Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1883-05-18
GRANDMAMA GoRDEN

3
fallen so-coh1pletely into my uncle's
power as to give him the most abso-
lutte disposal of my hand. | was
brought up most unwisely-in other
words, With expectations and conse-
quently was good for nothing else
but TO keep on expecting. I spent
many years as walking q ntleman of
society in London, and many more
in wandering to and fro upon the Con
tinent; t;~but at length, when actually
within shail Of forty, l. found myself
with my legs once more under the
mahogany of the Atheneum, and with
nothing to pay for the good things
above 1T but what came out Of the
pockets of tough and somewhat per-
empt6ry old man.
He had never before insisted upon
my marrying; but-the reason was that
ne had remained in constant expecta.
ton of the oc urrence taking place
through my own connivance. Indeed.
IL had been his business for many years
TO interpose gently sbetwe n me and
the catastrophe, suggesting now that
did not know en- ongfr or .the- rssdJ
and again that / knew too much, and
so forth.
The fact is, had never been with
out expectations of taking wife,
always voluntarily abandoned, till my
first crop of gray hairs appeared
After that the difficulty was on the
side of the lady and was at length
so much disgusted by the unrea'on
ableness of the sex that | determined
to live and die bachelor. Just at
this time | received from my uncle a
lettt which was short and TO the pur-
pose.
DEAR NEPHEw-I am glad to hear
OF what you call the vacancy in your
heart as you will thus have no diff
Guilty in fulfilling my wishes and obey
ing my solemn injunctions. You have
promised several times to marry, and
you must now do so. | have never
interfered with your choice, and you
are not to interfere with mine. The
widow and heiress of my old comrade
GOrden is in the market. Our estltcs
run into each other in such a way that
you might comprise them both in the
same ring fence. She is healthy
woman, and not too young; and the
arrangement is that you are to be mar
ried at the end of her year of mourn
ing, if she can fancy you.
Yours affectionately,
"JoHN MURCHIsON."
If she could fancy met The widow
of old Gorden, and healthy woman
indeed What horrible description
thought my uncle must have in
tended to try the extent of my loyalty
and do not know that l had ever a
fit of more bitter reflection than while
conJuring up the idea conveyed; for,
owing, l suppose, to the idle life had
led, / had not yet got rid of the ideas
OF romance which were so unfit foI
mature years like mine 1t was one
thing to indulge my despair in old
bachelorhood, and quite another to
carry disappointment into the domestic
circle Of an old woman. / confess !
did hope that Mrs. Gorden owed her
healthy condition to at least some
lingering remains Of youth, but
second letter from my uncle, in reply
to my remonstrances, dissipated at
once my fond illusion by informing
me that the widows family could
afford no possible objection, her only
daughter being well married.
There was no help for it. 1t was
necessary to turn my meditation from
the lady to the estate, and, i'll thought
of the ring at all, to fancy it within a
ring fence. But the affair could not
be slept over any longer, and l set out
for my uncle's seat. having previously
signifed to him my full acquiescence
in his plans. In due time / arrived at
the little town of Sethan, distant only
few miles from my destination.
1t was here l heard-and with
cruel suddenness-of circumstance
connected with my intended which
made me at first determine to rush
back to London and, if necessary, take
to street-sweeping. authorship, or any
other desperate resource rather than
marry that Mrs. Gorden. was passing
a half-opened door in the hotel, when
| heard female voice addressing a
child in the terms of wise endear-
ment consecrated to the rising genera
tion.
"It shall CO." said the voice, "and
so it shall, to its own gran granny
grannyma-to its-own-own granny
ma, that it shall, so it shall--won't |
it ITO its own Grannyma Gorden."
The next minute, in reply to my |
hurried questions, my fears were con.
firmed by the landlord. My intended
old and heartily bride was an absolute
gl Observation-Disclosures Gorden
had intended TO 60 at once to my .
uncle's, but that was now impossible. J.