Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-01-10

! Gilman, but, then, many a match han
been made between parties more wide
" separated by age than were these two
However, Henry led the lady for
ward and presented her first to the host
and hostess:
Judge Archer and Mrs. Archer T
have the pleasure of introducing to YOU
my mother. And a mother good and
true she has been to me. y
The Judge had recovered himself i'm
mediately upon the entrance of the
new corners, and he was not at all sur
prised at the introduction.
Henry had spoken to him on the SUBJ
iect of finding house such as his mo-
Their would like to live in, for he had
persuaded her to come and make her
home near him, if not with him.
Mrs. Archer was somewhat surprised
for she had not known that he was ex-
pecting his mothers arrival, and was
furthermore surprised upon beholding
in that mother woman so young and
so beautiful; but she manifested none
of her surprise in her greeting, which
was warm and ardent.
1t remained for poor Josephine to be
dumbfounded Henry had often spoken
of his mother; had told how good she
had been to him; how she had paid out
of her own store for his comfort and
convenience while at college, far more
than she was legally bound to do.
She had in fact anticipated his wants
and supplied them cheerfully, and even
joyfully.
Josephine" he said as he turned to
where she stood, struggling with all
her might to recover her scattered SEN
ses, this is my own dear mother; and
this, mamma, is my own dear Joseph
inc; and [ hope you will love her for
my sake as well as for your own"
While Josephine, with thoughts Of
her lovers perfdy driven from her
mind, held the mild-eyed woman by
the hand, thinking how easy it would
be to love her, Henry proceeded, speak
ING to the family:
mothers name. You will pardon me,
mamma. My father died, as know,
when | was fifteen years of age. Three
years later my mother married again
married with Judge Coryden, of Swan
port.
At this point Josephine started with
a quick gasp.
''At the end of a year, however," the
young man went on, ''the Judge died
My mother of course retains his name,
but she seldom speaks of him; and
when old friends, who know not of
this second marriage, call her by the
old name, she never cOrrects them. In
fact, most of her letters by post come
directed to Mrs. Kate Gilman"
Then he turned once more to Joseph
inc, who stood like one struggling I'M
der the weight of a terrible incubus,
and said to her with q merry twinkle
in his keen gray eyes:
$50 now, my darling, you know my
sweet Kitty Coryden, and I think you
VIII not take it further amiss-''
Before he could speak further, her
little white hand was clapped tightly
over his mouth, and she found strength
to whisper in his ear:
"Oh, Harry, don't-don't! II you
can love me still, say no more till we
are alone.
And when, later, they were alone,
Josephine humbled herself completely.
She saw her glaring fault. 1t was
not that she had been hurt at heart by
what she had heard of her lover, but it
was this: That she had not confidence
enough ia him to ask for an explana-
ton.
In short she would have sacrificed
the happiness of 4 lifetime for the
passion and the prejudice of a moment.
Josephine is happy wife, with beau
tiful children laughing and playing
around her, and from that time-that
miserable evening on which she made
the acquaintance of sweet Kitty Cory
den-she has not for a moment har-
bored the green-eyed monster in her
bosom. She entertained the demon
once, and she never, never will enter
tain him again.
And that same sweet Kitty Coryden
is a Joy and a blessing in her home, and
if her children are better, and brighter,
and more healthful and helpful than
children of the same age usually are,
she feels in her heart that she owes it
all to the firm vet gentle and loving
ministrations-tend and tireless-of
their OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES same grand
mother OF whom she was once upon q
time so terribly jealous.