Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1878-08-31
GRANDMAMMA GORDEN.


and consequently was good for moth
ing else but TO keep .On expecting. L
spent many years as walking. gentle
man of society in London, and many
more i'm wandering to and fro upon the
continent; but at length. when actually
within hail of forty. found myself once
,xore with my legs under the mahogany
of the Athe,,;eum. aud with nothing to
paw for the good things above it but
what came out of the pockets of a tough
peremptory old man.
He had never before insisted upon my
marrying; but the reason was that he
had remained IN constant expectation of
The occurrence taking place through my
own connivance. Indeed, it had been
i,is business tor many years to interpoSe
gently between me anu the catastrophe,
Suggesting now that l did not know
enough of the lady, and again that l
knew too much, and so forth.
The fact is, had never been without
expectations of taking wife, always
voluntarily abandoned, till my first crop
of grey h lirs appeared. After That the
difficulty was Oh the side of the lady, and
/ was at length 80 disgusted with the un-
re nableness of the Sex that l deter
mine to live ami die Il bachelor. just
II Il
letter. which was short and TO the pur-
pose.
DEAR NEPHEw:--I am glad to hear
of what YOU ell "a vacancy i'll your heart,
as YOU will thus have no difficulty in full
fill mo- nv wishes and obeving my solemn
iniunc.ions. You have promised several
times 10 marry, AMI you must now do so.
! have never intcrfered with your choice,
;,,to All
The widow ami heireSs of my Oil com
r,,le Gordon is in the market. Our es-
tates run into each other in such a way
that YOU might comprise them both in
file SHINE. ring fence. She is Il healthy
woman and not too young; and the ar
raoement Is that you ere To be married
at The eud Of her year Of morning, il she
xau fancy YOU. Yours affectionately.
John MURCHIsON."
If She could fancy me! The widow of
old G ordrn. and a healthy woman indeed.
W hat a horrible description. | thought
.ny uncle mast have intended TO try the
extent of my loyalty; anil 1 do not know
now that ever had nit of more bitter
reflection than wi lie conjuring up the
i,Iea conveyed: for owing, | suppose to
the idle life h i,l led, | ND not yet got
rid of the ia -as OF ronance which wer'-
so unfit for mature years like mine. 1t
was one thing TO indulge my despair in
bae;er' orhoud, and quite another TO CAR
" dSappointm mt into the domestic CIR
Gle of an oil wOmln. | confess | did
hone that Mrs. Gordon owed her healthy
condition to III least some lingering, re-
lnaiIs of youth. but 4 second letter from
INV uncl, i'm reply TO my r.'nonStranceS.
lissipatel ut once my fOud illusion by
irf,r.miny INC th,3 The widows family
could aft ri no possible objection, her
ONLY dau snter being well Ia ,rriel.
There WAS no help for it. Ii was neces-
sary TO turn my re iitatiop from the .dy
40 The estate, and, if l thought OF The rim
nj all. to fancy it within a ring fence.
Bus the affair could not Re slept over
any longer, and set out for my unclc's
seat, having previously signifie,l 10 him
any full ~ quiescence in his plans. In
due time arrived ut the little town OF
-. than. distant only few miles from my
destination.
IL was here I -hearl-and with cruel
sud lenncss-of circumstance connected
with my intended which made me at
first determine to rush back to London
and. il necessary, take a street sweeping
authorship, or any other desperate re-
source rather than marry that Mrs, Cor
den. was passing half open door in
the hotel. when heard a female voice
addressing child in the terms of wise
rudearment cOlsecrated to rising gen
cratien.
at shall CO. said the voice, "and Sc
il shall, to its own gran-granuy-gran-
nyma-tO its own. Own-Own granhyma
that it sIall-won't il ?-tO its own Gran.
nyma GOrden."
The next minute, in reply to my hur.
ried questions, my fears were confirmed
by the landlorI-my intended old and
healthy bride was an absolute grand
mothrr-Granlmothe Gorden.
1 had intended To 60 OH at once TO my
uncle's, but that was now impossible. My
agitated mind needed repose. A nights
reflection was necessary to arm me will
sufficient philosophy to meet the destroy
er of my peace, and, engaging bed a
the inn, | went ont 10 walk III the neigh
boring wood. The locality was choser
without a motive. Tor knew that iron
asummit of low hill q mile distant.
should obtain view of Sethan Court
and felt that if anything could reconcile
me TO the idea of the healthy old widow
it would be the spectacle of her castel
lated mansion seated in park which
was very paradise of beauty. Ever!
step advanced reconciled me more ant
more to the old lady, and when / saw
the indication of trout in the STREAM
through the trees, | was more than eve
intent.
BUT Just at that moment sound brok
upon my ears which coniured up recen
d,sagreeable associations; it was the or,
ola child. My Thoughts at dice turne,
TO hale, hearty, !ong-living grandmother
hood, Visions OF canes and snuff-boxe
rose before my eyes, everlasting cough
ratified i'm my ears, ar d worse than all tn
glance of everlasting love from the eye
of a grandmother frOze my blood.
How different was the scene that me
my eyes as 1 turned the corner of
clump of trees! This infant that / ha
heard was lying on its back on grass
Knoll, fighting up with its little elenche
fists. and growing, as the nursemaid
call IT, with all its might, while bendin
over IL with eyes brimful OF love an
laughter, poking its tiny ribs with he
fingers, snatching wild kisses FROM il
brow. and seizing its neck with her Lin
as If she would throttle it. knelt a youn
woman!-a woman i'm lust the prime an
glory OF her years. did not think sb
could nave been quite thirty, Her bor
let was lying OH the grass and her di
heveled hair floating in dark masses i ov ",
her shoulders; but bright radiance ws
on her queenly brow. just as a voice
peremptory command was heard in he
light joyous laugh, There was a fea
less self-possessiOn in her manner. snc
as years superadd to the feminine soft,,e
of youth; and her features, original
moulded in wax. were now as firm, vet
cxquisitely fine, as if they had been cut
the semi-transparent marble of Pari
While feasting on the beautiful pictn
formed hv tho voofbor ou6 bor ol,;i,l