The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-12-19
OLD MANS CHRISTMAS
ny ELLA wnEHLnR,

. .N. fH. " 'st6nLiAt .H. -"
Though there was wrong on both sides
they never would have separated had i
not been for the old man.
lilo was Den's father md Den was NJ
only child-a spoiled, selfish, hlgh-tcm
pered lad, who had grown up with thu
idea that his father, Arson English, OF
tho "old man." as his dutiful son eallet
him, was much richer than he really was
and that ho Ind no need OF my persona
e[lort-any object in lifo, aside from the
pursuit Of pleasure.
Ben's mother had died when no was
fifteen years old and his futhor had neye,
married again. Yet It was not any allie.
glance to her memory which had kept
Anson English from o second marriage,
lilo remembered her, to bo sure, and
scarcely aday passed without his mention.
ing her, but alter hor death, as during
her weary lifo, no used her name AZ
a synonym for all that was undesirable.
lie compared everybody to "Liz'beth,'
and always to her disadvantage. He had
q word OF praise and encouragement and
approval for every housewiiein the neigh.
borhood except-his own. Whatever went
wrong, In doors or out, "'Liz'beth" was
the direct or indirect cause.
During tho first five years of her mar.
ried life, Elizabeth made strenuous eser.
lions to please her husband. She wept
her sweet eyes dim over her repeated fail
ures. Then sho found that she had been
attempting an impossible labor, aud grew
passivcly indiflerent--an indifference
which lasted until death kindly released
her.
Elizabeth Ind been d tidy h~ousckeeper
during these first years.
You'd scrub and scour q man out Ter
house an h0me!" was all the praise her
husband gave her for her order and
cleanliness; and to his neighbors, to
whom BIO was fond OF paying
informal visits, no would often
say-''Liz'beth's ut it again and cleanin',
so cleared out. Never see her without a
broom in her hand. I'd a good deal rather
have n little more dirt, than SO much tear
in round. 'Liz'beth tires me, with her
ways"
Yet when in the Indifference OF DESPAIR
which seized upon Elizabeth before her
death, she allowed her house to look after
itself. Arson was no better satisfied.
"Ivc come over 10 find a place to set
down" he wouldtell his neighbors. "'Liz-
'beth's let things 'cumulat till the house is
a sight, to see-she's gettin' dreadful slack,
a nan likes order when he
goes home to rost from all his cares"
Even when she died she displeased him
by choosing a busy season for the occasion.
"Just like Liz'beth, TO die in haydn
time," he said. Everything got to stop
hay spoilin'-mcn idle. Women never
seem to have no system about work mat
ters-no power OF plannin' things, to mako
CONVENIENT like for man folks
Yet after she was gone, Arson found
how much help she had been to him, how
wonderful her economy had been, how
light her expenditures. He know he
could never find any n toreplace her, in
these respects, and as money considcra-
tions were the main ones in his mind he
believed it would be better economy to
remain a widower, andhire his work done.
So during those most critical years OF
Ben's life, he had been without woman's
guidance or care.
At eighteen no was all that arrogance,
c%onceit, .selhshness, andhigh-tempercould
render him. Yet he wa q fayorite with
the fair sex for all that, as no had q manly
figure, and q warm, caressing way when
he chose, that won their admiration and
pleased their vanity.
Arson English favored early marriages,
and began TO think it would be better all
around if Ben should bring a wife home.
She could do the work better than hired
help, and keep the money all in the FAM
lily. And Ben would not waste his time
and means on half a dozen, as he was now
doing, but would stay at home, no doubt.
and settle down into a sensible, practical
business a Yes, Ben ought to marry,
and his father told him 80.
Ben smiled.
"I'm already thinking Of it." he said.
Flo had expected opposition from his IA.
ther, and was surprised at his suggestion.
eyes," continued tho cold man," as
Ben already designated him, 'I'd like to
see you settled down before you're twenty
one. Butyou want to make a good choice.
There's Abby Wilson, now. She's got the
muscle Off man. and amt afraid OF any
thing. And her fathcrhas a fine property
CROWN property. Abby'll make q
man a good, vigorous help.matc, and
she'll bring him money in time. You'd
better shine TIP to Abby, Ben"
Ben gave 4 c%ontemptuous laugh. "I'd
Us soon marry a dressed.up boy" he said,
'She's moro like q boy than a girl in her
looks and in her ways. l have other
plans in my mind, father, moro to my
taste. l mean to marry Edith Gilman, Il
she'll take ME, and ! think she 'will.n
Adark frown contraCtedAn Arson English's
brow.
edith Gilmahf" no repeated; "why
that punny school nam, with her baby
face and weak voice III never hclp you to
get a Twin, Ben. What are you thinkin'
of?H
"Of love, father, I guess. I love her,
and that's all there is OF 1t. And l shall
marry her, il she'll take me, and you can
like it or lump it, as you please. She's n
good girl, and If she's treated well nil
round, she'll make a good wife, and she's
luc oHly WoLlull tliut CuH put INC cucCR
reign on me, when l get in my tempers.
She'll make a man Of mo yet"
"But she can't work" insisted his father.
''She looks rs white and puny as 'Liz'betl
did the year she died."
"She's ovcrworked in tho school room
I mean to take her home, and give her O
rest. l don'task any woman to marry mt
and be my drudge. | expect my wife viii
keep help"
The old man graoned aloud. Ben's idea.
were positively %ruinous. II he marrict
this girl, 1t would add to, not decrease, thu
family expenses. But it was useless t
oppose. Ben would do as he pleased, tn,
old mar saw that plainly, and he might n
well submit.
He did submit, and Ben married Edith
on his twcnty-hrst birthday, aud brough
her home.
Edith was a quiet little creature, with
soft voice, and a pale, sweet faco, and frai
figure. She came up 10 Arson Englisl
when she entered the house, and put he
hands timidly upon his arms.
| I'd tT ,r.,t,o,,+ ~ 1a,,a $50 - H. all. tr