, 1884-01-24
THE GIRLS CHOICE.


justices occupying the United States circuit
bench, after listening to a party Of lawyers,
the other day, lighted his pipe, leaned back
in an easy chair and said:
Gentlemen, your stories Of courtship and
marriage are quite interesting and romantic,
but l believe that it is reserved for me to tell
you OF Above affair which, I am inclined to
think, will teach you that the commonplace
marriage of every day life is not worthy OF a
place in our most prosaic novels or even our
spirited conversation. Quite a number of
years ago, just after the war, / was appointed
judge Of a southern circuit. l attended very
strictly to the discharge OF my duty, and
although very fond of ladies' society, yet in
my rounds l met very few representatives OF
the fair sex who in the least impressed me.
One day, during an overflow, 1 crossed the
river about twenty-five miles away
from my regular beat, and the
stream was so swollen that by the time ! had
landed the sun had gone down and darkness
had spread itself over the face of the earth,
30 far as / could discern, and the bosom of
the water. did not find a road when l
landed, and | made inquiry of the ferryman,
who, in effect, declared that he had never
made geography a study and that l must take
care of myself OF course | intended to abide
by the extremity of such advice, and after
thanking my water side character" for in
formation which, to say the least, was self
apparent, | turned, / knew not where, and
began a solitary journey through the woods.
/ had not gone far when l came upon a large
log house, surrounded by a well-kept fence
and almost covered by a thick growth of
wild vines. | was assailed at the gate by an
army of dogs. Their fury brought out an old
man who drove them away in a voice of
touching kindness and asked me what l
wanted. explained my misfortunes attend
ant unOn hiUh NVatars that yyaa "a faIaral
judge endeavoring TO reach an appointment,
He very cordially invited me into the house.
"A jedge ur a constable is welcome at my
house at SIGH Il time as this, " he said, throw
ing more wood on the fire. ave been cotch
out myself and / know what it Is. So you
are n ledger
YES, l am a judge, holding the Office under
the United States government"
That means you amt a state ledger
Yes"
wall, it doan't make no difference. 1
wouldn't held a state jedge no quicker than l
would you. Myra, see Of thar's anything t.
eat in the house"
ii looked up and the girl to whom he SPOKE
stood near me. She moved away Immediately
after being addressed, but not so soon that 1
failed to note the extreme beauty of her face.
1 saw her wealth of bright, Notwithstanding
hair, her glorious depth of eye, her ruddy
fal-of-the-year cheek and raspberry mouth.
She seemed TO pay no attention to me, but
obeyed without hesitation. Presently she
reappeared and announced hat there was
something to eat In the house and that 1t was
spread on the table.
Come" he said, and conducted me to the
dining room. Althoug l was very . hum
CRY, yet / think that my appetite could nave
been satisfied by allowing my eyes to feast on
tho beautiful girl who attended the repast.
The spare-ribs and back bone and mashed
potatoes were excellent, L admit, but that
magnificent face which bent above it all, far
exceeded any banquet that l had ever seen.
"Myra," said the old man after we had
gone in and taken position before the fire,
hand aroun' the pipes"
The pipes were brought and filed with nat
ural leaf tobacco. We pulled and pulled and
pulled and talked and pulled. told my ex-
perience and the old man told his. 1 had
been a captain under Uncle Sam, Jefferson
Davis had made him a colonel. The old man
had no family except Myra, his daughter.
he seemed as devoted to her and quite as
much dependent upon her as Mr.. Wickfeld
was upon Agnes. / had been 80 much inter
ested in the conversation, and especially by
the occasional glances cast at Myra, that l
did not think to ask the old man his name
until just abont the time we were ready to
go to bed.
MY name is Jassmire." he said, II was
wanderin' eff you was ever goin' to ask me,
an hanged ef I'd er told you Of you hadn't.
Hope you'll sleep WELL"
l bade him a cordial goodnight, and with
one more glance at the beautiful girl, / fol-
lowed the negro boy who appeared with a
candle.
/ scarcely remember any of the conversa-
ton of the next morning. l know that | saw
n hRantifnl faRa that i cat l-Y-. -.
elin little hand drew out u chair, that /
heard the music Of a sweet voice, and that
when | left l looked into a pair Of eyes,
direct in earnestness. | don't know how l
told the old man good-by. / don't know
that | thanked him for his kindness, even
after he had refused to accept pay. don't
know how mounted my horse, whether l
climbed on like all awkward judges do, or
whether l was lifted into the air by admira.
ton for the girl and sat down on the saddle.
The truth Is, l don't know anything about IL,
except that after awhile, how long III be
hanged if l know, l found myself riding
along the road, deep in the contemplation OF
n divinely drawn picture which the very sun
light itself framed and hung before me.
Tn routine Of court duty was very dull
after this, and l longed for the time when l
could wander back to the log house, which to
me held such enchantment. Previously | had
lhmented the fact that l had rsmained SO
long a bachelor, but now / was glad, because
l had found an ideal. l don't know how
many sentimental decisions l made during
that session Of the court, but 1 don't think
that it would shed the light Of very much
credit on my judicial career il the constitu-
ton Of the country should arise and demand
a statement
After awhile l went bach to that old log
house. l found the old man Just the same. He
welcomed me as though he had never soen me
before, but with rapture 1 noticed that the
girl spoke as though she had seen me before,
and that she was glad to see me again. This
time / was determined not to leave 30 soon.
and. the truth is, / fingered several days.
walked by the river with the beautiful crea-
ture, and helped her to gather the kindling at
night. | roamed with her morning, at night,
and at noon-tide, and together we chased the
rabbit and squirrel, and even the fox, with all
OF bis slyness. didn't always escape our prowess
and skill. Not among all the neighbors was
there such a 1girling," and /, for myself, had
never seen one to compare with her beauty.
her grace and her voice. When | spoke of
my leaving, the old man objected, and even
the girl did slightly demur, but l told them
that business OF pressing Importance was
claiming attention from the north TO the
south. But the beautiful girl, with rosy lips
Pouting, declared in a way that would nave
paralyzed Paul, that / was so restless and
wanted to leave them. because, Rsshe thought.
i had found them all dull. / made a brave
effort to go without showing the slightest
emotion on my part, you know, and when the
old man seemed so very anxious that / should
remain, l decided hat I'd better 90 and r-
turn within Il few days. Ididn't care to over
do 1t, you understand. Well, l went away.
not because | really had any business, but be-
cause / did not care to injure my chances. for
Every smoker should try little