Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1888-04-07
HIS MATCH.
What Was Accomplished by a
lucky Little Step-Mother

lucky Little Step-Mother.
Everybody said that Orphies French
was crazy TO think of marrying Hector
Hunter, In the first place he was too
old. Gle was thirty-fve and Orphies
only cighteen) In the next he was Il
widower with four children. (Orphies,
being an only child, was unused to
children.) And lastly, he was the
crossest-grained, most misery man
that ver existed.
Every II in Hillwood knew him.
They knew he had been the means Of
his first wife's finding an early grave;
and now he wanted 10 break Miss
french'sh heart; pretty, dimpled, brown
eyed Orphies, the pride of the village,
and the admiration Of all.
How she came to choose a surly. sell
fish man like Hector Hunter was q
wonder to everybody. 1t was well
known that blue-eyed, sunny-faced
Charlie Chester stood ready to lay
down his life for her sake, and that
James Singleton had offered himself to
her at least three times,
Either would have been considered a
good match, and yet it was quite evil
dent hat Hector Hunter was the man
she loved, and she had been known to
watch beside him day and night when
he was i'll, and refuse all food till she
was sure he was out of danger.
Yes, Miss French did love him. She
was engaged to him, too, and that sun
my morning in June was to witness her
bridal, She was to be married in the
little church where She had been bap-
tized, in the presence of those who had
known and loved her from a child.
So what was really nobody bust
ness was eyerybody's business, and
proved the topic Of conversation
throughout the entire village. All her
girl friends pitied her; all her male &C.
quaintances enyied Hector Hunter. All
the matrons bewailed her fate; all the
sires limited hat the bridegroom was q
lucky man.
Finally came the organ peals, then
the solemn service-for it was solemn
and then pretty Orphies went down
the aisle leaning on the arm Of her
sour-looking husband a. smilingly a.
if her path were strewn with rose, and
her future as clear as a lake at even
when the glory of the setting sun rest,
upon its placid bosom.
II can't afford to take a wedding
trip, Orphies,n Mr.. Hunter had said
the night he slipped the engagement
ring on her finger, and listened to the
shy Eyes whispered under the tree
that grew back Of her home.
alt costs a good deal to live nova
days. The children need clothes. and
twill take a tiye-dollar bill right out
of my pocket 10 pay the minister. You
won't care, will you? You had Just as
soon settle down a. a sensible woman.
hadn't you? That is the way my iir.,
wife did"
And Orphies said eyes, she'd do any
thing he liked" like the dear little
thing she was.
So as soon as her gray-haired pastor
had made her Mrs. Hector Hunter, She
walked quietly across the village ON
mon to the large, gloomy-looking
house built on its edge, and closed the
door in the faces of those looking after
her with a world Of commiscration in
their eyes.
Shell regret this act Of hern, or my
name is not Mirinda Highilyer," said
one narrow-minded spinster to. an
other.
Shell look like n wilted rose by the
time she has lived three weeks with those
children" said Miss Dean, the villag,
drcssmaker, 10 her customer, Mrs Flint
81 know all about them. ! once made
Il dress for the first Mrs. Hunter, ant
! had chance to see some of their ac
TONS
We've lost II pretty Orpliies for
ever" said gray-haired Farmer Slo
cum, ''Rude hands have picked on
swect-briar roSe and there is non,
other SO fair"
I'VE are going to have Orphie.
French for a step-mother,' said III
Hunter children, pressing up to tn
window which commanded Il view c
Hillswood common and church. ''She'
awful pretty, but it's a mystery ho'
she came TO marry father"
"You know the young folks so wei
Orphies. that there is nc need of an il
PRODUCTION" said Mr.. Hunter, as Ii
young bride kissed one rosy face aft,
another, and sat down in his dee
wife's rocking chair with the younge
on her knee.
when we are rested we will 60 ov'
the house and take a look at thing
then we will have some dinner. di
missed the housekeeper to-day, as
knew VIC would not need her after yo
came. Her month was up, and AS a pc
ny saved is a penny earned. l let h
20. Rosa Bell is large enough TO he
you about the house. She is sixtee
and ne trl, ss vow rre J gress You W
pull together first rate"
rrstty 0rphiss looked At her 1T
Asushtar ousatloninslv