The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1886-05-20

Hut old Sparkling who was our slrcwdcFt
head by q long way bearing this question
asked ut Miss WhInms house one afternoon
remarked, with comIcal face 20 ilx our At
tontIon, that wo had not disposed Of the
mother yet Surprising that No natural a
thought had not suggested ITSELF before Mrs
Temple, Us We understood had been married
very early and our most competent female
critics declared that she could not be- more
than forty.llyc or, rather, should say, they
put Il that she could not bc less We had
several widows aud spnsters of ripe years,
and these agreed that lorty-lye was still
mauyn' age; indeed, some OF the ladies' do.
slared that II was the best time Of all
an opinion IN which Sparkling con,
currcd with much ychcmoncc aud solcm-
atty, only the old fellow was caught
windng slyly at . confidential friend
immediately after, which aroused some sis.
picIon. That Mrs Barbara Temple might bo
married before any Of her daughters, that
lho was yet nn attractive and marrying
woman, we all admitted There was that In
hor manner with men which told that she had
not yot abandoned either the hope or tho
methods Of conquest, and " was plain 20 us
all that less likely women are married every
day of the year Besides, the fortune was
N-nb,oluloly=a We had discovered on
undoubtol testimony; and since the fortune
sould not he less than three thousand u year,
we began % see that for the present II was
Mrs Tcmplo, not her daughters, who was
likely 20 be- the prl2o In our next matrimonial
race So having settled this In our minds
We proceeded like rational beings 20 choose n
husband for the animated widow; aud with
scarcely disscntient olinion We came TO
tho conclusion that our rector, the Rov, An
thony Brent, would be tic happy man, We
were not altogether wroag In this conjecture,
~ my story shall discl G But Mr., Bront
does not emerge on ot historic pngo NJ
present
Lot me toll YOU here that, In tho course OF q
long life, | have never met woman who
could match Mrs Barbara Tcmplc, Clevcrer
women, hnndsomcr women, whittier women |
have met In scores but the secret Of Mrs,
Barbara Temple was her utter and hearty
love Of this present world, OF this present
world She wns, believe, the slnccrcst and
most unquo,tlonmg woyhipor that ever lived,
She put no strain upon herself tobccomo what
she wOs she Cucnchod no aspiration and 70.
pressed no mhgiying Worldlncss was the
simple honest expression Of her natural dis.
position aud her Judgment ON affairs Never
religious dcyolcu was 40 completely incloscd
Ia creed ns She For, indeed, II was u creed,
and q life, too, and Mrs Barbara Temple
loved the world iust0sH flower loves sunlight;
she obcycd law of her own nature But tho
choorfumc,s with which she oboyed 10; her
unuustionpg faith In the power of the
world to satisfy every want; the absence Of
suspicion that there could bo amy higher
motive In life, or, indeed, any other motive
at all, and ,ho choorfuncss aud olacrity with
which she followed out her convictions,
made her Of necessity vigorous and original
character An that makes whnt such people
call "tho world' sho longod for and priced.
Accomplishments, money, taste, health, tho
good opinion of society thosO aud thous.
and kindred matters, she regarded as sovor-
ally constituents of happiness, 10 be sought
with the utmost solicltude oycry hour Of tho
day, She was grateful TO the world for
being what Il was TO hcr-on oyorrunning
fountain of desire or pleasure
Have | sufficiently skotchcd her ngurol
VIII few strokes moro mako hor clearer
Image In your minds cyol Sho was short, an
have said, trinity built perhaps trlne too
stout, but that might bc disputed, Ilcr nose
was rather largo but finely cut, like her 300
ond daughters and she dressed her brown
hair IN short ringets, which well suited the
style OF hor face. Her color was good and
high enough TO make people ask questions
aud her eyebrows were not free from sus-
pIcious traces OF making up Her dress was
always rich and admirably suited 10 her
figure aud years; for she was careful TO look
full forty-dye She avoided oil absurd aifec-
ation Of YOUTH and although kind Of
prightly dancing stop, which she often foil
into, might have seemed rather fault In this
direction, most Of us considered this gnit moth
Ing but surplus Vitality acting on q frame 70
light and plump that II seemed made 10 skip,
or bound like u bull
CHAPTER w.
FiFrY AND FopTy-uvE
Our little town of Kettlewell had lnhab.
iianta 10 the number Of ton thousand, and
three churches, but Of these latter two were
What at that date were called district
churches, and the great ancient parish church
-. sta .a.lnntnatlaal aa..l.. a Al.