The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1881-12-29
WHY MIFFLIN DIDN'T MARRY.

whats the matter, Mithin?' / asked.
"Why that shade of sorrow upon your
marble brow"
Its enough to make anybody weep"
said Mitflin, mot to speak of shades of
sorrow
"What is?" asked l.
''You know was engaged.
Eyes"
"To Lizzie Price
"Aye."
81 expected soon to step up to the altar
to become happy husband, to have a
home of my own, and darling little
wife to inhabit it."
"Yes."
well, it isn't to be. The rosy dream
of futurity has faded
"How?"
"Lizzie and I have broken the engage
ment"
"You have?"
eyes"
"What for? Has Lizzie found better
fellow, or does your heart go out to some
other girl ?"
"Neither. We love each other yet As
fondly and devotedly as ever. ! will re-
main bachelor all of the days of my
life, while Lizzie, l think, will become IA
num-"
What for ?"
Miffin softly wiped away a trickling
tear with navy blue handkerchief
1T was on occount OF an infernal-ex-
cuse me, but internal is just the adIec-
tive-kid-I mean II child"
What child"
"Iizzie's sisters. You know Lizzie's
sister lives with her parents. Lizzie
sisters husband lives there also, and
likewise does her child-a blonde headed,
angel-faced imp of four.
"That child is the only grandchild,
and as u result he rules the house.
Everybody in it is a blind, passive, de-
voted slave to that Internal nuisance
for he is nuisance.
Il go to see Lizzie, we are just settled
cozily upon the sofa with the gas ut half
mast, when suddenly in comes Lizzles
father, and Lizzie's mother, and Lizzie's
sister and husband-in fact, all Oh Liz
zie's relatives. At the head of the
pageant parades the kid-that blessed
George.
"'Oh! Mr.. Miffiin.' say they all in
chorus, have you seen what George
can dol?
"'What?' gasp.
"'He can really dance!
"Of course have to go into a
paroxysm of astonishment. l have to
express the intensest surprise and won
der at such wonderful statement.
"'Oh, yes says Lizzie. fervently,
George can dance. Really and truly.
will play upon the piano and George
will dance; won't George dance for
Aunt Lizzie
II breathe fervent prayer that
George will not dance-that George
will be taken with subdued sort of
stomach-ache or temporary leg paralysis
which will prevent him from dancing.
But no good spirit interferes to save me
the infection.
"Georgie dances.
"Georgies dance consists of bobbing
up and down like cork float. and oc-
casionally twirling round. 1t is very
simple and pleasing dance for about just
a minnie, but when it is kept up for an
hour it grows decidedly monotonous.
"But then l have to sit and become II
hypocritical liar. have to say, 'Splen-
didr Superb How smart for child OF
his age! Really remarkable! and so
forth.
"rhen, when George is ready to drop
from sheer exhaustion, am forced to
take George upon my knee and show
George my watch.
Il like to show George my watch. 1t
pleases me to see him use it rs hammer
to drive nails into the sofa, to see him bite
blithely upon it and place tooth marks
in its gold case, and finally to have him
place it on the floor aud Jump, in all the
sweet innocence of childhood.
"And it also delights my soul to have
all his relations say, with hands clasped
in rapture
''.Ain't he cunning. How sweet! My
little love. What a darling
after that George wants to go riding
upon M back. / am forced to go down
on all tours, to crawl, IA spectacle of hui
mility and degradation, across the floor
to create chrome crick in my back, and
wear out the knees of my best pants
a.digging across "A coarse and pin -bestud-
ded carpet.
"But George likes it.
"You bet he does.
"Hc pulls my hair, kicks my shins.
jabs his iinger-nails into the back OF my
neck, and bawls like youthful tiend.
edit up, old fool! Go it monkey;
glong, 90 goosel'
"What precocity what spirits And