Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-01-30
A LONDON LOVER.

| am Hatty Hyde, an old maid-or at
least not a young One-and L intend to
remain So But | came very near get
ting married last Spring, and I'll tell
you how it happened.
/ am 80, and not absolutely ugly, at
least, when look in the glass / see re-
flected there a good fresh complexion,
sparkling hazel eyes and an abundance
of brown hair. | might have married
two or three times, only l wasn't really
in love. | dare say you don't believe
this, but can show the letters of de-
claration up il my writing-desk now
old Squire Pease, Rev. Mr.. Popple-
thorn and Dr. Richford. So there!
But when Clarence Raymond, barris-
ter, came down to spend the vacation
with his aunt, Mrs. Richford-you see.
the doctor married, after all, a wife
much more suitable in point of mature
years than l could have been, and I
didn't care, not II must confess to a
little womanly fiutter around the heart
in short, Just the hero of romance that
/ had always dreamed about.
'Hatty, said Mrs. Richford--we were
quite confidential friends, you see, and
called one another Hatty and Pamela,
and borrowed each others books, and
all that sort of thing atty, l think
Clarence rather fancies YOU"
DO you?" said /, feeling the tell
tale bushes come into my face, and
my heart begin to thump beneath the
pretty lace tucker of Valenciennes and
pink ribbon that had taken to wear
ing every day.
Il am certain of it, !" said Mrs. Rich
ford, land how nice it will be to have
you for a cousinr'
That evening Clarence asked me if ]
would marry him, and of course l said
yes"
1t was very nice to be engaged. He
gave a me lovely cameo ring, choicer and
more antique than any diamond could
have been-it had been his mother
ring, he said-and he repeated the most
delicious poetry and vowed that it ex-
pressed the very sentiments of his heart.
And we had wanderings in the cool.
fern-scented woods, and moonlight
talks on the verandah, and | began to
wonder whether | should be married
in white satin or a dove-colored dress.
One evening. just after Clarence had
returned to his unavoidable engage
ments in town, Uncle Nathan came to
visit me.
Uncle Nathan was one of those peo-
pie, of whom we are apt to ask in COM
mon with mosquitoes and flies; "Why
were they ever createdp"
He was a venerable old gentleman.
IL, Il Ell
collar of his bottle-green coat, and cloth
CATERS that irresistibly reminded me of
black pussy cat. and he took snuff and
talked through his nose.
Harriet said Uncle Nathan, sis
this truePn
us what true. Uncle NathanP"
''All this fol-de-rol about your being
engaged to a man ten years younger
than yourself. Harriet! Harriet /
thought you had better senser'
Its only five years, Uncle Nathan, :"
said pouting. And | suppose l can
get engaged without sending to my re-
latives for permit"
Harriet, this is not subject to be
fiippant about" said Uncle Nathan;
You may depend upon it that this
young man is a mere fortune-hunter.
You have property, Harriet, and he has
found it out. /"
'Uncle!'' cried, starting up, Il will
not listen tamely to such aspefsions on
the character of one who
MY dear, my dear, don't get ex-
cited, " said the intolerable old gentle
man, tapping upon the lid of his silver
snutf-boN. You are not child, Har-
riet, nor yet sentimental schoolgirl.
Let's talk the matter calmly over"
i decline to discuss it, SIR" was
my dignifed reply. My mind is
made up, and no amount of meddling
interference will ever induce me to alter
it,
So my uncle Nathan went away,
silver hair, snuf-box, puss-g CATERS and
all, and | sat down to make out men,
orandum of the things l should require
for my wedding outfit.
For | had resolved not to buy nv
things at the little shops in Buttercup
Hollow, but to make an especial
journey to London on that business.
All, the delight of revealing over
counters full of choice filmv lace, bill
lows of bridal silk, oceans of tulle, il
brought the color to my cheek only to
think of it. And, besides, was it not
necessary that Clarence's wife should
have all that custom required? l didn't
care for myself so much, but l was de-
termined not to disgrace Clarence.
So, one radiant September day, when
the sky was as blue as the bluest rib.
bon. and the very leaves hung motion
less in the yellow atmosphere like little
ships at anchor in sea of gold, | took
the early train from Buttercup Hollow,
with purse full of money buttoned in
to an underpocket of my polonaise, for
/ had read all sorts of horrid stories
about pickpockets, and didn't mean to
part with any of my crisp bank notes
except for value received. | felt a
little futtered at first, and scarcely
ventured to look around me- for it
seemed as if everybody must know
that | was going to buy my wedding
outfit.
If | attempt to tell you anything
about the adventures of that day, !
know | shan't succeed. Women could
perhaps understand how l felt in the
fairyland of those great circles of fash
70" that exist only in London