The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1875-09-13

and hourshing town, and hung out my
single.
Ny chum began the practice Of law II
the town where we had!studied law to
gether.
Not meeting with very great success
be finally gave up the practice Of law anc
moved on small farm near his father in
laws residence, and apparently settled
himself for life.
Shortly after leaving the law school
my eyes fell upon this marriage notice
in the local paper published where my
chum and had been attending school
together:
"MARRIED-By the Rev. John Wise
head at the residence OF the brides faith
er, Mr.. j. Brown, Mr.. Henry White to
Miss Julia Brown, all OF this city
There WAS an end to all hopes if had
ever cherished any of marrying julia
myself.
But | had enough to occupy my mind.
True, my partner and | were not over
run with clients, but there We're hundreds
of BIG books to read if we were ever to
achieve great success; and though they
were dull reading they served to divert
my mind from serious thoughts of love
Two years passed quietly enough, when
one dull, sultry afternoon, in the latter
part of August, while trying 20 read, pom
der and inwardly digest Il somewhat in
comprehensive chapter in one Of my
law books, my partner placed letter on
nv table, which read rs follows:
"SnADY RETREAT, August %. 18-,
"MY DEAR OLD CHUM-I have new.
for you. We have got one Of the sweet.
est lutte babies at our house you ever
saw. He is boy. Dolly says he just
looks like me; but | think ne tavors you
a little. DO come and see us. Next
week Is fair week Come and see us
then. AID you can see almost everybody
else besides.
"Yours truly, JAMES WILSON.
..P. Sid vou know that Brown girl
who turned White? Her husband us
dead. he died about two mon,hs ago
j. w"
1t was feeling of commiseration that
| read the above letter Here was my
chum with many natural abilities throw
ing his talent away IN the country on a
farm when he might have made has
mark in the world.
Bat | made up my mind at once TO 90
and see him. Business was not 50 brisk
nut that my partner could atte I'd to 1t a
week or SO. l wanted to see my Chum
and | needed little relaxation. | am
not sure but that | also wanted to see
the baby. Not that | cared much for
babies in general. But there had al
ways been u lurking suspicion in my
mind that all the looking glasses in the
country had entered into IA conspiracy to
do me IL great injustice, and if the limo
cent babe looked like me, and WAS really
pretty it would prove-a hcm-;hat i
IN fact It would overthrow the base con-
spiracy.
" hen the train bore me rapidly to.
wards the home of my chum, II feeling
that something was going t. happen kept
Gaining strength But il there WAS m
unseen spirit by my side whispering OF
the future, | was not enlightened as tC
whether the events about to transp.re
wound result III my good or the con
trarv.
Though feeling in u somewhat unset.
tied state, Ia feeling which might have
been caused by the motion Of the cars
my mind reveled among the memories OF
the past, and specialized over the posi-
bic events of the future.
What. thought |, III Dolly should
die. Perhaps after all my chum will one
day marry his first love. But no. Dolly
will no doubt live many years. She
mi.ht die. it is true; but such Il thing Il,
mans marrying his first love after his
first wife, death, though happening Of
ten enough in novels, happens very sell
dom in real life
Nv reflections were broken of as the
rain stopped at the depot, and saw my
chum, seated in an ancient-looking bug
gy, awaiting my arrival. During the
drive to Shady Retreat, he was so hilar-
ious that | suspected him ofhaving taken
something stronger than water to drink
OF course, after arriving at the "Re-
treat and shaking hands with Dolly
must take look at the baby. When |
looked at the baby. thinks | to myscl!
ut, Il homcly club, like all the rest
but did not dare say so to Dolly.
| deliberately concluded TO "prevarl'
cate" Just t. please her. | have pract-
iced law long enough to have no consclen
tious scruples, and could from consider
able practice, tell flo with ali the SEM
blancc OF truth, So said;
lbs "a perfect beauty
ale says that put in my chum, "bc
cause ne thinks it looks ike himself.
Two of Us must have turned red in the
face, while my chum laughed very heart.
liz at his own unreasonable remark.
"IIow de- YOU Ike to live hercY | IN
quircd by way OF changing the subject
"Oh, splcndidly. Most city people
think it must be dul, fumdrum sort OF
LIE that one leeds in the country, but II
Is not so, at least it is not So with us, and
need not be so with others. would
sooner live here than belong to the most
successful law firm in the United States
~ few hours to work on my farm, Il
few hour, to read and write, and few
hours u lN.k Will l''llN' 10 t"' '''''
pleasant way possible for me to put III
the day. And hold that those useiu
pursuits most agreeable to person are
the ones that he ought to engage In
whether they bring him the most money
or not. The law OF duty may sometimes
of course, demand of Us the performance
of many dissagrccablc t"s Ks; but IN gen,
eral, we may be doing the most good
when We are engaged in those pursuit:
most agreeable to US.
"Who knows hut that my humble lit
erary efforts may be the means OF accom-
plishing more good than can be accom-
plished by the abe,t practitioner III lh'
bar? True, | Am not blessed with the
personal presence of great men, and yet
among my books | can find the greatest
thoughts of the greatest minds.
Don't IN Suudcrstand me. | do not
say that anything | have written l.
worthy of notice; but simply that II 1t ]:
possible for me to write anything OF an!
note, | can as well do so in my present
surroundings AS though | lived IN the