The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1888-04-13
HIS MATCH.
What Was Accomplished by a
Pluclxy 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-five and Orphies
only eighteen.) In the next he. was a
widower with four children. (Orphies,
being an only child, was unused to
children.) And lastly, he was the
crossest-graiDed, most misery man
that ever existed.
Every one in Hillwood knew him.
They knew he had been the means of
his first wife's finding an early grave;
and now he wanted to break Miss
French heart; pretty. dimpled, brown
eyed Orphies, the pride of the village,
and the admiration Of all.
How she came to choose n surly, sell
fish man like Hector Hunter was
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 n
good match, and yet it was quite evil
dent that 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
ny 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 n child.
So what was really nobody's bust
ness was everybody's business, and
throughout the entire village. All her
girl friends pitied her; all her male ac-
quaintances envied Hector Hunter All
the matrons bewailed her fate; all the
sires limited that the bridegroom was a
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 as smilingly as
if her path were strewn with roses and
her future as clear as lake at even
when the glory of the setting sun rests
upon its placid bosom.
81 can't afford to take wedding
trip, Orphies," Mr.. Hunter had said
the night he slipped the engagement
ring on her finger, and listened to the
shy yes 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 five-dollar bill right out
of my pocket TO pay the minister. You
won't care, will youP You had just rs
soon settle down as sensible woman,
hadn't your That is the way my first
wife did"
And Orphies said Eyes, she'd do any
thing he liked" like the dear little
thing she was.
So ms soon as her gray-haired pastor
had made her Mrs. Hector Hunter, she
walked quietly across the village com
mon to the large, gloomy-lookine
house built on its edge, and closed the
door in the faces Of those looking after
her with a world of commiseration il
their eyes.
shell regret this act of hern. or my
name is not Mirinda Highhyer," sale
one narrow-minded spinster to an
other.
shell look like a wilted rose by tn,
time she has lived three weeks with thos'
children, said Miss Dean, the villag,
dressmaker. to her customer. Mrs Flint
81 know all about them. once made
dress for the first Mrs. Hunter, anC
- d, -, ~ NInTv. 40
tons"
We've lost our pretty Orphies for
ever said gray-haired Farmer Slo
cum. Rude hands have picked on
sweet-briar rose and there is non,
other so fair"
I'VE are going to have Orphie.
French for step-mOther," said tn
Hunter children, pressing up to tn
window winch commanded a view o
Hillswood common and church. She
awful pretty, but it's a mystery how
RSs came to marry father"
You know the young folks so well
Orphies, that there is no need of an in
PRODUCTION" said Mr.. Hunter. rs hi
young bride kissed one rosy face afte
another, and sat down in his dea,
Vife's rocking chair with the younges
on her knee.
we are rested we viii go owe
che hSSSs-aaSs5 lake a look Mt things
then we will have sofhs ,ss.l dis
missed the housekeeper to-day, IS
knew we would not need her after yol
came. Her month was up, and as a pen
ny saved is penny earned, I let be
90 Rosa Bell is large enough to hell
YOU about the house. She is sixteen
and as tall as you are. / guess you vii
pull together first rate"
Pretty Orphies looked at her step
daughter queslionlnglN