Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1881-09-17
CAPTURING A WIDOW.

CAPTURING A MIDUN.
away for ride through the forest green,
Away from the city's fierce heat;
Away for n breath of the oceans breeze
Where the woods and the waters meet
FOr n splash in the briny wave,
For the dash of a sail to sea
Away for brief but happy soiourn
In Atlantic sea city Tor meV
In some such fashion my partner Jack
was trol-de-rol-trolling in a very unbusi-
nesslike manner in the office, while pol
ishing up the brasses on q dilapidated
tishing-rod, which seemed nevertheless
to have some character about it from the
service it had seen.
"Now, jack" / said, solemnly paus-
ing from drawing my quill through n
long list of bad accounts, "Iknow you're
going to keep as sober rs an Alderman,
and. i know you're not going to be draw
ing money recklessly to spend like n
goose in mess of bad, headachy cham
payne; indeed, know you're going to
keep shy of all that set styled 'iolly fell
lows, that it takes such Il Jolly lot of
money to run with"
"Jest so, old man," assented Jack,
seriously.
"For you know as well as l do"
continued, "that if we want to pull
through this year we've got to work it
out on line that will take all summer,
or, to use less elegant language, my
dear fellow, you know that your time
and your attention, your industry and
energy, will be required almost every
day, and almost all day during this whole
sweltering summer. -
And when | had thus finished | again
went to scratching at the bad accounts,
adding few additional, perhaps forci-
BILE, remarks about some of Jacks Gus
tomers-who had failed to come to time
by way Of emphasis to what had al
ready said.
"Old man, look here" said he, COM
mencing in that sanguine voice and
manner so peculiarly his own, '1et up
on that kind of talk for minute and
listen. In the first place, I've made ar
engagements to travel up and down for
less money than it would cost me to run
out to the Park, and in less time, too, all
things considered; | can go to and from
the hotel where I've arranged to stop in
but little more time than is required
to go to the Wissahicllon or the Falls
and back; and as for the intervening
time, which is mostly nighttime, the
difference is between sleeping under q
blanket, enjoying a refreshing and rest.
full slumber, and kicking all night on TOP
of sheet and fighting the buzHing flies
in the morning. Then, in going down
and back, ! can put in the time running
over my memorandum books and the
prices current. There are also severa
good fellows who will be going down
and up on the same trains. Oh! you
needn't raise your eyebrows in thai
fashion. Then there's the widow, too
she's down"
"The widow"
eyes; she'll be stopping down there
all the summer
I'm very glad indeed, Jack, that you
are so prudent in the matter, and intenC
to be regularly on hand and on time
Likely i'll take the run down with yol
occasionally. BY the way, where die
you say the widow was stopping?"
"Oh She's stopping with a friend
but let me tell you how I've fixed things
] said to myself: Nov, Jack, all othe
things being equal, in the first place
choose the cheapest road to travel on.
] found that, of course, in the Narrow
gauge; so when had made arrange
ments at about one-half the rates o
other roads, | said to myself again
'Now, Jack, you've narrow-gauged i
down in one thing, remember to keel
on the same track and gauge it dow
narrow in all other things, for nothin,
will please the old man better.'n
I hardly liked the habit my youthful
partner had gotten into of calling m
the sold man. A man of 80 is bu
little beyond his youth, and it is n grea
deal more sensible for young girl or
young widow to pick out a steady, set
tied man of that age for husband tina
one of your young, flyaway, dreaming
boys who has not yet been brought dow
20 his level. And the idea of Jack tlirt
ing with the Widow A, who is oil
enough to be his motherl Umph!
Jack kept running up and down regu
larly, and it had wonderfully invigol
ating effect upon his health during tn
trying hot weather.
On one Saturday morning conclude
would take trip myself on the sam
train, though not with him, thatI migt
observe the betterwhat kind of compan
dbe associated with. 1t was eight o'cloc
on bright and beautiful morning thG
took the boat at Pier s, Delaware Az
cnue, for Cooper's Point. The boat wa
crowded with gay excursionists, prime
pally merry Sunday-school Scholarship
were in glowing terms questioning an
answering each other concerning tn
bathing, the fishing, the boating, IN
the glorious prospects of the day befor
them,
We were soon aboard tine train ON III
other side, whirling along through gree
meadows, luxuriant with growing graiI
past numerous small lakelets, over tide
water creeks, and through the region {
Oakland, with its pretty country-sea
dotted abouAhFe and there, while IL