; but day and night pass not
without thoughts of how well she suited
me, how simply she admired me, how ten
derly she loved me, what a happy old
couple we should have been.
" wonder you never married again,
Morton, said my early friend, Jack Hatha-
way, 10 me once. "lOumust have want
ed wife In the parish as well as at home,
and you must feel very lonely in the long
winter evenings"
Then knew that he was thinking low
ingly of his fat little wife and common
place children at home, and [ was glad OF
it, for he is a good creature. and though
we are intellectually antagonistic and he
sometimes OtiendS nay taste, like him be-
cause we were lads together. felt that /
must say something, and am sure that |
astOniShed myself more than | astOnished
him when ! said: ''TO tell the truth, Jack,
did think of it Once.'
was so taken aback by having made
such a cOnfessiOn-I had never breathed
the tact-had intended never to breathe it
that felt as | think should feel if one of
my good sound front teeth fell out, and |
had TO attack piece of coal
Then what hindered you?'
We'll, TO he candid-postage stamps"
Postage stamps?" he queried loudly.
- It's - a. ripuE story - I /
will tell you all about it, if yea really feel
interested, but would rather not have it
repeated"
I'm as deepass well, and of course I'm
intepsted.n
With that he crossed his legs, leaned back
I'm his chair, and looked eXpectant.
began: You know that | was left a
widower with two children, boy and a
girl. J hey went to school as soon as
they were old enough. About sending a
boy, there can be, i'm my opinion, no
doubt, and | do not believe that solitary
glrl can be educated, with advantage to
herself, at home. She requires compan-
ionship, wishes for it, and ought to have
it. | even took care to provide it for
mine in her holidays. My wife had al
ways taken great interest in the DaltOns.
Dalton was the perpetual curate of FurZe-
ham, about -four miles off, and he had mar
Tied favorite schOolfcllow of hers. It
was am imprudcnt match neither of them
had any money. OF course, they had
large family, and Furzeham was worth
el30 per annum. Mary helped them a
great deal, and You'll be kind to the poor
DaltOns-wOn't you?' was among her lat
est expressions. Their oldest daughter
was few years older than ours, and ten
years wiser. Education, as it is usually
understood ha cip Nlx-
impossible. First, there was no money
for il next, her mother wanted her TO
help in sewing, nursing, cooking and
houSewOrk. | must say the child was a
strong case in favor of no education. She
had abundance of talent; and her father
being gentleman, her mother a gentle
woman, she acquired easy. sef-uncon-
scious manners. talked with tact, read
aloud charmingly, wrote capital letter.
she even danced and sang when she had
opportunity. Now, partly for her sake.to
give her the recreation she deserved. anda
glimpse of better social things than exist
ed at home, but much more for my own
girls sake, L always had Dorothy Dalton
20 spend her vacation with her, and |
treated her in every respect as another
daughter, even TO kissing and blessing her
night and morning. IL went on thus six
or seven years, till Anna married, which
she did at eighteen. Dorothy had been
Invaluable during the troublesome period
of preparation for the wedding; and when
1t was over, asked her mother to leave
her with me for n time. not only to set
new arrangements going, but to talk to
me for Charles, who was with me for the |
long vacation, was very dull, a mere book |
worm. Mrs. Dalton agreed; and for sew
eral weeks all went on delightfully."-. Do
lna.l
ship-cOuld set conversation going when
it was wanted, and her silence was never
glum or oppressive. As far as am con-
cerned, this state of things might have
lasted to the present day. should never |
have dreamed of putting am end to it-but |
one morning was alarmed bya visit from |
Mrs. DaltOn-I say alarmed. not only bel
cause her cOuntenance betOkened trouble, |
but because L knew that il was barely pos |
sible for her to leave her family. My fist |
thought was of some pecuniary difficulty; |
not that she or Dalton had ever asked for |
even small loan-yet how could they |
make both ends meet? Her first words |
were | want to speak 20 YOU alone
so you SHALL replied. Now. nv
dear good friend, what's the matter? Moth !
ing serious, hoper
- No. she said family, and with a quiv-
ering lip, not looking up at me; but
want Dorothy to come home with me to-
day
"'Whyg | asked. is Dalton i'll or
one of the children, or are you? What is |
it?'
She broke into quiet tears; and know
ing the woman'S long endurance, her |
strength as well as tenderness of character, |
| was very much affected.
"'Come, come,' | said soothingly; sre- |
member what an old friend | am. Try |
and fancy that i am Mary | whispered. /
and ] took and kissed her roughened |
hand, spoiled for society. but in NV ewes |
made venerable by holy household du- /
ties.
- She wiped her tears. and said: We I
have all forgotten that Dorothy is now a |
woman. We ought not to have allowed 1
her 20 stay with you after Anna went
away People are making il-natured re-
marks
Then | felt exceedingly angry, and 1
said: L really think that my age and /
social position en;itle me 20 have young
lady staying in my house as long as she
and her parents choose, even if she had
not, as Dorothy has. grown up as one OF
my own family. How did you hear this
gossip?
"'in the most innocent, unexpected
mdlneT. lItiH NY utiT lile mdlIe. sue
went TO Miss Kings TO buy me some cot
ton. The Browns, who were in the shop,
did not see her. and made observations. |
which She repeated. and asked me to eX-
plain
Il should have liked TO have known !
what the observations were. but checked /
myself and inquired: DO you believe 4
Jnat thi: sort of thing is worth noticing /,
10 ne IL seems utterly contemptible.'
society has made rules, and thev are usf-
ful, and we must abide by them. | viii I
take Dorothy back. if YOU please; and
am sure YOU understand her voice fall .
torad-s how p,rcb 4 lilya ona - - - -