The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1894-12-13

clergyman's residence one Friday aft
ernoon- "how they do come about,
to be sure! Seems to be a special Prov
idence in 'em-somet times for blessin
and sometimes for a cuss."
Mostly for a cuss, " said Miss Jones,
still a spinster at sixty-fve.
And two people, or any one of two
people, can make a marriage a curse
or a blessing, as they choose, after the
ring is on" said Mrs. Brown.
Until that horrid word obey is
struck out of the service" began Miss
Jones. 81 feel sure"
81 don't see why that should bother
you" cried Aunty Smith.
''Aunty Smith is right about one
thing" interrupted the minister's
wife in her turn, perhaps to avert the
impending squabble. The most un-
expected matches are always being
made. Just the people we think ought
to come together never do; and just
the people whose names we never
couple, do 1t for themselves. Now,
twenty years ago no one would have
fancied that | would be Mrs. Calvin
Richards. I'm sure ! wouldn't have
believed prophecy to that effect my
self"
''Why, I've alters said you were sent
down from Heaven ticketed for each
other--vou'n the dominic" said Aunt
Smith.
''If we were" said Miss Richards, 81
had certainly lost my ticket. l was a
very lively girl Aunt Smith. l loved
to dance and sing, and enjoy myself
generally. | dotted on good play
here Miss Jones was heard to groan
quietly over her back stitching--'a
| had beaux enough with tastes like
my own. A clergyman's wife ! had
often vowed l never would be. And
felt more certain about it than ever
whenever my father entertained
clergymen. They were, it seemed to
me, never young and never handsome.
Their very smiles were solemn and
they generally had weak lungs"
Yes, poor dears, that's very true,
said Aunty Smith. About the lungs,
/ mean"
81 had notion" said Mrs. Richards,
that to be very handsome a man must
be little wicked. The handsomest
man | ever saw was gambler. When
l was little girl, nine or ten years
old at most, an old uncle of mine had
said to me once as | stood at the win
dow of his parlor in New York: Emma,
did you ever see gambler That's
one. His name is Thompson 1t was
as though he had said: Did you ever
see Satan?' I stared with all my might
and l have never forgotten the face |
saw then. That gambler said l.
oh, uncle, it can't be- She knows a
handsome man when she sees one,
already, said my uncle. And l always
did" laughed Mrs. Richards. when
l was girl l looked first at a man S
face and then at his figure, and, if
they did not suit me, | never asked
about his virtues. As for his talents,
Idon't believe that either man or wom-
an ever fell in love with talent yet.
And you know" continued Mrs Rich
ards, Mr.. Richards is not handsome
man"
Aunty Smith remarked, with great
truth that beauty was only skin
deep" and Mrs Richards went on:
Hes portly now, though, and wears
whiskers. He is very much improved
indeed, outwardly. Has will of his
own, and shows it. He hasn't weak
lungs at forty-five. But when | first
saw him he was pale and thin and
nervous and had bad cough. And,
though, as pastor of our church, | saw
him every Sunday, forgot him every
Monday. Anyone | knew seemed more
likely to please me than he did. And
when he first began to call on me, I've
many time been wicked enough to
send down word that l was out and
hide in the closet; while ma, who had
not heard me give the message to the
servant, looked for me in all the rooms
of the house.
The young man used to run about
with most drank himself to death ten
years ago; but he had cheeks like
peaches then and eyes as blue as a
baby's And how he could sing! And
| went down on my knees AMI thanked
God, when l heard the news. that it
was not [ who wept over his grave the
day they buried him.
But I'm running away from my
point Mr.. Richards preached to me
Sundays and called on me Thursdays
and took tea with us over and over
again, and my heart never went pita-
pat once on his account. / began to
respect him greatly and to think he
spoke well in the pulpit and to feel
sorry for him somehow, though |
couldn't say why, but nothing more.
And Jack Falconer took me out to
ride, and viii Hunter rowed me
across the river, and young jefferson
sent me bouquets and all that was
enough TO put pale young fellow
with low voice and no idea of gal
lantry and not bit of impudence in
him out of any woman's head entirely.
And to crown all, there came upon
my birthday-my nineteenth birthday
"a present OF watch and chain from
my uncle in New York and an invita-
ton to spend the winter with his wife
and himself. A gay winter it would
be, knew.
Il had my new watch in the parlor,
showing it to Fanny Peel that Thurs
day, when he rang the bell-and, as l
had my hair in papers, ran away.
t., l. ,,,N