St. Landry democrat., 1878-03-30
Hunting for an Ideal.

be nothing but the most disinterested
affection thrown into the scales-no ideas
of grand home and carriages and opera
boxes and fashionable parties and rich
dresses and diamonds, and all that sort of
thing" And Charley Marshall tossed
his half-fnished cigar out of the window,
and added, with emphasis: "No! the
girl make my wife will have to love me
| for myself alore-take me without the
slightest idea of future ease be content
With the anticipation Of 'love in a cot
sage,' and the prospect Of having TO prove
'help-meet' in fact as we'll as in NAME"
"That is, cook, sweep, wash dishes,
scrub the floors, and all other drudgery,"
added Fred Tryan, with peculiarly ex-
pressive whistle.
"Certainly. That'sjust what l mean"
And you expect to find such 8 girl
in this befounced, bediamond age,
Charley?"
| "Why not?"
81 thought they had all died out with
our grand mothers. Matrimony nova
days is a very different thing from a
century ago. The homespun age has
| given place to one of satin-work and
frivolty. It's mighty hazardous un>
dertaking to marry. Women are daily
driving poor fellows to bankruptcy and
the dogs; and the salary that few years
since would have been ample for house
hold expenses wouldn't now pay the
rent"
"You are cynical, Fred"
"a trihe, perhaps; but that doesn't
alter the facts of the case. lis different
with you who have plenty-are one of
the 'bloated bondholders.' How wish
I was! But what in the name of COM
mon sense would I dc getting married
with only couple of thousand a year 2"
"Do well enough if you marry the
right kind of a woman, and train her
properly in the beginning"
"As how 2" with a dubious smile.
GAS intend to do. I have told you
that no one shall marry me for money.
The girl shall consider me poor-look
upon her future in that highland after
the ceremony I shall take her to plain
country home and test her well before
revealing that her lot is to be otherwise. -
"What if she rebels ?"
"No danger of that. With my fore
thought I shall not be likely to be de-
ceived."
"But if, after your chrysalis puts on
the gorgeous garments of the butterfly,
what if she should spread her wings snd
revel in the surrounding splendor? In
other words, what if the uplifting from
poverty to riches should make her giddy
and wild The change from country
girl to city belle is very great, and has
turned the head of many an one."
Granted; but / shall guard against
such thing"
Educate her up!" laughed Fred.
swell, wish you success. But where
do you expect to find such paragon OF
loveliness (for with your aesthetic tastes
you would never marry any buta beau.
tiful woman) and good sense and pro-
nounced character Certainly not in
the city?"
"I can scarcely indorse such a sweep
ing denunciation. Yet intend to look
about in the country"
"Among the green valleys and forests
primevap! wonder how Priscilla the
meek and loving, would have stood such
| an exaItation7 and whether miles
| would have believed in iyour theory?"
And Fred laughed heartily as he thought
of the stern Puritan captain and his
quaint idea of courtship- his
Steady, straightforward and strong, with ir-
resistible logic:
Orthodox, flashing conviction right into the
neart5 OF the nGatnen.
You can make merry as much as
you please" answered his friend "but
this is no idle whim Of mine. Ihave re-
fectsd upon it long, perfected my plan,
and intend to carry it out to the very
letter."
Bon uoyage, then, and l hope you
will not meet with shipwreck. But
promise me one thing"
If it is within reason" . .-s
"That you will train your rustic al.
vinity to love cigars, 80 that / may come
and see yon sometimes, sit with my legs
under your mahogany, have good old.
fashioned smoke, and gaze upon the de.
icious wonder of the nineteenth can.
tury I"
You will be welcome at any time %
One thing more: Have it one Of the
marriage vows, Charley, that the di.
vinity shall never eat .onions!n And
Fred Tryan departed laughing, though
not until be had promised faithfullv l.
keep the plans of his friend profound
secret.
The proposed dslusion in his marriage
whenever it should oecur) had becomna
q pet scheme with Marshall. He had
given it much thought, and Hattered
himself there could be no miscarriage.
Certainly if girl loved him as she