The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1881-06-30
KATE YAlE's MARRIAGE.

to say, half in jest, half in earnest
Of ever l marry, the happyiman,
or the unhappy one, if you please,
-ha. ha!-shall be q person pcs
sesslng these three qualifications:
First fortune"
"Second good looks"
"And thirdly common, sense.
81 mention the fortune first, be-
cause think it the most needful
and desirable qualification of the
three. Although | could never
think of marrying a fool, or man
whose ugliness l would be ashamed
of: still | think to talk sense for the
one and shine for the other, with
plenty of money, would be prefera-
BILE to living obscurely with a hand
some intelligent man-to whom
economy might be necessary"
I do not know how much of this
sentiment came from Katie's heart.
She undoubtedly INDUCED in lofty
ideas of station and style-for her
education in the duties and aims of
life had been deficient, or rather
erroneous; but that she was capa-
BILE Of deeper, better feelings none
doubted, who had ever obtained
even a partial glimpse of her true
woman's nature.
And the time arrived at length,
when Katie was to take that all i'm
portant step of which she had often
spoken so lightly; when she was to
demonstrate to her friends how
much of her heart was in the words
we have quoted.
At the enchanting age of eighteen
she had many suitors; but as she
never gave serious thought to
more than two, we will follow her
example, discarding all except those
favored ones, and consider their
relative claims.
If this were another than q true
story, 1 should certainly use an
artists privilege, and aim to pro-
duce an effect by making a strong
contrast between these two favored
individuals. If l could have my
way, one should be a poor genius
and somewhat of hero; the other a
wealthy fool and somewhat OF s
knave.
But the truth is:
Our poor genius was not much Of
a genius, nor very poor, either. He
was by profession teacher OF
music, and he could live very com
tortably in exercise thereof-with-
out the most distant hope, however,
of ever attaining to wealth. More
over. Frank Minot possessed ex-
cellent qualities. which entitled
him to be called by discreet elderly
people a 'fine character" by his
COMPANIONS a ''noble, good fellow"
and by the ladies generally "dar-
ling"
Katie could not help loving Mr..
Frank, and he knew it. lie was
certain she preferred his society
even to that of Mr.. Wellington,
whom alone he saw fit to honor with
the appellation of a rival.
This Mr.. Wellington (his com-
panions called him ''duke" was
no idiot or humpback, as ! could
have wished him to be, in order to
make a good story. On the con
trary. he was man of sense, edu-
cation, good looks, and fine man
ners: and there was nothing of the
knave about him, that ! could ever
ascertain.
Besides this, his income was suffi-
cient to enable him to live superbly.
Also he was considered two or
three degrees handsomer than Mr..
Frank Minot.
Therefore, the only thing on
which Frank had to depend was the
power he possessed over Katie's
sympathies and affections. The
"duke'-although just the man ior
her in every sense. being blessed
with a fortune, good looks and com
mon sense-had never been able
to draw these out; and the amiabiy
conceited Mr.. Frank was not VIII
| ling to believe that she would suffer
mere worldly considerations to con-
troll the aspirations of the heart:
However, she said to him one DAY
when he pressed her to decide ms
fatc-she said to him with q sigh:
aOh, Frank! / am sorry we nave
ever met"
"Sorry9"
aYes-for we must part now
aPartY' repeated Frank, turning
pale. . o~n.o+
= aYes-yes," said Katie, casting
down her eyes with another p'teou'
sigh. u,.,
Ibis arm around her waist, without
heedinq her feeble resistance; n
lowered his voice, and talked 70 hel
until she-she, the proud Katie
-~.,< 1,;tfors1v