The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1879-12-18
A STRANGE ROMANCE.

SHOW happens it, Tom, that you
never married?" asked Harry Stanhope
of his friend, Tom Meredith, as the two
sauntered along Broadway one fine
spring morning.
"Because | could never find any
woman who would have me, suppose, -
answered Tom, laughingly.
"No use to tell me that, old fellow"
rejoiued Harry. ''Girls are not so fool
ish as to decline good-looking man
like, -you, with plenty of money; yet
here you are, nearly 80 years old, and
no more prospect of settling than you
had 10 years ago. Now if it We're me,
why, the case is very different. A doc
tor Just struggling into practice is
scarcely considered eligible by. the
matchmaking mammas, to say nothing
of their worldlywise daughters but
they are all ready and eager to smile
upon you, and you might as well make
choice.''
"Tl1ank you," answered Tom, still
laughing, "when can find "a young
lady who can come up to my grand
mothers standard of domestic virtues, l
will invite her to become Mrs. Thomas
Meredith"
"And what was your grandmother 8
peculiar doctrine on the subjectp" asked
Harry.
~ presume she had more than one, i"
said Tom, "but this she particularly
impressed upon my mind: ALWAYS
look'Fat a woman's dish-towels,' she
would remark with much solelnnity.
No matter how well she plays the piano
or sings, or how many languages she
can speak, never. marry unless YOU see
that she uses soft, dry towels, and plenty
of them, when she wipes her dishes. Be
sure that a girl who uses soiled or wet
dishrtowels does not know enough to be
the wife of an honest man.'n
Harry laughed at this definition of
housewifely knowledge, but presently
he said, in serious tone:
''There is considerable truth in the
old lady's ideas after all, but don't
quite understand how, in these DAYS.
you can apply the test. Most young la
dies that we know have perhaps never
seen dish-towel. Now think of it. I
promised to introduce you to my cousins.
There are three of them, all bright.
pretty girls, though | think it doubtful
whether they would fulfill your grand
mothers requirements as wife. Still,
you may find them pleasant aequaint-
ances, and if you like we will 90 there
now.n
agreed" responded Tom, and the
two friends soon found themselves in
the parlor of Mrs. Renshaw, Harrv's
aunt.
The young ladies were all at home.
anti. as Harry had said, were bright,
pretty girls. Ida, the eldest, was tall,
queenly brunette, whose magnificent
dark eyes and abundant raven tresses
seemed to compel universal admiration,
though she had powerful rival in
Adele, the second daughter, whose deli
cate blonde beauty showed to fresh ad-
vantage beside her more brilliant sister.
The two were acknowledged bellies in
their own circle, and few who knew
them ever paused to give second
glance at their younger sister, little Vio-
let. As shy and shrinking rs her floral
namesake, she avoided the cav assem-
blages in which her sisters loved to shine
and passed her time pleasantly and
peacefully with her books, her music
and her flowers. She was not present
when Harry and his friend entered; but
when her cousin, with whom she seemed
a great favorite, asked expressly for her.
Miss Adele desired the servant to cali
her. Tom, who was conversinr with
Ida, did not notice her entrance till
aroused by Harry's voice saying;