The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1885-05-09
Tom and l.
BY ALFRE } Russell.

1t is really true; Tom is to be
married in June. After all these
years; after slipping the sweets of
every flower, as I've often told him,
he is, now, about to take unto him
self a widowl To me there is some
thing unpleasant in the idea of a
young man marrying widow. 1t
is not connected with the age; for
often, as in this case, the lady is
very little if any older. And when
we begin to analyze it, it is hard to
find anything to which common
sense could object. can better un-
derstand and forgive widower in
marrying a young girl, though that
used to excite my Indignation; to
my masculine mind there is some
thing touching in the wish, thus be-
trayed, to be enjoined to youth, to
keep the heart glowing and warm
by contact with II fresh heart, but
when the case is reversed, it seems
unnatural, and | have to smother a
rising imprecation on the artful
creatures. | am aware that | have
somewhat contradicted myself in
my reasonings, but my own feelings
remain the same, Notwithstanding
All this, as | have said, may be
masculine prejudice, at all events
it does not help ON the story. |
begin already to "fccl like one who
treads alone" for Tom and / have
always been great friends, and what
| am to do | know not To give
you an insight into the merits of
the case, | suppose l ought, for the
time at least, to merge all feeling
about the widow" this is more
easily done, because she is genuinely
attractive.
We had educational privileges in
our village; besides the 'Cademy,
where Tom used to prop up his
handsome, but somewhat lazy head,
over Cicero and Greek Reader, there
was a girls school-a very select
"Family Boarding School, And
Tom and l used to go there. l don't
mean to say that we recited there,
or that we stood under the windows
and waved our hankerchiefs and
kissed hands. The principal was a
sensible woman, and believed in
"rational intercourse" she said, and
often invited us there. And we used
to go, and Tom made himself ire
sistable to a long train Of girls sue
cessfully. The interest unquestion-
ably waxed deeper, as, through var
ious intermediate stages, he grew
into dignifed senior on the eve of
commencement, and finally appear
ed as young lawyer just admitted
to the bar, his thick black locks
carefully brushed and parted be-
hind, and a moustache exprcssively
twirled at the corners, OF course
there were some semi-serious affairs.
One young girl, Agnes Inman, for Il
long time held undisputed sway
this was in the earlier years-thc
period of Byron collars on his side,
and gypsy sun-bonnets on hers,
Then came that eXpcriene well
known to all middle-aged fathers of
families (howevcr little they now
may look like it), small envelopes
slipped into the hand, and lavish
expenditure of time and ink. This
correspondence was kept up for a
long time, even after Tom was in
college, and | thought he had a soft
place in his heart for the fair Agnes
for long time after. Whether
was right or not the sequel must
show But ! have hurried matters
not so he leisurely he went through
college-took his degree with easy
nonchalant grace, AID, after few
weeks spent in his old hunting and
fishing grounds, took up his abode
in Cambridge Law School. In his
vacations at home he still walked
with the older girls at Mrs. vs.
school, or with some of the summer
visitors at our village; but as time
slipped on, these diversions seemed
more and more as if taken up for q
| D0sSinp rnnrnotipn aud I bor,,,, : =