San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1878-01-12

she had no great opinion OF, as sRe grew
older, and her habits became more
fixed. And as large share OF the good
things of life come to us in the way OF
what her husband called "happenstan-
cess" her philosophy had many severe
tests. To plan for pleasure only to reap
disappointment, and then to meet hap
piness quite Unexpectedly on the road,
had tendency, she declared, to belittle
ones estimate of intellect.
Sometimes it was the unsystematic
James who was tried-as when her plans
failed to dove-tail on to his calculations,
or she "carried the thing too far" as
he expressed it. On one occasion they
were to move; and as she had
planned to direct the whole work OF
packing up, of course-such is life!
she was taken sick. But her will
knew no illness, and from her bed she
dictated the contents of every box and
barrel, until a terrible headache COM
PEELED her to leave to the rest the care
of the odds and ends. As she lay moan
ing involuntarily, with hot congresses
on her head, and the house was hushed
to stiffness, her husband saw slight
motion of her hands, and heard her
parched lips whisper his name. Bending
down tenderly to catch her words, and
ceasing his tanning for moment, he
heard her say:
"I-was thinking-how we could
carry the-fat-ironS. Couldn't you"
This was too much. James rushed
from the room and sought the open air,
where he INDUCED himself in familiar
references to various heather gods and
dead military heroes, including "great
Caesars ghost" with variety of en-
phases and gestures. Do not judge him
harshly. He was only man.
Mrs. Marlowe's girl was boy-the
fourth Of the series, new but not i'm
proved edition. When he was nine
years old, and her eldest son was %, she
sent carefully made, but very yellow
and old-fashioned assortment of little
girls clothing down to the Children's
Home-with sigh, but no tears.
The first son, under the stress of. I'M
impaired energy of management, went
to college, pulled through after a fashion,
and Immediately took his knowledge of
Greek roots and classic literature into
coal yard, where he made money in a
manner that proved his possession of
the instinct for accommodating, and then
used his gains in a fashion that reflected
no credit on his culture.
The second boy, impatient of study,
went from the high school into news
paper office, and turned his mothers
anxious forebodings into resignation
that was as near to joy as she ever came
when plan miscarried, by making a
brilliant success in the profession.
The third son, whom she had con-
secrated to the ministry during the re-
vival that occurred about the time he
was born, bought a sheep ranch in
Texas and the ease with which he
mastered the dialect of that region af-
fords little room to expect that he will
come any nearer fulfilling his mothers
hopes than is involved in being last
ing subject for home missionary work.
Jimmy, the youngest son, was in
tended for the law, but he is just now
driving street-car. His bent toward
horses was stronger than his mothers
in the direction of the bar.
Mrs. Marlowe came near to the.end
of life without making any plan for dy-
ing. Considering that death is the most
fearfully certain thing in the world, how
few people do give any thought to it!
But when the inevitable change drew
near her ruling passion came to the
front.
"James, DEAR" she said, "you have
been Il good husband to me, and Igrieve
to leave you, and take the last journey
alone. But it isn't far, and you'll be
coming soon. This is Wednesday; l
shall probably die tomorrow. Bury
me on Sunday, from the house; no
parade, no tlower-show, no mourning
store or undertaker's grief. 1 would
iken (naming six friends) "for bear
ers; and have the services in the north
room. Get Mrs. Clarke to stand at the
door, and tell her not to let in Mrs.
Perkins, nor Miss Stebbins, nor old Mrs.
Larkins, who go to every body's funeral,
nor Susanna Cobb, the gossip. They
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