The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1876-10-05
Matcll-Making.

Match-Making-
81 wouldn't marry the best man
that ever lived 2"
And she meant 1t, or, what answers
the same purpose, she thought she
meRntIt 1T. After all, how few Of US
ever really know what we do mean :?
81 engaged myself once when q girl,
and the sinpletOn thought he owned
me. / soon took that eOnceit out of
him, and sent him abOHt his busi-
ness"
The Voice was now a trifIe sharp.
What wonder, with 80 CALLING a
memory ?
mo man shall ever tyTanniZe over
me-neyer What the mischief do
you suppose is the matter with this
sewing machine ?'
"Annnyed at your logic, most like
ly," said my friend, bright-eyed
young matrOn, M she threaded her
needle.
my husband is not tyrant, Miss
| Kent"
81 am glad you are satisfied" was
the lacOnic answer.
It was quite evident by the express
zion Of the dress-InakeI'a face that she
had formed her OWa opinion about
my friends husband, aud WAS quite
competent 10 form snd express an
opinion on any subject.
Miss Kent was q little woman, as
fair as girl, aud As plump rs q robin.
She wasn't ashamed to own that she
was forty years old aud an old maid.
She had earned her own living most
Of her life, and was proud of it. IIazi-
ness was the one sin Miss Kent could
not forgive. She was a good nurse, a
faithful friend, and a jolly COM
panlon but stroke her the wrong
way, aud you'd wish you hadn't IN
much shorter time than IL takes me
to write it. Her views on all sub
jects were strikingly original. aud not
90 be eOmbated.
"What are you going to dG when
you are old ?" persisted the mistress
OF the establishment.
"What other old folks do. | sup
pose"
"But you can't work forever"
Cant say that want to-"
"NOw, Miss Kent, q husband with
means, kind, intelligent man"
81 don't want. ! don't want any
man. tell you, Mrs. Carlisle, I
wouldn't marry the best man that
ever lived, If he was as rich as Croesus,
and would die If l didn't have him. |
Now, il you have exhausted the mar
riage question, should like to try on
your dress"
That there was something behind |
all this I knew well. NY friends |
eyes danced with fun and az Miss |
Kent fitted the waist she threw me a |
letter from the bureau.
Tread that, she said, with q know
Ing look. sit may amuse you"
This is what the letter said:
"MY DEAR JENNIE shall be delighted /
% spend month with you and your hus-
band. There must be, however, one stipu-
lation about my Vtslt-you must promise 10
say no more about marriage. shall never
be foolish again. Twenty-Five years ago to-
Day wrecked my whole liie."
"Better embark In new ship,
hadn't he ?" put in Jennie, soto UOCe.
$50 unsuitable was this marriage, so ut
terly and entirely Wretched have been its
consequences, that am forced to believe the
marriage Institution mistake. so, for the
last time, let nae assure you that / wouldn't |
marry the best woman that ever lived, il by
cousin, MARX LANSING"
"Rieh, isn't it ?" said Jennie, and
then pointed to the chubby little
figure whose back happened TO be
turned.
shook my head and laughed.
You'll see" continued the incOr-
rlgibIe.
"See what ?" Inquired Miss Kent,
quite unaware of our psntOmime.
"fhat particles which are chemical
iy attracted will unite. or course an
alkaIi and an acid-dOn't you think
this sleeve is little too long, Miss
Kent ?"
"NOt after the seam is off. But
what Were you saying about alkRlies
and acids, Mrs. Carlisle ? The other
day st Professor BoyntOn's saw some
wonderful experiments"
ibid they succeed ?" inquired Jen-
ME, demurely.
Beautifully"
$50 will mine. l never bOtched
job in my Hfe.n
81 don't think 1 quite understand
you" said Miss Kent, perplexed.
mo? l always grow scientific
when talking about marriage, my
dear"
"Bother v' was all the little woman
said, but the tone was much better
than expected. :
The next week Cousin Mark ar
rived, and liked him at once. An
unhappy marriage would have been
the last thing thought of in connec-
ton with the gentleman. He had ac-
cepted the situation like 8 man, Jen-
ME told me, and for fifteen years car
ried lead of misery that few could {
have endured. Death came to his re- '
lief st last, aud now the poor fellow [
honestly believed himself an alien
from domestic happiness.
Singular as 1t may appear, Cousin 6
Mark was the embodiment of good 1
health and good nature fifty, per- G
haps, though he didn't look it, and as {
rOtund and fresh in his way as the [
little dressmRker's was in hers. As !
looked at him, / defied anybody to {
see one and not be reminded of the |
other. True, he had more OF the
polish which comes from travel and G
to different classes and in Y
dividuRls, but he was not a whit more
intelligent by nature than was the I
bright little woman whom Jennie had {
determined he should marry.
"I was surprised you should think I
necessary to caution me about that, {
Cousin Marx" cOOed the plotter, as {
she stood by his side looking out Of |
the window. "The Idea of my being
so ridiculous p' and i'm the same :
breath, with wink at nae. "Come,
let us go to my sitting-rOOm. We ore {
a. work there, but it won't make any i
difference to you, will IL ?'i {
or course Cousin Marx answered
'tNO," promptly, as innocent as q {
dove about the trap being laid for {
him. I
"This is my cousin-Mr. Lansing, I
Miss Kent" and Mr. Lansing bowed {
politely, and Miss Kent arose, drop (
ped her scissors, blushed, and sat down g
again. Cousin Mark picked up the I
refractory implements, and then Mrs. I
Jennie proceeded, with rare caution
and tact, to her labor of love. Cousin {
Marx, at her request, read aloud an 8
article from the Popular Science
Monthly, drawing Miss Kent into the {
discussion as deftly as was ever fly G
drawn into the web OF the spider. 6
"WhO was that lady, Jennie ?'i I
Cousin Mark Inquired In the evening. {
"Do you mean Miss Kent ?" said s
Jenny, looking up from her paper. 6
"Oh, she is lady L have known for {
q long time. She IL making some G
dresses for me now. Why ?" 6
"Sbe seemed uneommonly well G
posted for a woman"
Under other circumstances Mrs. {
Carlisle would have resented this,
but now she only gueried, "DO you c
think so 90 and that ended It. 6
Two or three invitations to the g
were quite sufficient 10
make Cousin Mark perfectly at home {
there and after week he became {
AZ "a m fliar as ff,ia