, 1878-08-01
His Sixth Wife.
The BntElO Erpress saws:


hitching up his team, drove into town
and to the house of n widow whom he
had never seen, but whom he knew by
reputation, and invited the lady to ride.
! The ride was taken and the two returned
to the widows for dinner; after which
they went for another ride, and returned
inShe evening man and wife. 1t is well
never to put off till tomorrow what
should be done to-day, perhaps, but those
two persons are going to be very much
astonished before they get as thoroughly
acquainted as man and wife ought to be.
There are thousand pecuiarities which
can hardly be understood until after
marriage, but there are a thousand others
a knowledge of which previous to mar
riage is Indispensable to domestic peace
when it is time for that consummation.
For instance, this widow had for her first
husband the onl y perfect man the world
ever produced, while the widower was
equally happy in his first selection.
These remarkable facts will be presented
after day or two, to the intense surprise
OF the persons hearing them for the first
time, aud there will follow the first diff
ference of opinion aud the first tears and
adjectives. What will be the end of it
heaven only knows; but if two tomb.
stones are not ruthlessly torn from their
positions and broken against the nearest
trees or stone walls it will be very singu.
lar, that's oil. We are not prepared to
say that marriage after acourtship Of one
hour, the parties having been entire
strangers previous to the hour, is not
safe, 50 far as younger aspirants to matri-
mony are concerned; but it is very diff
ticult with persons who have been through
the--we believe it is called the mill.
There should be thorough courtship in
their case. There should be many visits
and solemn and thoughtful discussions of
what has been rs we'll as what is to be.
There should be precisely such action
AS was taken by Mr.. Thomas Thompson
when that gentleman courted the widow
who became his sixth wife.
81 will tell you,' said Mr.. Thompson,
taking pinch Of snuff and looking wise,
"what expect Of you, my dear, You
are aware that have good deal Of mat
rimonial experience. Ho.hum it makes
me sad to think of it. My lot in the
| cemetery is almost full, and | may truly
say that my cup of misery would be run
ming over at this moment if it were not
for you. But to business. was about
to remark to you that Jane, my first,
could make better coffee than any other
woman in this world. trust you will
adopt her recipe for the preparation of
that beverage"
"My first husband frequently remark.
ed"--began the widow.
Sand there was Susan" interrupted
Mr.. Thompson. "Susan was the best
mender that ever lived 1t was her de.
| light to find button off, and as for rents
in coats aud things, l have seen her shed
tears of JOY when she saw them, she was
80 desirous of using her needle for their
repair. Oh, what woman Susan was !"
MANY is the time," began the widow,
"that my first hus'----
with regard to Anna, who was my
third" said Mr.. Thompson, hastily, II
think her forte above all others was in
the accomplishment Of the cake known
rs slapjack. have very pleasant visions
at this moment of my angelic Anna as
she appeared in the kitchen of frosty
morning, enveloped in smoke and the
morning sunshine that stole into the win
dow, or bearing to my plate particular.
ly nice article Of sIapjack with the re-
mark, "That is the incest one yet,
Thomas, Eat it while it's hot. Some
times, assure you, my dear, these reCol-
lectiOns are quite overpowering."
He applied handkerchief to his eyes,
and the widow said, "Ah, yes. know
how it is myself, SIR. Many is the time
that see in my lonely hours my dear
first hus"---
"The pride and the joy of Julia, my
fourth, and may say, too, OF Clara, my
tifth," interrupted Mr.. Thompson with
some apparently accidental violence of
tone, "lay in the art of making over
their spring bonnets. If you will believe
it, my dear, one bonnet lasted those two
blessed women through all the happy
years they lived with me. They would turn
them and make them over so many,
many times! Dear dear! what chang
ing world-what an unhappy, changing
world"
~ say so to myself hundred times a
day, SIR" said the widow with sigh. II
frequently remarked to my first hus"--
"Madame!' said Mr.. Thompson, sud
denly and with great sternness, "oblige
me by never mentioning that cheap man
again. Are you not aware that he must
necessarily be out of the question forev-
ermore2 Can you not see that your con-
tinual reference to him sckens my souli
Let us have peace, Madame-let US have
peace"
VERY we'll, sir" said the widow, meek
Iy. II beg your pardon and promise not
to do it again"
And they were married, and their lives
were as bright and peaceful as Mr.. Mil
ler's sundown seas.
THE largest steamboat running up
Long Island sound is probably the Mas.
sachusetts, $40 feet long by 80 feet wide,
and provided with steam steering appa.
| ratuI stppl boilara uaa wnrka and .laotr;o