The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1893-06-06
SIMPSON.

IOIIu1s shOOys
have a profound distrust of all
travellers. Not because they are
prone to tell me untruths about their
experiences, for that has in a great
measure become dangerous expert
ment. Wherever they may have
been, other people have now also
been, and it is easy, if may use a
professional expression, to correct
their proofs" No, my distrust arises
from the ideas in my own mind of
the experiences that they do not tell
me. When they get away from the
regions of civilization and out of tho
influence of public opinion, think 1
to myself. what is it these people do
not do2 For tho very fact of mans
being n traveller is, between our
selves, by no means a good sign.
Why does he not stop at home in the
bosom of his family, or if he has no
family acquire onea 1t is his duty
as citizen.
One of the quietest and best fel-
lows ever knew-andI have known
him all my life-was Simpson of
.Bussora / was at school with him
FIVE aud forty years ago, and though
his house IF business is at the dis
tant point Just mentioned l had met
him from time to f1nfea.> during his
periodical visits to this counffy, and
always found him unchanged geiiif
tie, unassuming, modest and ortho-
DIV n,,I. ,1,.,.-,
little business with him in shawls
and carpets, but our acquaintance is
mainly social. My wife and daugh-
teTs are very partial to him and de
light in his Persian tales, which are
picturesque and full of local color.
He brings them little bottles of scent
which perfume the whole neighbor-
hood. and now and then scarf that
is the envy of their friends.
never, however, entertained any
idea of Simpson as son-in law until
my wife put it into my head. He
lived too far away for me to picture
him in such a relation, and though
knew he had made money / did not
think he had made enough to return
home and settle. His income was
very handsome one, but living at
Bussora, he had given me to under
stand. was dear and did not admit of
much saving. Above all, Simpson
struck me as by no means a marry
ing man. Whenever the subject of
matrimony was mooted, he always
smiled in that dry, cynical way
which proclaims the confirmed bachc-
lor. Household matters did not in
terest him; he did not takc much to
children; he would smoke until the
small hours of the morning and
raise his eyebrows when one said It
might be sitting up. He would say
Really" as though such an idea as
ones wife sitting up for one was
preposterous, but could never CON
Germ him.
need not go into the causes which
led to my conversing with Simpson
on the subject of matrimony. Suf-
fee it to say that 1 did not do SO of
my own free will. had received in
str'uctions from my wife to sound"
Simpson on the matter. with rela-
ton to some ideas that she had
got into her head with respect to our
second daughter, Jane, and ''to hear
was to obey" as they say at Bus
sora.
My dear Simpson, " said 1 as we
were cracking our walnuts together
after little dinner under my own
roof, II often wonder why man
like you, with a large income and
fine house, as you describe your
home at Bussora. has never married.
1t must be rather wretched living
out there all alone
We'll, it would be, no doubt,
said Simpson in his quiet way.
But, Lord bless you! I've been mar
ried these 90 years u.
You might have knocked me down
with feather.
Married these 20 years! You as
tound me. Why, how was it you
never spoke about itl''
"Oh, I don't know. I thought it
wouldn't interest you. She was
Persian, you know If She had been
a European, then should have told
you"
\ "a Persian wifel Dear me, said
II chow funny it seemsl" l said
funny" but at the same time all
le suspicious that 1 entertained
{ nd now entertain more than ever
r, specting travellers and persons who
abjure civilization crowded into my
mind Now, what color, my dear
Simpson, if 1 may put tho question
without impertinence, are your chill
drenG"
"Well, we've got no children"
said Simpson in his usual imperturb-
able tone. I'VE never had any"
I don't quite know why, but some
how or other thought this credit
able to Simpson. 1t was very wrong
in him to have married a Persian,
perhaps fire worshiper, or at best a
Mohamndedan, but it was comfort
to think that the evil had, so to speak,
stopped there. To think of Simpson
with heap of particolored children
protesting perhaps their mothers
outlandish faith as they grew up
would have been painful to me in
connection with the fact that Simp-
son was at that moment under my