The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1882-08-04
SELECT STORY.
TOMS CHOICE.

We had just finished breakfast. Tom
laid down the egg-spoon he had been
playing with and looked across at
mother.
"Aunt Anne, ! think I'll take wife, "
he said, exactly as he might have said,
IL think I'll take another cup of coffee. "
"Take a wife," repeated mother, by
no means receiving the information as
tranquil as it had been given. "What
for?
"Well, | don't know" answered
Tom, thoughtfully. "Its notion I've
got in my head somehow.
"All nonsense T. said mother sharply.
"Do you think SO 2" said Tom, appar-
emily doubtful, but not in the least put
out.
''Think so. | know it. What in the
world can you want of wife? After
all these years we have lived so com
forlably together to bring home some
body to turn the house upside down !
And then, what is to come of that poor
childi"
The "poor child"-that was red
dening at being brought into the argu-
ment in this way, was about to speak
for herself, when Tom interposed,
warmly.
"I'm sure May knows would never
have any wife who would make it less
home for her-don't you May ?
"Of course, said !.
"And I'm sure she knows nothing of
the sort" persisted mother, NOR You,
either, Tom Dean. How can you an
swer for what Il wife may take it into
her head to do, once you get her fixed
here? You cant expect her to forget,
AZ you do, that May has no real claim
on you
THAT have no real claim on her, |
suppose you mean, a'am,' Tom put
in for second time, just as was thor
oughly uncomfortable. "But, for all
that, | intend to help her--that is, "
added Tom, with one of his short sight
ed blinks sideways at me, ''as long as
she'll stay with me, eh, Mary? And
whoever has anything to say against
that arrangement will have to go out
of my house to say it-not that I'm
afraid of any such result in this case
and, one the whole, Aunt Anne, |
should like to try the experiment"
Mother smiled grimly, but Tom was
so evidently bent on his experiment,
as he called it, that she gave up the ar,
gumcnt,"
"You can dance if you are ready to
pay the piper" she said shortly. "And
pray, how soon do you mean to be mar
ried 7"
Toms face fell a little at this ques-
ton.
"Well," said he, ~ cant say exact
ly. | suppose Wen have to be engaged
first.
"What !" said mother, opening her
eyes; "why, You never mean to say,
Tom, you haven't spoken to her yet?"
"Not yet, answered Tom, cheerfuly,
Time enough for that, you know, af-
ter | had spoken to you.
Well," she said, "if it was anybody
else, should say he was cracked; but
you were never like other people, and
never will be, Tom Dean. But at least,
you have fixed upon the LADY,"
"Oh, yes" answered Tom; "but if
you will excuse me, Aunt Anne,
would rather not say anything about
her just yet; for-if--if anything should
happen it wouldn't be pleasant for
either party, you know With which
veiled allusion to his possible rejection,
Tom took his hat and left the room.
Our household was rather queerly
put together, There is no particular
reason why should have been of it at
all, for | was not really related to Tom,
or even to "mother" as | called her,
though | am sure we were as dear to
each rs any mother or daughter could
be. She was the second wife of my
father, who, like most ministers, had
been richer in grace than in goods, and
left us at his death with very little tc
live on, Then it was that Tom Dear
had come forward and insisted on civ
ing home to his aunt aud to me
whom he had scarcely seen dozer
times in his life before. That was ex