The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1880-04-15
Martha's Ideal.

Martha's Ideal. se srs a
w men was a boy Martha was twenty
years OF age. She was an almost con.
slang companion of my sisters and yery
familiar object to me. Martha was no.
cullar. s. I didn't know any thine Al bp,.t pu
thls, but used to hear nv sisters sneal
ABOUT 1t. l knew she was ag,opiet. o;rl
and imagined she was Somewhat of a
dreamer. l believed, without knowing
nlucn ABOUT 1t, or reasoning over it, that
$. sne was particular. Perhaps her pecu-
ilarltles arose from her nature to he
particular. But that is neither here
NOT there. sse kngE.A zx~n
Martha was dreamer. She had An
ideal-not sof life, which we all should
nave, but OF q husband-the man who
was some time to come to her out of the
future and lay his all at her feet. Time
mas developed thatthe husband in oues-
uon was pretty deep into the future at
that period. This picture of the ideal
was carried SO long in Martha's heart
that it became constant thought with
her, and eventually it was confided to
Sne aamlrlng gaze Of my sisters, Of
course she found plenty of sympathy
with them. l suppose Martha must
have taken great deal of comfort in
dreaming of the ideal, and wondering
when he would come, and under what
circumstances he would appear.
Martha had selected model for her
ideal. The ideal was to have black hair
and eyes. The ideal was to have g dark
complexion. The ideal was to be fault
less in dress and manner. Isremember
one thing particular about the ideal. He
was MOTTO smoke. / never heard Martha
say so exactly, but !. once heard her saw
that no gentleman would smoke in. the
presence of a slady even on the street,
and this implied as much. The ideal
was a gentleman, of course. The, use
OF tobacco, Martha said, was nasty and
vulgar. The ideal was certainly not
vulgar. - = ~ ss'
|" Martha went on cherishing her ideal,
and eighteen years after my, acquaint-
ance with her began she married. "a
greater part of that time the. two fam
lilies were separated and / rarely saw
Martha. Since her marriage 1 have
seen her less than formerly. 1t was a
year after that event that first saw her
husband. He is mason, sober, in
Idustrious and frugal-a very good man
indeed. They have been married three
years or more. e's1 - .''
This afternoon Twas looking aimlessly
from my window when saw Martha s
husband coming across the street.
was looking at him carelessly when the
far-away past suddenly flashed before
me. lssS5s sssssAS41 o18 S1GfG
This was not Martha s husband alone
coming towards me, it was the ideal as
well. Here was a fulfilled dream, a
hope come to fruition. l looked at him
closely.
The ideal clothed with real flesh and
! blood is man about forty-fve years old
In height he is five feet seven or eight
He weighs about two hundred and ten
pounds. He has got round face and
wears short side whiskers Ground faced
men should always wear dewliskers). !.
His hair is sandy, thick, and curls out
ward where it ctirls at a1a He wears a
soft hat and there are marks of mortar
on it. On his legs are pair of brown
joveralls, the ends of which are stuck in
his boots. SA I noticed las he passes the
window that the eideal runs over hisboots
at the heel. A thick, heavy coat, with
the original color burned OUT of the
shoulder by the sun, is on the ideals
back About the ideals neck, loosely
wound and with the knot located. in an
unpleasantly suggestive manner under
his left ear, is red and green and vel
dow comforter. The ideal carries white
wash brush in one hand and the other
hand is housed IN bisscoat pocket, e
/, In the ideals mouth is a short-stem-
med clay pipe, --'..' >, - =
lean not help butwishthat had not
seen this; or, having seen it, that l
might believe it was got from the forma-
ton of soap bubbles-but q delicate col
Iumn of smoke curls up from it and
carries the desired Illusion skyward.-.
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