The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-04-06
Miss Euphemia's Policy.

J
was sorely put to it to support, by her
unaided exertions, an invalid mother
and three younger sisters, who had also
to be educated. But she managed it
by living very closely and denying her.
self everything but the barest necessi-
ties of life.
Miss Euphemia was beloved by two
men. One was Mr. John Henry Pot
terson, young man of about her own
age, and the other Mr.. Thomas McNice,
an elderly gentleman of seventy-four.
Mr.. Peterson was a bank clerk, bur-
dened with the care of his aged parents
and paralytic sister, and his small
salary just sutficed to keep the pot boil
ing in his humble home. Possibly the
similarity of the situation was what
made Miss Euphemia love him so; but
true it is that she was devotedly at
tached to him, and after the usual form
the two had plighted their troth.
But when one morning the ancient
McNice, who was rich old bachelor,
a very rich one, proposed to marry her,
she pondered. After bordering she
went for poor John Henry.
>"John Henry, Mr.. McNice has of
fered to marry me; what shall l do?"
"Marry him, suppose" John Hen
ry replied bitterly. :" He is rich and
Tam poor l don't know of any girl
that would hesitate. Your sending for
me before accepting him is more than
| had any reason to expect
"John Henry" was the maiden's re-
ply, :" think shall. For us to marry
is impossible, as we both are too heavi-
ly burdened. We can. as we are, bare
ly keep those dependent upon us.
Were we to marry and-well, it would
never answer. By marrying Mr.. Nc
Nice | can put my people and yours in
condition of comfort, and then, John
dear, he is seventy-four. How long
can man of seventy-four live? And
after he departs, leaving his money be-
hind him, what then? Think of it..
Love is sweet, but it never put pound
of steak on the gridiron, or paid rent.
We can live without love but not with
out beef. Let us be wise"
John Henry expostulated, but to no
purpose. The wise young lady had
made up her mind, and she married
McNice.
The Peterson family received many
gifts from the new Mrs. McNice, but
they were invariably sent back. Mrs.
McNice offered John Henry assistance
to better his condition, but he indignant
ly spurned it and sulked.
"John Henry" she remarked one
day, "you are fool, and you will ac-
knowledge it some day"
The second anniversary of her we'd
ding found her widow. She made
the aged McNice an excellent wife, but
within twenty-four hours of the death
of her husband she interviewed John
Henry, and congratulated him.
"Now | can marry you. With the
fortune of my late husband we can live
as we ought to live, and be happy.
Surely, John Henry, it was worth while
to wait two years for all this money!"
John Henry quite agreed with her,
and very happy they were till they dis
covered that the old gentleman had
years before his marriage made over
every dollar he had to nephew, the
consideration being Il life annuity,
which they had lived quite up to.
John Henry" said she, "we can
marry; | am going to have the fortune
| am entitled to-
The nephew had been constant Wis
itor at the house of his uncle, and she
very well knew that it was her attrac-
tons that brought him there. She
looked well in weeds, and the nephew
was very kind and attentive to her. He
consoled her all in his power, as he felt
it was his duty to do, particularly as he
had the money, a large part of which
she was entitled to. The charming
widowreceived his coincidence with due
propriety, and played her part so well
that in little while the young man be-
came as much infatuated with her as
the uncle had been. One short year
after the death of her first husband she
was led to the altar by the nephew,
much to the despair of John Henry.
The uncle was an aged man, and he
felt that he could safely speculate upon
his early decease, but the young hus-
band was as young as John Henry was,
and to all appearances had as long a
lease of life. But Euphemia babe him
have hope, and not be fool.
I'VE shall marry yet and be happy"
said she.
This ordinarily amiable young lady
changed very suddenly into the most
terrific termagant that the world had
seen since the day of Xantippe. She
laid down rules for his guidance that no
man living could have submitted to.
She made it warm for her husband in
every possible way. She denied him
his club; she refused him the privilege
of smoking in the house; she curtain
lectured him to degree that was
frightful. Every good cook that came
into the house was dismissed, and every
bad one was retained. She dragged
him to church when he desired to re-
main at home, and compelled him to
stay at home when he desired to 90 to
church. She haunted his office, she
logged him on the streets, and disar-
ranged his clothing, which, being a
precise man, CALLED him. She clacked
him when in the house by the hour,
and, in short, she did everything that
a woman could do to make man mis-
cradle. And, to sum it up, she threat
ened at times to poison him, which
left in his mind conjecture as to
whether his lamented uncle had gone
out of the world Uid some newly-dis-
covared fa-destrovar