Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-09-17
wouldn't Get Married.


SO kissed that smile, and lett her. "a she slept.
-
wouldn't Get Married.
lie wouldn't get married no, not he---he
despised matrimony. It bound fellow
hand and foot it tied him up forever to
troubles of one sort or another. o. it was
a despicable thing--this matrimony; he'd
keep clear of it. he warranted that.
And who was hes Some cynical or stoical
old bachelor, so ugly in person, so whimsical
in tastes, that he stood no chance Of win
ming lady fair, unless indeed, he outlived
the more calmly, the more lovable portion Of
his sex, and were that last man " Of whom
there has been deal of prating. Alb, no,
not he but young, fine-looking fellow,
with a face that would delight an artist-so
in profile, with such dark, lustrous
eyes, such noble brow, and such wealth
of the deepest shade Of auburn hair cluster
ing about it in the grace of negligence. His,
too was splendid figure; and well did he
know how to set il off at best advantage.
Mature, too had kindly given him brains
not mere moiety, but generous lot-and
well and carefully had he improved them.
He was decidedly man OF talent one too,
of exquisite tastes, and last, but not least,
in this age of golden placers, his purse was
a long and weighty one. In short, he was
one whom his fellows love TO look upon,
even though they feel an envious spite crawl
toward him one upon whom elderly ladies
smiled most graciously, and whose footstep,
laugh, words, and merest whisper even, had
a magic influence over the hearts Of gentle
maidens.
This was the man, the man of five-and-
twenty summers, who wouldn't get married,
whom the wealth of the Indies-we were
going to write, but that is obsolete now
whom the wealth OF California aud Aus
tralia combined would not tempt to give up
his lone bachelorhood.
An Arab life for me-" he would say.
" | can come and go then as ! will pitch and
strike my tent as I think fit. No fretful
wife, no squalling babes, no Uttered par
lors, no one to dictate breakfast, dinner or
supper hour no, no-but freedom, freedom.
A blessed boon--I'll keep it though |"
Yet he was far from being an ungallant
man. None could, none did wait upon
ladies with such delicate grace. And he
was so kind-hearted, too, in his courtesies-
singing out usually the neglected wall.
flower for his partner in the dance, and
always Offering to assist aged women with
bundles out of the omnibus, and young
nurses with babies into the same rafting
vehicle; carrying school-children = albeit
they were common, everyday sort of child.
rem, with tangled, red hair, snub noses and
dirty faces, such children as never peep
into poets dreams-we say he would carry
them across the street when the drenching
line-storms had flooded them; yes, and give
them each a fourpence-he never dealt in
coppers-to buy them candy with. o, he
was indeed modern Raleigh, and in truth
would have been a perfect man-that is as
humanity goes-but that he wouldn't get
married nay, nor so much as hear Of such
a thing.
"You would make a glorious good hus
band" exclaimed his cousin Mary to him
one day. as he entered her parlor bearing q
whole budget of trihes she had commits
stoned her husband to bring, but which, as
Edward knew he would forget, he had
troubled himself to remember. You have
such memory, Ned. o dear, if Will hat
such a memory Gentle reader, did yor
ever know husband that had a good
memory if his wife wanted him to go a shop
ping on a rainy day, when her thin shoe'
wouldn't let her go out ,? "lf you hadn'
been my cousin, Ned, should have set my
cap for you.
Little good, though, would it have done
Cousin Moll-l am not marrying man, yot
know"
Shame on you TO persist in such Shaker
ike resolution, Nod, whom many fai
maidens are waiting for bridals, and when
too, you have what so few men do have, tn
elements of good husband wrought in you
very nature"
"Then you really think I would make
good husband, do you, little coz ? Pray tel
me if you judge phrenoogically, or whether
you have taken your degree in physiognomyf
al Judge by your daily deeds, Ned. Yes
and you would make such father, too J
continued she, as viii junior came toddlinl
into the parlor catching his little gaitere,
feet in the mat and humping his heat
| against footstool. See, you have stillet
him in moment, when viii would hav'
been an hour about it."
Aud in truth, as though nothing had hap
pened to his curly pate, the baby was strid
ing Cousin Ned's shoulders, and taking al
antelope gallop through the spacious rooms
Don't you wish you hadn't been m
cousin, or hadn't studied physiology, co,
| and had set your cap for me? One woul
think, to hear you talk, you were tired o
| Will, or that he was most british HUSBAND
and hateful father"
"Beware, sirp' and the little white han
was raised most threateningly bewar
how you say word about my husband
about that child's father You'll find me
very Amazon !"
"Beg pardon, Cousin Moll but didn
you say"
| "Never mind what | said. A woman
words against her husband had better b
| forgotten quick by those who hear, if the
would stand in her good graces long"
swell, to return, then. Suppose you ha
set your cap and hadn't caught me, wha
then Would you have died of broke
/ heart, coz
| q" But | would have caught you, Me-
Nay, never, never look so confident about i
as though it were impossible for lady
storm your castled affections, and bear thei
off with the blush of victory on her cheel
Your heart is not so impregnable as 20
think, sir. You will never die bachelor
a grandfather, perhaps you may"
"Never," said Edward with much earnes
ness. "Why, woman, are you mad Woul
you despoil your first born of his princel
heritage? Have | not made my will, an
in that precious piece of parchment b
queathed, upon my decease, all that ow
to this bonny wee coz of mine-this vii
one curl of whose head is worth more tina
the tresses of thousand maidens 7"
"Five years from this and little Will ma
whistle for his share of your estates
little, dark-eyed, princely-looking youngste
answering to the nOmen of Ned Somers, wi
claim it all, unless, indeed, some fairy-lil
| sister should cry for a division of the spoils