Claiborne guardian. [volume] (Homer, La.) 1877-188?, 1880-04-28

ed hard; been exemplary in his
home, his profession, in church,
and in city. He sent his FIVE
daughters to the best schools, and
fitted them by culture and dress to
make a creditabls appearance In
the world-the only world they
cared fora round of visits, par.
ties and show.places for marriages..
BILE young people of both sexes
They were nice girls, said com.
PLEASANT Everybody. Not beauti.
full, or gifted. but sprightly, we'll.
bred and amiable-the verymaterial
ont of which to make good wives
and mothers. Two did marry be.
fore the sad day on which their
father WAS brought home in an
apoplectic fit, from which he never
rallied. They married for love, but
not imprudently. Their husbands
were merchants with fair prospects,
steady, enterprismg, moral young
men, who were yet not quite dis.
posed to be burdened with the care
of a maiden sister.in law and a. half
apiece in addition to the support of
their families proper. That some.
body would have to "look after the
unmarried daughters was soon
bruited about. There were two
bOys-five and ten years old-to he
educated; the widow to be provided
for, and, when the estate was set.
tied up, nothing except a lifeinsur.
ance Of eighteen thousand dollars
was left with which to compass all
this. Tender.hearted Everybody
was sorry for the fatherless boys;
sorrier for the widow, who had
loved her husband very truly; sor.
REST for "the Payne girls.r Before
their mourning was rusty, appre.
ciative Everybody began to nudge
Everybody Else slyly, when In
company with the Payne girls, to
call attention to the fact, daily
more and more palpable, that the
sisters three were anxious to get
married. Not more anxious, IL the
secrets Of feminine hearts had been
revealed, than we're dozens of 9th.
ers in their set, but they had not
the art to dissemble their eager
ness. Nobody stayed his, or her
laugh at them by considering that,
since they bad deliberately, con.
scientiously, and humanely deter.
mined to relieve their mother from
the crushing weight Of their de.
pendence, aud saw no other way of
doing this than by selling them.
selves in the licensed and respecta.
BILE shambles of matrimony, they
should have been commended for
doing with all their might whatso.
ever their hands found to do. They
angled earnestly, but with a zeal %
little according to knowledge that
the most bull headed gudgeon in
the preserved waters of bachelor
and widowerdom scorned to be In.
posed upon by the bait. They
borrowed the finery of their better.
off sisters; made their own and
their mothers over and over again;
went everywhere and tried every
phase Of fascination, "from grave
to gay, from lively to severe" until
their eager, ceasefess smiles wore
wrinkles about lips and eyes that
ill.natured Every body called crows.
feet, and the tales of their fawn.
ings, toadyisms, and maneuvres
were stale in the ears Of greedy
Everbody-yet were still, at thirty.
six, thirty eight, and forty years Of
age, the Payne girls, "whose broth.
ers were now able to do something
for them" What more suitable
than that these fne young fellows
One Of whom had chosen HE "a
theirs profession, while the other
had gone into partnership with bis
brother .in.law, should bind billions
upon their backs wherein their -.
ters could ride In reputable indo.
lence, behind the wives they had
welded and had Q right to chsrishi
at vas . pity cousiderste Ev.
erybody now began to whisper,
"thst they should be thus hamper.
ed; but what else could b donef"
Mra Killers fresh. cQiored, mat.
rouly face might we'll b grave, a
she recountAd these things to her
self. hsd the history Of the Payne
girls been IN isolated case.
"But they ere . type Of 10 msnyF
she said, sadly. "Society 10 en-.
csusted with such, like 6arnsclel
sticking to . ship. There 10 Levin
Garter, one Of the sblest young
| lnVvera NJ the hor. phili0 ava