The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1883-03-01
THE DOCTORS SECOND WIFE.

DR.. Brinsley belongs to the noble
army of martyrs and heroes known as
country DOCTORS He was the sort of
man on could love if you loved him;
otherw Sc you would probably dislike
him, for he was very peculiar; every
body said so. Now there are several
ways Of being peculiar, and the doctors
ways were not always pleasant ways
unless YOU loved him HIS wife had
loved him, and to her he had seemed
the most perfect of men. He suited her
and she suited him, and they had been
very happy. 1t must not be supposed
that her love had been of the cooiHg
kind. Perhaps the doctor would not
have enjoyed that. Darling Becky re-
joiced in making bright, spicy impu-
dentremarks to herhusband. Remarks
which made his big, brown eyes sparkle
with delight; then he would meet her
half way, and they would fight the most
interesting little duels, followed by the
most affectionate reuonciliations- But
1t was now three longweary years since
poor Becky had been resting in her
quiet grave. and the doctors friends
had decided that he needed some one
to keep house for him
After much persuading he had been
particularly introduced 10 Miss Della
Swan. sWhat q nameP" thought the
doctor. But as he looked at her he saw
that she was far, gentle, healthy and
twenty-six +" A good, sensible age;
must be neat and orderly" was his YER
dict In a moment of enthusiastic sell
fishress he had proposed to her, and in
moment of enthusiastic devotion she
had accepted him.
They were married. She lived in his
house, she poured out his tea and cot
fee she entertained his friends, and
every body said: "Oh, how much nicer
she was than that other wOmaun' She
was very popular with everybody, but
she was not Mt Unpopular with the doc
tor.
To him "that other womaun was still
all the world and the brightness there
of. So homeless did he feel in the
presence of this much nicer woman that
his visits to Becky's grave were the
only happy hours of his new life Afte b
awhile he became more accustomed to
Della, and then he began to give her
free and frequent lectures on Becky.
''She' used to say so and SO, she used
to do this and that; and as she had been
right then, she must be right now and
forever and in everything.
Della had married IRON a sense of
duty" and deserved to be punished
but it seemed to her that her punish
mcnt was greater than she deserved.
She would not have wished that her
husband should forget the wife of his
youth, but she had expected that he
would have some regard for the woman
whom he had invited to preside over
his household, and she had hoped to
make him comfortable; 10 do her duty
by him. as she express ed it. Part of
that duty she had performed in the
most admirable manner; never had the
doctor house been 50 clean never
had his shirt bosoms shone with such
luster; but.the heart which beat ehind
them she had cen una le to conquer.
Was it her fault? Had she not tr ed
to be kind, to be patient, to be meelP
Yes, but it was the trying that spoiled
it all, and she lacked the sweet holiness
which love alone can give. She was al
most afraid of that ungracious man, and
she was Jealous of Becky, much loved
happy Becky. At the end Of six months
of such a lie the doctor noticed that
Della looked pale and thin. You need
little more fresh air. he preScr bed,
land l shall take YOU out as often as /
can. Not without some inward fear,
but attired in her very best. Della sat in
the buggy by the side OF her lord. 1t
was a balmv spring afternoon, nature
loo ed so fresh, so bright, so happy,
that n little of this happiness breathed
itself into Della sad heart. Fhe doc
tor must also have beent touched by
these benign influences, for never be
fore had he been so kind, SO attentive to
here so tall1ative. She smiled several
times; twice she absolutely In ghed
She sat little nearer to him. her cheeks
bloomed, and she was beginning to feel
quite comfortable, when, rs luck would
have IT, they happened to ride past q
very small cottage, so very small that
Della said: .'Oh, look! worrIer
how many people live in such tiny bit
of a honse 9''-
The doctors brow grew dark I'm
such house as this. he said. in his