Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1885-07-04
ALL ABOUT BROWN.

"MY DEAR BROTHER: | want you
to come down and make us a visit. So
does Melissa. Come down next week,
and stay till after the Fourth. We
expect one or two othe visitors, and
will try to make it pleasant for you.
Don't fail to come.
Your affectionate brother,
civilian Brown.
"P. S.--Melissa says: Tell Joseph
we shall expect him; so don't disap-
point us.
81 can see through that" said he,
folding up the epistle, and returning it
to its envelope. eyes, sir" to the
solemn looking old cat who sat staring
at him from the window-sill, "it's as
clear as day. They've another woman
who wants to get married, and they
mean TO make another attempt to hook
me in. Oh, you can't fool your broth
err yet, Mr.. William Brown! l can
see through you, fooled into matrimony,
and you want me to do the same, on
the principle that misery loves COM
pany. But you don't come it over me
SO easy. | won't take any in mine,
thank you"
Joseph couldn't have meant, by his
sarcastic reference to the old saying
that misery is fond of company, that
he considered his brother had made
himself miserable by marrying, for he
often, though secretly, envied his
brother the comfort he seemed to take
with his family. But he had so long
considered himself a bachelor for life
that he had,got into habit ofassuming
to himself that married people were
envious of single ones, and always
spoke of them in way that implied
his pity for them, and his thankfulness
that he wasn't in their shoes. The
truth was, he often wished he had a
nice little wife. But he was afraid of
woman; so much so that he always ex-
pected to remain single. If he were
to fall in love, he felt quite sure he
should never be able to muster up suffi.
cient courage to say anything about it
to the woman whose charms had en-
shared him. 1t would be another case
of "concealment like worm i the
bud" He often felt brave enough to
face lannon's mouth, but the mouth
of woman-never
The memory of last summer was still
terribly fresh in his mind. He had been
invited to visit his brother. He had
gone down unsuspectingly, and found
there an old maid who Immediately laid
seige to him. But he had succeeded,
by the help of divine Providence, in
resisting her wiles, and getting safely
out of the predicament. Now he felt
sure that another trap had been set for
him.
"But I'll CO." he decided. civilian
and M'lissy'll be mad as Settin' hens il
[ don't. [s'pose it's girl in pantalets
this time. The other one was forty,
aud as she didn't suit me they will
quite naturally go to the other extreme.
| s'pose it would be a good thing if ]
had wife, but l don't want little
girl, or woman old enough to be her
grandmother, and what's more, ! won't
have EN-" he added with so much en-
phasis that the old cat begun to gel
scared, and kept one eye on him with
the other on the door.
He went down to his brothers.
"Who is it this timer" he asked
William, when they were on their way
up from the depot.
81 don't know what you mean," in
swerod William, looking puzzled.
alt was that old Miss Larrabee las
year, said Joseph. 81 take it fo
granted its some one else now"
"Oh, l begin to see what your,
driving at" laughed William "
don't know as there's anybody. l
there is it must be Mrs, Parks"
"A widow" asked Joseph.
Yes, but Young and good.lookin.