The Sunday tatler and Jersey City express. (Jersey City, N.J.) 1883-1886, 1885-05-03
THE OLD BACHELOR.

your wisdom and common sense. It was
fate, that's what it was Personally, 1 had
no more to do with it than you have this
moment. These things are all ordained
and marked out for us, and we can neither
avoid nor alter them Fatality, do you call
the doctrine? Well, call it what you will
there it is, and you can't make anything
else out OF it
But about little Magdalen Twas coming
down Broadway in great hurry to catch
an uptown stage before all those ferry PEG
pie blocked into it, when there she sat on
4 cafb-stone, the wind blowing her yellow
hair about and her poor little hands blue
with cold,- crying as if her heart would
break didn't think the veriest savage
could have helped stopping to ask her what
what the matter was, and don't call my
self savage if I do happen to have my hit
tie crusty fits now and then, SO said /:
s'Child, what's the matter?"
SIM lost" said she.
And come to inquire, why the poor little
elf was fatherless, motherless, friendless in
all the world! Of course took her home,
and you ought to have seen old Hannah,
my housekeeper, stare when | walked in
with the yellow haired baby clinging to the
little finger of my left hand. For she was
not more than eight years old, and small at
that
II give you months warming, sir Z. says
Hannah. But, bless your soul, she didn't
go. Maggie took her heart by storm, as
she always has done that of the
rest of the world, and at the months end
you couldn't have hired old Hannah to
leave the child.
Well, sir, she grew up as tall as a reed
and as pretty as posy. I sent her to
Madam Aimard' fashionable French board
ing school, for | was not going to have my
Maggie whit behind any one elses girl,
can tell you. My sister Simpkins objected
You see, with those nine daughters of hers,
she grudged every penny of my money that
was spent on any one else
you're putting silly notions in the child's
head" said she. ga girl that will have her
own living to earn ought not to mingle with
Madame Aimard's young ladies.
81 should like to know why?" says l.
because she is in no way their equal p
said sister Slmpkins.
.'Fiddlesticks !" says l. "My Maggie is
good and pretty, and if that don't consti-
tute eqality with any girl alive. I'll own up
that we don't live in republican country
As for earning her own wing, why its my
business to look after that, and no one else
need trouble their head about it."
When Maggie came home from boarding
school she was prettier than ever-tall, as
/ said before, with yellow, silky hair, great
shady-looking blue eyes, with lashes that
curled up at the ends, and cheeks as fresh
and pink as remember the inside of two
big shells that used to stand on my grand
fathers best room mantel fifty good years
ago..
One eday old Hannah came in, busting
chairs and prying about for fnger-narks on
the paint IN her odd, near-sighted way.
''Mr. Pelham, says she, rubbing away
at a door-knob that was bright before as
hands could make it, sswhat would you say
if we were to have wedding in the old
house ?"
ga wedding" dropped my pen so that
it made big round blot on the paper, and
stared. s'Wny, you're not going to be mar
ried Hannah, after all these years r
s.Do look like it? shifted Hannah, con-
temptuously- land, to tell the truth, she
didn't very much. 'No, indeed, sir; hope
know my place better than that Its Miss
Maggie l m thinking of, sir"
sat as if l had been stricken with q
paralytic shock. Maggie to be married |!
Strange that had never thought of that,
as natural consequence of parties, COM
panies, evening concerts and summer pic
MICS. And somehow desolate chill crept
down my veins as l thought how lonesome
and dreary the old house would seem with
out Maggie.
'sWhat makes you think SO, Hannah ~
asked, rather dolorously, and the old wo-
man lowered her voice mysteriously as she
answered:
s.Its that Mr. Carlisle-he keeps coming
all the time, and it's my honest belief he
just worships the ground my young lady
walks on. He is very handsome, too, and
folks tell me he's worth money"
Mr.. Carlisle Well, old Hannah was right.
He was a fne-looking fellow, and well to do
in this worlds goods; but-who was there,
after all, worthy of my tall, golden-haired
princess with dewy blue eyes and lips like
scarlet coral newly plucked out of the sea
Why couldn't Carlisle go off and marry one
of the wise Miss Simpkinses, whose mot er
was on the lookout for husbands as an
ogress watches for eatable young travellers?
began to hate Carlisle.
ssPooh r said /, upsetting my waste
basket of papers ever the floor with an un-
wary fling OF my feet. 81 don't think she
cares for Carlisle"
ssJust you watch her, then, and see for
yourself, said old Hannah, wisely, wagging
her cap border. II never did set up for a
prophet, Mr. Pelham, but them as isn't
blind, can't help seeing, and our eyes is
given to US touse. M
So old Hannah vent her way. My head
dropped on ma ands-my heart sunk
somewhere before zero at the ideal won
der if all fathers felt SO when gay young
cavrliers came wooiug at their gates. And
after all, she wasn't my real child, dearly
as IIoyed her.
think hardly slept at all that night. ]
tossed to and fro on my pillow, counting
the chimes of the old clock, as one by one
it told the hours, thinking about Maggie
and Carlisle, and wondering if the tardy
daybreak would never redden over the hill
tops.
BY that time my mind was made up.
would repress ali these selfish ideas and
only think of my girls ultimate happiness,
If she liked Carlisle, why Carlisle should
have her.
I rose, dressed and went down to my
study. The first thing saw was note
lying on my library table. Probably it hao
arrived late last night. broke the seal; it
was from George Carlisle, asking permls
sion to address Miss Magdalen Pelham.
Well-lJ was uOtHiuS luolS pIaA = itssN
expected-in fact, it rather expedited mat
tiers, which ought not to run too slowly.
refolded the epistle, and looked severely q
myself in the opposite glass. !
ssYou middle-aged old fogy, quoth l
staring at myself with the severest expires
sion Of countenance could call up at 81
short notice, 81 see through you. Yot
have dared to suppose bright-eyed Magda
len could prefer you to these gay younl
fellows nearer her own age-you have ever
presumed to fall little spice in love witt
her yourself. It will do you good to hay
some of the nonsense taken out of you. a