New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-10
CLEVER MRS. MARCH.
A SOCIAL SKETCHl

Mr. March had hardly recovered from his
wedding-tour before his handsome enteIpr E ing
Conservative interest TO stand for the western
division of the county.
Mr. March was neat nicely-preserved gentle
man of nearly fourscore and this weddlng-t tour,
from which he had just returned, was not the
first he had taken. When fine, hashy, loud,
good-looking Bella Clevedon had first marked nina
Tor her own, he had been crumpled up with grieI
for the loss of the wife of his youth-the mother
of his family of married sons and daughters;
But Bella, from the first, did not despair OF
comforting him. IL was true that she was only
sweet ana twenty" and he would never see
seventy-Gve again; but he had thirty thousand
q year, and with Bella that more than counter
balanced any sense OF incongruity that might pe
in the match. As the, eldest daughter Oh tne
vicar of the parish, she had countless oppor.
tnnitjes of comforting him which were not
awarded to the other young ladies OF the neigh-
borhood No scandal could be uttered about her,
howsyer often She followed him into the fastnesS
OF his own homo with her various supScrIp.9QH
lists. lie was an Old Old gentleman VINO dnl taS
have been her grandfather, and though she hao
never developed taSte for aged panpers, h SI
friends declared now that Bellas way WIN oio
pnuarentIv Wr March was of the same opinion,
for one day after long walk and talk with bena a
through secluded portion oil ms own Deauti .Ia
grounds Mr.. March had himself driven 10 Iae
SSicarage when he offered himself and MS Vast
possessions to the eldest Miss Cevcdon, ana sougnt
heT The 1s' Vicar Of Rp2ington was poor man with
a large family, and no sentimental nonsense ABOUT
HMM which respect Bella strongly rese i9el
i'm
rromntitl;de PRAISED Bella with unblushihg irank-
hess and told himself in confidence tnat during
eli The years of her life he had been IN comPiete
IGNORANCE of the hard, mercenary character OF ms
child.
The wedding was snowy one. Bella insisted
upon that, though Mr. March was umld aDouS ~ ~
ghe brides draperies seemed to fill the church as
She pranced up the aisle, and her trlumpha1t
smiles were lavshed freely upon the asEo9nGeS
envious admiring old frlenos anu acquain0N'
As rule. when May marries December people
are apt TO bestow uncalledfor pity on the gra ~
this instance the universal opinion iouno ven" IA
The words Poor old mani" -.
~" On the occasion OF his first marriage, hall a
century ago ne ana ns wore foT n week and then
home But now he was taken at full speed ~ W
every fashionable Continental resort oil Whlcn tne
Country bred Bella had ever heard. Ills WmCe
bair was cropped so closely 20 his head, ana some
auid that its maker passionateiy declared Was
"not dye was so well brushed mo ~ Uii ;a
H. gratefully resumed the soft Drown nue. o. us
yonfb He was tailored by an artist with youth
mi ideas. He was goaded into play,Eg tennis
just first with his yG%ns w IN p 1UE Hsr at their
own and other peoples garden pdrues' inany'
he was cleverly Instructed to refurnlSn ms mouse,
60 refill his stables, to replace nus o,u for Bis
with several new ones, and to stand , Ior MS
division of the county in the CONSERVATIVE lnIelesD
There is, of course, no bribery. at elecu9 ON
in these pure modern days. a MsverSe ;SSot !.
vulearly termed the pull over PoVerVy-sOrlclA'
en- Opponent, however opulent the latter may %
N
exerted herself so charningly and energencaiy,
her admirers declared, at this luncture IN mel
elderly husbands interests, ldenuiled herseil >
Hatteringly with them. quite regardless 0, Lns
Inference in their ages" -" making him feel thai
in her eyes, at least, he was s1ll young enough
TO have career before him. The pap5e wa
all hut lost to the other side from tie day on
which Mrs. March camped out with her photo
graphic apparatus In picturesque suburb OF
countrv town full of waverlng electors. she Joof
endless groups of children found out TO whom they
belonged and sent neatly amounted copies to theil
respective parents with lew weHcnosen Woru
of admiration OF their offspring. lms inc "
norcv carried innumerable waverers over TO thu
t,onseryative cause, as represented by the clever
and judicious lady's husband; and at one period
Of his campaign Mr.. March felt misera5ly secure
of his seat and prophetically sure that his as
piring wife would insist on his covering himself
with ignominy by addressing the House on on
of the numerous subjects Of wnch he WAS utterly
ignorant. But one day clever Mrs. March over
reached herself. She took remarkably clever
photograph Of group Of Children who b were re
children of Squire Fortnight, OF Vaughan
Place" The FortwrIghts were. rather recent
sign OF desiring to cultivate the acquaintance o
the Marches They were generally supposed u
be proud, exclusive people of good birth, wh'
tracks, and were highly cultured. o
their family, Mrs. March had never heard any
thing previous to this day on which she suavelJ
children to . stand and be made into a pretty
picture because some one had told her they
were the children from up TO vaughan Place
Mrs March took the photograph with precision
aud developed it with care and delicacy.. Sh,
then lad it retouched by professional hand
and finally sent one of the most perfectly TONED
copies to Mrs. Fortnight, with her compli
ments" Mrs. Fortnight acknowledged the OF
tention with o cool note OF thanks for the inter
estipg specimen of Mrs March's skill" and ther
the matter ended for q time
Shortly after this ball, given by an OUTGOING
regiment On a scale OF such lavish splendor tina
the greater number Of the officers were impover
ished by IL for the ensuing twelve months, brough
together all the county magnateS. Among these
as a matter OF course. were the Fortwrights, ant
the Conservative candidate, towed by his enter
prising wife.
Local gossip had not found much to feed upol
In fhe FORTNIGHT establishment AL that Mrs
March had been able TO find out about them wa
sbat IRE husband was devoted 10 field-sports ant
bis wife. and that the Lady took little interes
IN ANYTHING save good works and her husband
n vas added also by Mrs. Marcds informan
that Mrs Fortnight was not very amenable 4
social advances. that she was not much given 7
seeking people and was not fiatteTingly respon
80 ..har st,r ohf very often Mrs March ustenes