Connecticut western news., 1894-02-01

.Pray tell me, thou blest in years,
 What are thy hopes, what are thy fears?"
 With folded hands and head bent low
 She answer made, in accents slow,
 "For me remains but one request
 It Is that God may give me rest"
 Emile Pickhardt in Boston Globe.
 MATRIMONIAL.
 A forlorn figure she was. She was sit ting on her trunk at a landing on the banks of Red river, waiting for the down boat. About her was a group of amused but sympathetic bystanders, and she was telling them her story.
 'I answered it in good faith," she said. "Here is his advertisement. I cut 1t from matrimonial agency paper"
 She took the clipping from her pocket and read it aloud. her black eyes snap ping dangerously:
 am . widower, 3 years old. live, with my two little girls, upon my cotton plantation. l have 1000 acres, more or less, my own unin- cumbered property, situated on the beautiful Bayou St. Lucas. I have nice cottage home embowered in vines, with gardens, chickens, cows, harness and saddle horses, flowers, fruit every comfort except wife. With view to supplying the deficiency, I ask Q correspond ence with some respectable young lady, hoping to persuade her to
 "Share my cottage, gentle maid.
 It only waits for thee
 To add a sweetness to its shade
 And happiness to me-"
 References exchanged.
 ALEXANDER GRAvILLE- "I answered that advertisement" said Al .1~ vol sr1 cs% vir rln covered trunk.
 'I was teacher in small private school in New York. The work was hard; the pay was poor. I had q stepmother at home and houseful of small half brothers and sisters. 1 wanted to get away. I-I-had had a-disappointment' the black eyes flled-"and l was un- happy. had read Jane Eyre and T. really thought that man might be anoth- CT Rochester. We corresponded. He gave the postmaster as reference. wrote to the postmaster, and he answered that MT. Graville's character and stand ing were all right. He had good farm, he was honest and paid his debts.
 "Mr. Graville wanted me to come on and be married at his home. 1 drew what money I had saved out of the saw ings bank, sold my watch and came on. My stepmother was glad to get rid of me. got here yesterday. He had said he would meet me at this landing-it would be pleasant ride out to his cot tage. had written letter just before left, saying when I would arrive. I found nobody to meet me. l asked the way to MT. Alexander Gravilles. No body could tell until an old darky sung out:
 "sDat white oman mus mean ole Sandy Gravel. He live back here in the swamp, but he ain't got no ca'age to send for nobody. Got nuthin but CT cyart. Hits here now. His son Ben driv' in to git some provisions
 Has he sonY l asked.
 Got a swarm of 'em,' was the an- swer. All done married but Ben.'
 My mind misgave me, but had no place to go to-no money, so hunted up Ben and told him was going to his fa- ther's house. He was freckled, patched, stupid looking young man. He looked at me with eyes and mouth open in amazement and was so bashful that re- trained from asking questions, Inever hinted to Ben that had come on to be his stepmother.
 "On we drove, over stumps and roots and gullies-through mud and swamps. It seemed to be 20 miles. At last we drew up before a dingy, two roomed house with shed at the back. A few scruggy peach trees and neglected grapevine were the only green things in the yard beside the weeds. A woman was milk ing a scrawny COW in front of the gate. She had her back to us and sunbonnet on. Two shock headed, barelegged chil- dren sat on the fence. They gave the alarm when they saw stranger in the cart, and man, who had been squatted in fence corner holding off the calf got | up and came toward us. "'That's pap,' said Ben. "He looked nearer 60 than 35. He was | grizzle and snaggle toothed; his neck was red and wrinkled. He came up te the cart. He was agitated and chewed his tobacco wonderfully fast. I got uI from the four sack.
 l ".I am Amelia Jones' | "He turned very red and told his son to carry the sack of flour into the house | "I wasn't expectin you,' he said. Its so long since you wrote.' ".You have deceived me- burst out You said you had 8 nice home, em powered in vines and fruit trees. You said you were 35. You said you had only two little girls. You said you were rich'-
 ".No, I didn't he interrupted. I said had 1000 acres of land-so have though big part of it is swamp. Acres don't make folks rich in these parts This ain't New York. I said was 85 I didn't say was few years over, fol Pm spry and young enough for any wo man. I said had two little girls ivir with me-safd nuthin about the boys They're all big fellows and married and gone, 'cept Ben. As for the house, ain't that a good house?-double pen and g shed to booti Don't leak unless it rains and got first rate chimney. And ain't ther a vine? And what's the matter with them peach trees-ain't ther fruitr
 "'And do you imagine any young we man in her senses would marry you an live hereY cried.
 "'Do I? We'll, there's no imaginatio about it. There's three women hay married me and lived here. Two of lem dead and buried, and yonder stand t'other. Icouldn't hear from you. Icor cluded you was playin me a Yanke l. trick; couldn't wait nohow So I maj ried Miss Susan Barnes, and if you sa she ain't 8 young woman in her sense why. she'----