The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-02-25
A ROMANCE OF AN
ADVERTISEMENT.


| Nnlch STANDS on an cmincnce near inc
center Of a large southern plantation.
the halls are broad, the rooms large and
square, the ceilings lofty, and veranda,
whose columns are almost hidden half
the year with honeysuckle and ciematis,
surrounds the entire structure. An i'm
| mense lawn stretches out In the front and
rear TO the highway on one side, and TO
a large garden fun Of old-fashoned flow
ers on the other.
At the time my story begins. the owner
and sole occupant of 1.-THE Castle" was
| Cot mel burcan Macleod. His grand
fatherhad come 10 America from Scot
land, and built this home for himself
| ana his posterity. Colonel Duncan Mac
Lcod. 4 wcl-prescrved. handsome man
| OF sixty, had been WldOwer ten years.
| His two daughters were married and
lived in different States. His time was
spent in his rare library, and for several
years his books took the place OF wife,
children, and friends. Sometimes when
the half-burned fire on the broad hearth
and the shadows OF the waning twilight
caused him to close the volume before
| him and invited him 10 retrospectiOn, he
recalled, perhaps. bright faces and tender
caresses.
He allowed his neighbors to fight the
| political battles so desperately waged by
the Wings and Democrats lie concerned
| himself more about the romantic my
tholosies of the Orientals, the Greeks.
and the Latins. 1t was OF more interest
| to him to trace the triune relationship
| of Isis. Osiris, and Horus, OF Jupiter,
| Neptune and Pluto, than 10 help put
Henry Clay or Andrew Jackson i'm the
| White House But the time came when
the monotony Of this life became weari-
some to Colonel Macleod. and he adopted
a method Of relief worthy OF the in
| genuity Of the representative young
American, who cultivated his literary
tastes by reading police gazettes and
dime novels. To be brief he advertised
in a number Of Northern papers for a
wife. The advertisement was:
WANTED.-A SOUTHERN PLANTER
desires to correspond with a lady Of
respectable parentage, with a view 10
matrimony. References xchansed.
Address D. c. Mel. The Castle, -
county, y. c.
Tn less than a week after the appear
ance Of this advertisement he received
about one hundred answers to it. one
Of these, which was about the twentieth
he opened. was as follows:
| Nv Dear Sir--It IS evident 10 me that
YOU are i'm earnest. ] am poor but re-
! spectable girl n native Of Vermont. and
fancy would like the easy plantation
life Of the Southern women. Send me
your photograph. give me statement
as 10 the condition Of your estates, ana
IL they are satisfactory. l VIII be your
wife. I am thirty years old. ! enclose
my photograph and names Of two promi-
nent lawyers of my town TO whom you
! NAV refer ResDectfuily,
'''1' AGNES CLARKE.
Ingleside. Vt
The old gentleman exclaimed, after he
had read this direct and candid note,
written I'm a graceful and delicate haia'
by all the gods Of the Nile, this suits me
She will do. | will not only comply WIN
her request. but / will promise 10 make
hor heiress ia one-half of my estate I'D
fact | shall give this home 90 ner ana
the children must be satisfied with bonus
and negroes md
He lighted two more wax candles anu
closely scanned the photograph. par
of honest blue eyes met his. I.i--s "a
dorl, brown hair clustered around q high
white brow licm pretty mouth ae"-
cateIv chiselled nose, q shapely ueA''
| proudly poised on sloIins shoulders COM
! pleted the picture on "hlcA inc D,'
| mans gaze fingered That night ms
letter 10 her was posted. and the letters
of the other applicants for tie position
were burned unread. I'm short time Il
| servant from The meichboring town hand-
! ed him q summons % this eject
Dear Sir-My sister. who Is uiH
enough 10 act for herself Is here for the
/ purrtse of becoming your VIC. 90
| nor approve of the manner I'm which she
has acted. but We are orphans, we are
poor, and she is determined.
The references you gave her cordially
endorse YOU. ! have brought clergy
man with me. who will perform the cere-
mony. 4 after seeing sister, you Doth
decide 10 take ths important step.
RcsIectfully. JOHN Ola lih.
The old hous ekeerer received orders 10
| be prepared t. receive gues-s thar hsH''
and Colonel Macleod. arrayed IN his best
sus OF Hack olOth. and seated IN MS
rarely carriage, soon presented hiiu-
self at the entrance Of ne country mn
Everything had been kept perfectly
quiet. The villagers had Just Heard Of the
arrival Of three strange guests. IhtT
establishment knew 40 bounds Wh'n sew
| eral Of .hcm were called into the pHrlOr
/ Of the inn 10 witness The marriage cerc-
mony Of n graceful. wcii-drCsssd. self
possessed young woman 10 The vealthiest
planter in the neighbOrhood. Colonel
Macleod. The brother and clergyman
were driven to The Castle i'm The car
riage. with the bride and groom. The
| Coicne7 was deferental in his bearing to-
warts the newly-niSde slrs MacLeCd,
Who cal..ly looked on; upon the beautiful
| LANDSCAPES that extend Il for miles Oh
| each side of the road. or answered i'm
I low svlt voice, the .,lesti0ls address
u he-. She was more composed tran
! or, m.Iaber Of the party. The Colonel
had too long teen a devotoe of mythical
goddesses, and had w0rsniDped them at
| too great a distance TO avoid showing Il
t slight nervousness in the presence OF
this woman who had so suddenly be-
come a Fart Of himself And then his
daughters ana friends. lie did not care
what they thought OF his escapade.
! hut would they treat this fair and
reiincd-looking bride OF his properly
| This puzzled him somewhat With par
donab,e pride. he pointed 20 his new
| brother-in-law and the strange clergy
man, the broad acres that belonged
/ 10 his estate.
The amazcment OF the houss keeper ana
the negroes on the arrival of the bridal
party may be imagined. But by The
time that Mrs. Macleod and the yisl-
tors had descended into the supper room.
where ample preparations lad been made
order vas restored Colorel NaoLcolhad
called his household into the library. aud
| announced the news with more than his
usual dignity. When the graceful mis-
tress entered the room on his arm. clad
IN soft robe Of white cashmere. with a
spray or orange blossoms fastened in thu
con oil brown waVy hair, sne found half
d dozen oDsequlOus slaves. who We'd with
e1ch other il showing her attention.
WIN smile, and perfect self-possession