The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-07-26
MY DAUGHTER-IN-LAW.
Tho Wonders Sho Has worked
About tho Old Home.

About tho OLD Home
You sec, there was Just Tom. II the
old farmhouse had been full Of girls
an boys, suppose we wouldn't have
been SO silly over him. Folks allowed
we were bound to spoil him, an I'll
own mp that II the boy hadn't been
blessed with the best OF constitutions,
morally and physically. he would never
have grown up as no did. II lis father
Is good man, as good a man as walks
the earth, but soft-hearted an homely
very Now, II were not candid /
don't know that I'd come right out
plain with the fact that I'm partial to
good looks It's easy 70 be candid on
paper; SO easy that men an women
have been known 10 carry diary"
enough about 10 hang them as high ms
Haman-at least so I've heard. Adam
makes out TO hold beauty as something
of no value; calls 1t d snare an de-
fusion, but he can't convince me that II
isn't one of Heavens good gifts OF
course there is beauty an beauty, but
beauty true breaches better sermons
than many divines preach, to my think
In. Bein SO dispositioned, ] was natur-
ally glad to have Tom, as he was, tall,
an straight an good to look on. An
other thing which made me softer
toward him than was necessary, was
that lie looked so much like myself.
was glad TO know tcould | help it?)
that the clear, blue eyes, which looked
SO boldly ont on the world. were my
own over again in all but their bold
ness, an that the gold. brown hair had
the same tint an wave In Il that still
fingered in mine, an that the funny
dimple. which the years could not eff
face. had its counterpart in another
chin -one not SO well shaped as II used
to be-
I have an idea that Adam liked to
have II all so, though he was wont to
say ut every breach of discipline an
lapse from duty ON the part Of the LAD;
Toms too good looxin'--for boy" l.
doubt In my own mind II there Is man
alive who ever looked on girl and
thought her too good loolxin'. Curious,
isn't it2 Well, seein' that he was all
we had to manage, one would suppose
we could do the Job ourselves, but | do
believe that half the men in the neigh
borhood did their level best to assist
Adam, an just as many women fairly
forced their MD on me. I'm independ-
ent myself don't want any body dom
for me what I'm able to do for myself
IAN So may have appeared little
ungrateful an crusty to well-meauin'
people Alvira Wesley talked mean
about me round the ncighborhood
when wouldn't follow her advice
when he was teethin', and she
still pursued me when he was
great fellow at college. She
was fun Of the things she called
'suggcstions,' M don't deny that
was sick Of hcr--vcry But seem she
was an old maid who had no boy Of her
own, an wasn't ever likely to, | let her
kind Of meddlc with mine as much as
could without violatin' my principles.
When she brought forward string OF
spice-wood berries to preserve him
from sickness coaxed, an bribed an
threatened him into wearing them for
il week, but when she brought ont o
scheme for kcepin distrustful watch
over every action was forced to turn
=.
fhcn. an one Of the happiest fell
lows in tho world hope !
didn't speak uncharitabiy to Al
sira, but ! was plain-very. !
wasn't much afraid Of my boy goin'
wrong. We were always SO near to-
gcther at heart that was sure Of him
klvira doesn't know 1t to this day, but
h4r hints an sayin's made me do a
thing I'll be ashamed of as long as
live searched Toms trunk. II he
had come au caught me at II believe
I'D have died then an there but ! kept
right on Till reached the bottom.
tried each little key, ! opened each box
an drawer, nm there wasn't a thing In
al the place but every mother an sis
ter In the neighborhood might have
seen. il felt 50 mean, an glad an joy
full all together. that ! shed tears when
III laid back the old picture Of Adam an
ne taken when we were conrtin'--a
Ilaguerreotypc. an poor at that
Thank God for boy like minei
Wen, as he had promised when he
went away to tell me everything,
Ill least most everything. kept
waitin 10 hear that he intended
comm home an marryin' neighbor
Jones tlaaghter In the fall Her name
Il Eliza Jane. an she isn't pretty, In
fact she's downright~ homcly. but in all
tho township you couldn't find thrift
tier, ti5lier girl | didn't say anything
to Adam but had my mind made up
ID ia of down east yisitin', an leave
the Young couple 70 manage for awhile.
I've worried bard very; an when .
woman gets To be forty she begins to
faci the naasl ~ alirl<in' spell some
,ines Aagm thoHal,t d heap Of Eliza
Fae sA Al i shoesS TO both Of Us to
iaa fallen dead in love
an inm. an wanted
.es " Tin the world
3ait w Y Ae:syts an brighten