Litchfield enquirer., 1874-05-28
TO MARRY AGAIN, OR NOT.

No man ever had fonder or better wife. I say so now with as full convic- tion as I said it when looked my last in her dear dead face, and kissed 1t and the fingers that had wrought so deftly and un- tiringly for the poor, for our children, and for me. am hale, active man of 70, and, through Gods mercy, capable of much enjoyment; but day and night pass not without thoughts of how we'll she suited me, how simply she admired me, how tenderly she loved me, what happy old couple we should have been.
 '1 wonder you never married again, Morton, said my early friend, Jack Hath away, to me once. "You must have want ed wife in the parish as we'll as at home, and you must feel very lonely in the long winter evenings"
 Then l knew that he was thinking 1ov- ingly of his fat little wife and common place children at home, and was glad of 1t, for he is a good creature, and though we are intellectually antagonistic, and he sometimes offends my taste, I like him because we were lads together. I felt that must say something, and felt that I astonished myself more than astonish- ed him when l said: ''To tell you the truth, Jack, I did think of it once."
 I was so taken aback by the having made such a confidenee-I had never breathed the fact-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?"
 ''Well, to be candid-postage stamps. T
 Postage stamps?" he queried loudly.
 Y 1T will tell you all about it if you really feel interested, but l would rather not have it repeated.
 ''I am deep as a we'll, and of course I'm interested"
 With that he crossed his legs, leaned back in his chair, and looked expectant
 began: "You know that was left g widower with two children, boy and g girl. They went to school as soon as they were old enough. About sending boy, there can be, in my opinion, do doubt and I do not believe that a solitary girl can be educated, with advantage to her. self. at home. She requires companion ship, wishes it, and ought to have It. ] even took care to provide it for mine ir her holidays. My wife had always taken great interest in the Daltons. Dalton was the perpetual curate of Furzeham, about four miles of, and he had married favorite schoolfellow of hers. It was ar imprudent match; neither of them had any money; of course they had large family, and Furzeham was worth 412( per annum. Mary helped them great deal, and, "You'll be kind to the pool Daltons--wont you?" was among hel latest expressions. Their oldest daughter was two years older than ours, and ter years wiser. Education, as it is usually understood, she had none; it was simply impossible; first, there was no money fol it; next, her mother wanted her to help in nursing, sewing. cooking, housework. | must say the child was strong case ir favor of no education. She had abund. ance of talent; and her father being { gentleman, her mother a gentlewoman she acquired easy, self-conscious man ners, talked with tact, read aloud charm ingly, wrote capital letter-she ever danced and sang when she had opportuni ty. Now, partly for her sake, to give hel the. recreation she deserved, and { glimpse of better social things than ex isted at home. but much more for my ow1 girls sake. I always had Dorothy Dal
 ton to spend her vacation with her, and treated her in every respect as anothel daughter, even to kissing her and bless ing her night and morning I went oI
 thus six or seven years, until Anna mar ried, which she did at eighteen. Doro thy had been invaluable during tn troublesome period of preparation for the wedding; and when. it was over I asket
 her mother. to leave her with me for time, not only to set new arrangement going, but to talk to nae; for Charles, wh, Twas with me for the long vacation, wa, very dull, mere book-worm. Mrs. Dal l ton agreed; and for several weeks all wen