Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-01-08


yourself. Now, I confess that l have
never thought of age as regards your
mother, and yet am seven years old
er than she Is"
ooh, no; mamma is just as young
and beautiful as ever" said The
Baby" enthusiastically, "and | re-
member her for - years. No.
think we notice the advances of age
upon ourselves more than we do on
others. I know that [ think of it
every day look IN the glass and rec
ognize that I am getting old"
They all laughed at this, and Maud
had to laugh a little herself, but she
turned it off with:
"Well, this isn't what we were talk
ing about girls. Jennie you just ask
ed auntie how it was that she never
got married. Let's hear about that"
"Well, girls" said Aunt Jane slow
", 'that seems an unanswerable
question, but I'll reply to it even if I
don't answer 1T. Perhaps it was upon
the same principle that some men
never get rich no matter how much
they try, 1t is so ordained that they
shall always be poor, while others
reach wealth, and honors, not only
without effort, but with positively
everything against them"
"Well, I don't think | made any
very great efforts to get my Tom, ?"
said Jennie thoughtfully, land, real
ly, when come to think of it, don't
think he ever asked nae right out. I
believe it was understood between us
perfectly before anything was said on
the subject, and when we did talk
about it [ took it as matter of
course"
81 believe that is the way IN a ma
iority of cases, said Aunt Jane, laugh
Ing, land this mythical idea of pop
ping the question is something that
very rarely occurs: AS Jennie says,
it is all understood without it. Now,
for myself, I've been the same as en-
gagged three or four times. and yet [
never received but one formal offer in
my life"
e"Oh! tell us all about it, auntie, !"
said the three Misses Tibbs, hitching
their chairs up a little closer to Aunt
Jane
"Well, it's hardly anything to tell,
girls, but if you desire to hear it, [
must tell it. But to explain what [
say about being engaged without re-
ceiving a formal offer, / will cite q
case or two within my own experience.
My first was when I was II, and, as l
then thought, as much q woman as I
ana now. Twas spending the summer
on the seashore with my Aunt Mar
garet, and Aunt Margaret having
made a successful marriage, financial
iy speaking, herself, was intent or
having her nieces do the same, for
she had no children, and so every
summer she took me TO fashionable
places, and every winter to all the
balls and parties.
''This particular summer she chose
the seashore, and there [ met Harvey
Gray, who though seven years nay
senior, and who had been travelling
for three years in Europe, was really
as innocent as a child. We fell in
love, as it is called, at first sight, and
were infatuated with each other. Of
course, out Of this grew the usual
sweet communings, moonlight walks,
boating, gultaring, singing, and all
the inevitable things appertaining to
lovers, ever since the world began.
Aunt Margaret recognized the mat
ter, and it suited her-too well, as I
afterward thought. Gray was rich,
highly connected, handsome and Of
irreprOachable character, therefore a
very desirable match. say it all
suited Aunt Margaret too well, and
I'll explain that by saying that while
men are always ready to take advan
take of being left by the parents and
guardians of the little girl they are in
love with alone and uninterru pted in
their wooing, yet there is such a thing
as OVERRIDING this, SO as to rather turn
him against it. He would really be
better pleased with little opposition.
think Aunt Margaret slightly over
did it.
However, the summer passed, and
we were happy, and I felt as much
engaged to Harvey as though the &C
tual words had been spoken, and /
am as sure as we can be of any hing
IN this life that Harvey felt the same
way. In fact we talked freely of
what we were to do in the future, and
there was nothing wanting but the set
ting of the day, when Aunt Margaret
stepped in, which [ have always
thought was unfortunate, to say the
least of it, for ] am decided advocate
of early marriages. Well, we were
to start for the city early the next
morning, and for what occurred the
previous evening [ am Indebted to
Aunt Margaret's own recital. was
detained in NV room nackinp bit
was to meet Harvey On the piazza at
9 o'clock. He was to gowith us TO
the city the next day, and left him
after dinner promenading with nay
aunt When [ returned at 9 o'clock,
he was not there, and Aunt Margaret
made his apologies by saying that he
was indisposed and had retired The
next day when he did not appear to
go with us to the city, Aunt Margaret
was forced to an explanation. She
had asked Harvey what his intentions
were, ard he had revolted.
II