The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-08-20

would ask me if l wouldn't like to live
on farm, and if didn't think il would
be healthier for me and better for moth
err, and always said would; but Mrs.
Kimberley, l didn't mean anything, and
l didn't think anything. Well, if you'll
believe it, Mrs. Kimberley, after this
talk had gone on till the clock had struck
eleven, and he had asked me ever go
many times if wouldn't like to live on
farm, and had answered | would, he
| jumped right up, and said, "Miss
Pickett, will you be my wife, and come
and live on my farm?" Why, Mrs.
Kimberley, never was so frightened in
all the days of my life
"What did you say?' | asked.
" Say!-why, Mrs. Kimberley, l
couldn't speak word. | had never
thought of being married. 1t seemed to
me there was great lump in my throat,
and so l sat perfectly still for five min
utes at least; and then Mr.. Jones said
again, "Miss Pickett, will you be my
wife, and come and live on my farm?"
And then all said was that must ask
Mr.. Smith, my pastor, and that should
do just as he said, and that l couldn't
say anything more. And so Mr.. Jones
agreed to come on Thursday, and know
what l had decided. And here it is
| Wednesday, and l haven't seen Mr..
Smith yet-and oh! don't know what
L shall do. told you started yester-
day to see him, and my courage failed
me; was afraid he would think it so
foolish for me to be thinking of such
things, and l know he would ask me
questions whether realized the respon-
sibility of being married, and whether l
could promise I" to love, honor and
obey" and l wouldn't know what to
say. And so, Mrs. Kimberley, will you
be good enough to 90 and see Mr.. Smith
for me, and let me know what he says?
l can't see Mr.. Jones again until know
and can tell him what my pastor has de-
cided.'
"There," said Mrs. Kimberley,
"now, MIR. Smith you know the whole
story, and now what shall l say to Miss
Pickett?'
Twas completely bewildered. Here
was the explanation of all the strange
destinations that had clustered around
Miss Pickett, the unwilling of. the mys-
terry, and the cause of all my worry and
anxiety. | was to settle the whole ques-
ton of her future life. Her happiness
or misery was placed in my hands.
"Mrs. Kimberley" 1 said, 81 must
have time to think. 1t is most serious
and important matter. 1t requires eau
ton and sound Judgment" And so L
considered. Suppose 1 said yes, and
Miss Pickett should be married, and
then her married life should prove I'M
happy, why, then she would be laying
all the blame on me. Suppose l said
no, and Mr.. Jones should take another
bride to his home, and should make her
happy, and Miss Pickett should know of
it, and contrast his wife's ease and COM
fort with her own hard life of care and
toll and painful economy, why, then
again she would blame me; and so l
kept considering, until at length said:
"Mrs. Kimberley, you may give my an
swer, but you need not give my reasons.
Mr.. Jones can not be bad man, for if
he was, he would never think of select
ing Miss Pickett for his wife. The only
other alternative is that he may be
somewhat foolish and weak-minded, and
| if so, 1 don't think it would be any him
dEance to congenial tastes and sympa-
thies. So say to Miss Pickett that her
pastor gives his hearty consent, and
sends her his best wishes" And so
Mrs. Kimberley departed on her errand.
And now there came other considera-
tons, very new and very strange to me.
Although Miss Pickett was much older
than myself, yet it seemed, my consent to
her marriage having been sought and
granted, as if she belonged to meas if,
| a 7 ha OA,a al oh
daughter, and that surely l must do
something more for her than simply
give my consent to her being married.
must see, of course, that she has some.
thing of an outfit. For the first time in
my life there came to me questions so
strange that they frightened me-the
questions: What will she wear? Will
she come to be married in that old
fashioned bonnet and that antiquated
shawlp That must not be! Yet [,
gentleman and bachelor, can not at
tend to such things; and yet if 1 don't,
no one else will. Miss Pickett would
never think of such things herself, she is
too humble and unworldly. And so l
came to the terrible conviction that it
would devolve upon me in some way to
arrange for Miss Pickett's bridal trOus-
seau; and thus my cares increased, and
Miss Pickett haunted me and worried me
more than ever.
The rest of the day on which Mrs.
Kimberley called was spent in nervous
restlessness and utter inattention to my
duties, and that night hardly closed
my eyes in sleep. Miss Pickett was ever
moving around in the dream-land be-
tween sleeping and waking. Whenever
for moment l dropped asleep was
trying to perform the marriage service
between Miss Pickett and Mr.. Jones,
but l couldn't get through with it; and,
beside, all the time Miss Pickett in her
wedding dress looked in my dreams so
strange and so unlike the real Miss
Pickett had known that was haunted
by the fear that somebody had stolen in
to her place, and that was marrying
Mr.. Jones to the wrong woman; and so
the troubled night passed on.
For while the morning brought no
relief. Uppermost in my every thought
was the distressing question, What
should l do about Miss Pickett's
outfitp At length came q br;rht