The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1881-02-26
A CONFIRMED BACHELOR.

"For Heavens sake, Blanche, say no
more about it." exclaimed my brother,
as running his fingers through his Wild
~ disheveled hair. he thrust his hat on
his head and started for the door.
s.Poor Archr' sighed my husband,
throwing down the book which knew
he had only been pretending to read.
{" Blanche" added he, g am inclined
to think you talk matrimony too much
to him. He is confirmed bachelor,
and l verify believe every word you
seven utter merely hardens instead of
melting him."
d ssYou seven'' was his peculiar way of
abiding to myself and six married sis
tiers, who from years end to years end
talked little if anything else to our one
brother but matrimony.
Il have a plan," said my husband,
at length. "You remember my cousin,
Violet Huntp''
/, ..Yes -indistinctly.
swell, she has been in Germany
studying music for the last five years.
She would make capital wife for
Arch, and he shall marry her, if she
will have him, which / fancy she will if
the whole fourteen of us can get it into
our heads to-" s'1
g "To whatP" gasped /, breathless
with expectancy.
"To vigorously oppose the match.
You see he wants to choose his own
wife. He has thought all along that we
were trying to choose for him, and
truly, too"
II like the PLAN" said 1, g but how
are we to bring about meeting be-
tween these twUp" 4
" Easily enough; she is coming here,
otherwise 1 doubt if ] should have
thought of the alliance at ALL"
The next morning at breakfast my
husband said. in tone of evident vexa-
ton:
Il have received letter from cousin
Violet"
He sat looking down at his plate with
dissatisfied frown.
lone would think she had asked you
for money! said !, cheerfully.
Worse than that, / assure you. She
is coming here to spend the summer"
90, how nicer' I exclaimed.
"No doubt-nice for those who never
care to have quiet moment from SUM-
rise to sunset, nor from that till morn
ing.
HWhat do you meanr' asked, in
surprise.
Emusic, music, music" groaned he.
81 see her arrival now in my minds
eye. She walks up the yard heavily
laden with rolls of sheet music, four
large trunks packed with the same
precious commodity, German piano
tuner just in the rear, instead of How
have you been since last we metr her
first question: will be, Is the piano in
tune?'"
Why, thought you were fond of
music" said Archie, speaking more
quickly than usual.
II love simple air, but l have q
greater horror of the old masters than
Mark Twain himself"
"Don't compare yourself to him, 1
beg" said Archie. % He disgusts me.
Being incapable of appreciating the old
masters, he seeks refuge in ridiculing
all who can"
"rll leave you to entertain her, !" was
my husband quiet rejoinder. "Come,
Blanche, hurry up your preparations.
Wen go to Newport, Saratoga, the
Mountains of the Moon-anywhere to
escape this terrible, terrible infiiction!i'
"You could not find more cool or
quiet resort than this cottage" said my
brother, still unconsciously pleading for
the defenseless one. ~
q can think of but one way to avoid
this visitation" said my husband. re-
fiectively, "and that is to write to her
not to come"
mo. nor said L; "that will not do.
I remember seeing Violet some years
ago, and although l did not think her
at all agreeable. still do not think you
would be justifiable in forbidding her
the house. The most that troubles me
is Arches welfare. He could not en-
dure her for ten consecutive minutes to
save his life. Egotistical and self-as-
serting, she is the very woman of all
others he would dislike the most. How
ever, he is more fortunate than most,
for he can always count upon six places
of refuge besides our home For that
matter, he need not even stay to see
her,
s'As far as / am concerned" said
Archie, you need not worry. Most
young ladies have some regard for an
old bachelors eccentricities.
"She would not have any regard for
the eccentricities of the godsr' ex-
claimed my spouse. 81 have only one
thing to be thankful for" he added,
land that ID that Arch is not amarry-
ing man. She has reached that age
without getting husband that 1 am
sure she win exert herself to the utmost
to entrap him. Then she is poor, too,
and she always said she would marry
money; and mercenary woman is, in
my estimation, monster"
had been watching Archie's face,
and was at loss to account for the
pleased and happy expression which
had settled over il. Presently he said:
81 am quite sure l shall get on very
comfortably with the dear girl. since
you do not wish me to marry her,