Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-04-02
concluded from first page.]

never before come near, though her SOU
longed passionately for it. The world Of
art and culture he opened to her; he led
her intellect with the food it had ever
hungered for.
Ifthey had been younger, they would
have seen sentimental danger in all this
near companionship. As it was, it would
be hard to tell which of them was the
more astonished when one day, after they
had been discussing some fresh scheme OF
benevolence, John Campbell suddenly
laid his hand on the small doctors shout
der, and said, quickly, Little Pen, will
you be my wife ~
This was the one precipitate thing he
had ever done. Ten minutes previous
nothing had been farther from his mind
than asking anybody to be his wife, leas
of all this energetic little creature who
trotted about in all weathers, always
CHEEKY and hopeful, trying to make peo-
pie better than she found them But, the
words uttered, there came into his con-
seriousness such wealth of love Tor her,
such a desire to take her out and away
from the hard path she was leading so
bravely, that he waited breathlessly for
her words. They came slowly. He could
feel her trembling under his hand. Her
smooth cheeks flushed family.
Your wife, Mr.. Campbell?" she said,
softly, as if she could not realize the I'M
port of his speech.
Yes, my wife, PEN" he repeated ca
gerly, covering both her hands which
sought to hide her leyes, with one of his.
why should you not be my wife, my
darling? You have been my friend, my
companion, my helpmate. All that have
ever done that was worth doing has been
at your instigation and with your aid. 1t
only remains that you should be my wife.
Tell me, dear, that you will not fail me
now when most need YOU
but am so old. john" happily I'M
conscious of the confession made in the
use of his name. II am past thirty, you
know" coloring reddest red; land I'm
not pretty. and don't know anything but
one thing, and l m poor; and then there
are nv patients; and oh, John, l never
thought anybody would love me drop.
ping into the nearest seat in passion oil
tears.
Perhaps the last sentence lay at the
base of the whole At any rate, the lover
thought so, for he just picked the little
woman up in his arms, and said, while he
wiped away the tears: ''Now, Miss Pen,
am going to answer your objections. ey-
erv one. To begin with. if you are pas,
thirty, which don't in the least believe
the records are wrong-I am past forty,
a fact fear there is no just reason to
doubt. Secondly, deny in toto that you
are not pretty There is abundant evil
dence to the contrary at this moment"
turning up the sweet face, and planting
an emphatic kiss on the ripe, rosy lips.
Thirdly, if you don't know but one thing
it is high time you did; and how can you
ever study while you lead your present
life?
Fourthly, if you are poor, there is all
the more need for your marrying man
who is rich-myselffor example. Filthy
YOU told me this very morning that you
had friend you should take into partner
shipif YOU felt that you could afford it.
Now to her you can freely make ovei
YOUR practice, not only with my consent
but at my express command. Lastly
finally, and forever. love you with my
whole soul, and propose to marry yor
this day month, whatever your views OF
the subject may be. So you might as wei
resign yourself to your fate. Now, ma'an
what have you to say against all this Pr
Pen had nothing TO say, and if she had
she couldn't have said it. She couldn :
have said it. She could have assisted il
delicate surgical operation with perfec
calmness, because discipline had done it
work with her. But in the hands of a maj
she loved she was plastic as the veries1
girl. All the difficulties in her way were
smoothed by the magic OF her loving toucl
and before she could realize her full, hap
piness she found herself his proud ant
cherished wife.
There was but single point of differ
ence between them. That was her pro
fession. She could not.feel that it wa
right to wholly give it up; he could no
feel that it was rig ht for her to continue il
it. At last they compromised. In an ode
corner of their luxurious home Pen had s
tiny Office, where for two hours each day
she can be found ready to aid The unfor
tunates who flock to her in scores. She
never practices for pay; she seldom goes
out but she is still DR.. Pen to hundred
or SO of her old patients.
What did the world say to this odd mar.
rage At first it was scandaiZed, and
made something more than a nine day
wondsr of it. Society was strongly in
clined not to call upon the new Mrs. Camp
bell. But Pens sweet face, grown young
er and prettier by ten years since her mar
riage, is her card of admission to any cir
Gle she chooses to honor by her presence
1t is believed by many that Mrs. Camp
bell senior did not III the least relish hel
sons marriage. But when an acquaint-
ance ventured to sympathize with her, she
said, drawing herself up aud looking her
grandest-she can look very grand indeed
when she chooses; You are seriously
mistaken, madam my daughter-in-law is
a very remarkable woman. 1t requires
much more than the ordinary mind to ap-
preciate her."
Since which-as the elder lady takes
particular pains to be seen with the young
err opon all social occasions-nobody has
dared say that Penelope Brown, M. d.,
was not as much the choice of the mother
as Of the son.