Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-10-26
A MERCHANTS LOVE AFFAIR.


can explain nearly everything ON scientific
principles; that you can 90 about, a. it we're,
with pair Of compasses, pocket foot rule or
a retort and measure. divide or anaIyze not
only the wonders of the world, bat with one
exception, everything else. The one exception,
as every one will readily believe, is love. What
| is iP What is the cause of it2 To the first
question no answer can be given; to the second
can only answer from my own experience
broken leg.
| No! romantic reader. the writer of this is no
lovely lady, who while driving pair Of
| spirited bay horses was in terrible danger by
the running away of the aforementioned ami
mails, and was rescued by noble stranger.
Nor Is the writer noble stranger who was as
sisted when in extremity by the daughter Of q
hundred earls. No, am plain William Spence,
merchant. Glasgow. aged fifty. and 1 broke
my leg one day last April by slipping upon q
piece OF orange peel in Gordon street.
II is popularity supposed that every young
man falls in love regularly as every child
takes measles. Both suggestions are incor-
rect. did not fall in love till was fifty, and
| never had measles
valescence. can see nothing joyful in being
! shut up for six weeks in dull house in Bath
street. with old Mrs. McGregor TO wait OH you.
and the doctor for your only visitor. For the
first three weeks things were just bearable. but
| after that was perfectly miserable. At last
could stand it no longer. and said TO the doc
] tor one day rs he was leaving. You might have
J pity on me and stay awhile" He laughed and
SAL down. We talked away for a little and l
Was just getting CHEEKY when q message came
! for him and he had to go. As he went he said:
Have you no friends relatives who could
come and sit with you?'
no" 1 said; Il haven't relative or a friend
J in the world"
| We'll" and he laughed why don't YOU get
married?"
| Then he went away, leaving me face to face
with perfectly new idea. Now am not one
OF those men who run about after every new
thing. am very cautious in what notions
/ take up.
Why did not get married? Well, I could
hardly say. Perhaps it was because 1 had
never had time to think of such thing. As
lay there all that day gravely considered the
| question; all the savings for and against such
| step passed to and fro before my mind. "A
young man married is young man marred."
have heard say. Well, perhaps. could scarcely
call myself young. He that marryeth doeth
| well. but he that marryeth not doeth better"
says st. Paul; but on the other hand. lit is not
good for man to live alone" and so went on.
But at last resolved that would marry-but
whom? That was the question. Believe me,
did not know single lady. l went nowhere,
except to church. and as neither could sing.
play, recite. nor turn music, did not frequent
any OF the semi-religious tea festivals that are
SO important branch OF church-going nova
days
How could l. an unmarried man, become
married? l might, of course, speak to the min
lister; he would surely know some likely lady
some one. perhaps, about the church. But
then remembered dreadful old maid who
sat in the same pew that did. and who had more
than once handed me books in an 0fficious
manner. The minister might think her suit-
able. No, things must be managed in differ
ent way. When the doctor came next time he
said:
well, Mr.. Spence, have you been thinking Of
getting married."
why don't you get married if you think it
such good thing?" asked
Instead OF laughing. as thought he would,
he actually looked quite melancholy as he re-
piled: Il only wish could. I'd do it tomor-
row if had the money"
Are you in earnest9" asked.
"Only too much SO. 1t makes me feel worse,
too, to see men like you who might marry and
don't"
Il suppose"-and I hesitated- "you-you-
have no idea of any particular person; you are
| only talking generally"
II wish were," he said; s'that's the hard
part of it. Why she is the dearest, sweetest
girl in the world and but what's the good Of
talking to you about love; you can't understand
the feeling Let me feel your pulse"
No, could not understand the feeling. but
was determined that before long would know
all about it. 1 would fall in love without de-
lay. This brought me to the old difficulty, with
whom?
By this time was well enough to move
| about with TIE help Of crutch, and was ready,
] SO to speak, for action.
A few days passed and nothing happened.
just when l was desperately thinking of putting
my case into the hands Of a matrimonial agent,
Mrs. McGregor came in and, throwning down
| pink book, said in her sourest accents:
Here's young woman collecting for the Day
Nurseries. Yen no be gaun to gle onything?
She says she'll ca the morn for yer answer"
| providence is kind" said l to myself; to
Mrs. McGregor only grunted. One thing was
certain, would see the lady when she came,
and who could tell that she might not be my
| future wife.
All afternoon studied that page of the re-
port which said Miss Mary Duncan will call
| tomorrow"
! Next day when Mrs. McGregor brought in
my dinner she said, "rll tell the young woman
ye dinna approve O. the nursery affair"
"You will do nothing Of the kind" said,
here. l wish to see her myself before decide
| about giving"
| What gay deceiver was becoming.
II thocht," and Mrs. McGregor was terrible
as she said it, II thocht ye didna approve o.
subscriptions, and mair particularly for weans"
| To this returned no answer, and she with.
drew
] Soon after this the doctor called, said was
| feverish, and ordered me a soothing powder
/ considered this nothing but an insult to .
man on the point Of falling in love, q man who,
! even at that moment, was listening eagerly for
the sound of the bell.
| At last the bell rang, and, before could do
more than tremble, in came the prettiest girl
had ever seen.
"You will excuse me-" stammered, II can
not walk about much yet"
II am sorry you have been III, said the
sweetest voice in the world
"Sit down, please" gasped.
She did 80 and then / said. ''You are collect
! ing for the day nursery, believe" ] had made
| up my mind that would appear not to sp-
| prove it and then she would explain things.
"a most deserving object, Mr.. Spence" Mr..
| Spence sounded from her lips like q line of
| poetry.
II don't approve Of it," said I, in my most de-
cided tones.
Surely" and O! how she smiled, "you have
| not read the report"
"Well," said I, "why should We take care of
other peoples babies?"
'Ah? you see the mothers have to 60 out to
work and leave the poor little things"
''What are the fathers about" asked
! sternly.
"Some are dead, some are out Of work, and
others drink"
That's just putting premium on idleness
and drunkenness, and"