The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-09-19

But old Sparkling, who was our shrewdest
head by a long way. hearing this question
asked at Miss Whiffin'S house one afternoon,
remarked, with a cOmical face to fix our at
tention, that we had not disposed of the
mother yet. Surprising that so natural
thought had not suggested itself befO 9! Mrs
Temple, as we understood had been married
very early, and our most competent female
critics declared that she could not be more
than forty five, or, rather, should say, they
put it that she could not be less. We had
several widows and spinsters of ripe years.
and these agreed that forty five was still a
marrying age; indeed, some of the ladies de-
clared that it was the best time of all
an opinion in which Sparkling con-
CURED with much vehemence and solem-
nifty, only the old fellow was caught
winking slyly at a confidential friend
Immediately after, which aroused some sus-
picion That Mrs. Barbara Temple might be
married before any Of her daughters, that
she was yet an attractive and marrying
woman, we all admitted There was that in
her manner with men which told that she had
not yet abandoned either the hope or the
methods of conquest; and it was plain to us
all that less likely women are married every
day of the year. Besides, the fortune was
Observation-Disclosures we had discovered on
undoubted testimony; and since the fortune
could not be less than three thousand a year,
we began to see that for the present it was
Mrs. Temple, not her daughters, who was
likely to be the prize in our next matrimonial
race. So, having settled this in our minds
we proceeded like rational beings to choose a
husband for the animated widow; and with
scarcely dissentient opinion, we came to
the conclusion that our rector, the Rev. An
thony Brent, would be the happy man. We
were not altogether wrong in this conjecture,
as my story shall disclose. But Mr.. Brent
does not emerge on our historic page at
present.
Let me tell you here that, in the course of
long life, | have never met woman who
could match Mrs. Barbara Temple. Cleverer
women, handsomer women, wittier 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 was, l believe, the sncerest and
most unquestioning worshiper that ever lived.
She put no strain upon herself to become what
she was; she quenched no aspiration and re-
pressed no misgiving Worldliness was the
simple honest expression of her natural dis
position and her Judgment Oh affairs Never
religious devotee was so completely inclosed
in a creed as she. For, indeed, it was a creed,
and life, too, and Mrs Barbara Temple
loved the world just as flower loves sunlight:
she obeyed law of her own nature But the
cheerfulness with which she obeyed it: her
unquestioning faith in the power of the
world to satisfy every want; the absence of
suspicion that there could be any higher
motive in life, or, indeed, any other motive
at all, and the cheerfulness and alacrity with
which she followed out her convictions
made her of necessity vigorous and original
character. All that makes what such people
call "the world" she longed for and priced
Accomplishments, money, taste, health the
good opinion of society, these, and thous-
and kindred matters she regarded as sever
ally constituents of happiness, to be sought
with the utmost solicitude every hour of the
day. She was grateful to the world for
being what it was to her-an ever-runnne
fountain of desire or pleasure
Have l sufficiently sketched her figure!
Will few strokes more make her clearer
image in your minds eye! She was short, as
have said, trinity built, perhaps trife toe
stout, but that might be disputed Her nose
was rather large, but finely cut, like her sec
ond daughters, and she dressed her brown
hair in short ringlets, which well suited the
style of her face. Her color was good and
high enough to make people ask questions
and her eyebrows were not free from sus
picious traces of making up. Her dress was
| always rich and admirably suited to her
figure and years; for she was careful to look
full forty-five. She avoided all absurd affec-
tation of youth and although kind of
spiightly dancing step, which she often fel
into, might have seemed rather fault in this
IF ~,
ing but surplus vitality acting on a frame 81.
light and plump that it seemed made to skip.
OF bound like ball.