San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1882-04-13
An Arkansas Romance.


The Little Rock Gazette sacrifices
lateral for the striking novel in tn,
saIlowing paragraph, in a way that
nat make Sylvanus Cobb, Jr., fairl,
aroan. Thus it saith:
A strange marriage occurred in South
Arkansas recently. Some time ago a
Miss Hampton, beautiful young lady
and a wealthy young farmer named
Rockton were married. The young
iaSv could not have been termed q
sLcnpy bride" She had never loved
Rockton, and married him only to
nlease a widowed mother. "My happi-
ness depends upon this union" the
widow had said. you have always
been dutiful child, and l know You
will not refuse to marry u man that de.
votedly loves you. You may not love
him now, my child, but that deep devo-
tion which is always the offspring of
kindness will make you happy"
II will obey you," replied the girl,
shut do not even like Mr.. Rockton.
There is nothing in sympathy between
us. He is wealthy; but while poverty
always brings misery, yet wealth does
not always, bring happiness. You may
know that am devoted to Tom Rose.
mond, and that he is devoted to me !:
but if you, rs mother, command me, /
will obey, even though the effort cost
me my life as well as my happiness.
The ceremony was performed. Pale,
and with n settled expression of despair,
the girl promised to "love, honor and
obey" Rockton was happy. The
girls mother had realized long cher.
ished dream. Rosemond, who would
have been the girls choice, left the
neighborhood. Rockton and his wife
began keeping house. Six months af-
terward Rosemond returned and sent
Mrs. Rockton a note, begging an inter.
view. She showed the note and her
answer of refusal to her husband. He
kissed her as reward of her fidelity.
Rather thin reward. Rockton was
taken sick with swamp fever. Swamp
fever never trifes with a motto of
swamp fever. Napoleon said ne could
take swamp fever, with chills in his
staff, and whip any army in the world.
Swamp fever placed bronzed finger
on Rockton's nose, and said "Come."
When the sufferer saw that he was
bound to accompany the enemy, he
called his..wife, and said:
"You have been faithful wife. Nine
women out of ten would have gone
away long ago. I have always known
that you loved Rosemond. have sent
for him. I want you to marry him be-
fore I die, so that I can see the happy
ceremony"
"That would not be legal, answered
the wife, "for 1 cannot marry another
man so long as you are living"
swell, but 1 want him here so can
see that the ceremony is performed i'm
mediately after I am dead"
Rosemond and the preacher were
sent for, and to hurry matters, the wife
requested the messenger to send for a
doctor. They arrived. The doctor
looked at the patient and smiled. The
wife's heart leaped. She knew that the
doctor understood his business. Rock
ton gasped and motioned. The mar
rlage party approached the bed. The
doctor chuckled. Rockton placed the
hands of the lovers together and
breathed easier. The doctor admins
tered medicine. The dying man gasped
again and died. The preacher raised
his hand and the lovers were married.
Swamp fever, in bronzed victory, sat
on the brow of the dead man. What is
the use os borrowing one OF Mrs. South
worth's novels when you can steal the
Gazette from ones door-yard