The Washington bee., 1895-10-12

OF US all" specially me.
-Persis E. Darrow.
LOVE AND DISPARITY.
When Robert Kester's wife died at
the age of sixty-five, leaving toleraoiy
good-lookins widower some twenty
years her junior, everybody said that
as he had made her an excellent hus-
band. in spite of the disparity in their
ages. he could now with serene con-
science marry again. and this time
young woman. OF course, they expect
ed him to wait the year of propr1ety,
but they also expected him to begin to
take notice" almost Immediately, as
the girls of the community were prtnk-
ing and preening before the event was
a week old. That his late marriage
could have been anything but an en-
forced partnership was to them an i'm
possibility. With the arrogance OF
youth they argued that he could not
have been happy with a woman old
enough to be his mother. 1t would not
be at all surprising, they said, that
when he married again he should choose
sweet sixteen as an antidote to his first
disappointment. If he made a model
husband to an elderly wife, what an
ideal companion for youth and mex
perience!
Meanwhile Robert Kester went on the
even tenor of his way, not so much as
looking at spinster or maiden fair, or
troubling his head over the manifest
interest displayed toward him. He was
mourning sincerely the good woman
who had been taken from his home,
and who had made his life a most COM
Portable one. No question Of disparity
in age had ever come UP between them
since he had asked her to marry him
and she had reminded him that she
was twenty years the older.
You will be ridiculed, and will be
blamed" she said, and persistently re.
fused him.
Then he was very i'll from a long, tire
some fever, and she nursed him through
it. and he resumed his offer of mar
riage.
There is law against man marry
ing his mother" she said to this.
Then be my mother-in-law," he urg-
ed, "only take me for better and for
worse" and he quoted something that
Emerson had just then written, to the
effect that he who loves is in no degree
old
"Yes. but he says 'he'-that is for a
man."
man is part. If you will not say yes,
r III $Io ~, nd
You will be sorry"
In this fashion he urged his suit, but
she drew ludicrous picture of the aged
wife outliving the affection of her hus-
band, who found too late that he want
ed youthful society and amusement.
She even rehearsed all the unkind
things that would be sure to be said.
making them appear in their most
ridiculous light.
His answer included the illustrious
example of the Baroness Burdett-C
and at last she relented and they were
married.
If people expected the middle-aged
bride to put on youthful airs they were
disappointed. She was calm and digni-
fled. and her husband looked so thor
oughly satisfied that the gossips Were
heart-broken. The world was not eX-
cluded from their domain: neither was
1t exactly invited in. AS the years went
by Robert grew elderly and comforta-
ble-looking, possibly from association.
1t was noticed that when they gave
party, as they sometimes did. that he
went about with the young people and
entered into all their sports, and then
the gossips wagged their heads and
said, II told you sol" They could not
hear him say after the company had
gone:
isn't it a relief to be by ourselves.
mother? l tried to make myself agree
able as you asked me to. but 1t was
stupid trying. I wish we didn't have Io
entertain.'
lie called her mother" though no
child was theirs, and it was at times
pathetic to see how much he depended
on her "mothering."
One Sunday he had gone to church
a!une-an unusual event, but she had
insisted. It was the beginning of the
end that was coming to their long court
ship, and she wanted to be alone and
think it overflow best to tell him. And
he had come home, disturbing a con-
ference with God, to say this:
Mother, how could you let me go to
church with the legs Of my trousers
rolled up like that?"
My dear boy"-he was always her
"dear boy" to the last hand-clasp-
"how could I prevent you? You were
in such hurry you did not present
yourself for inspection"
"But you knew they were rolled I'D
the last rainy day"
And hadn't you the sense to roll
them down when it was dry? Why,
Robert, living with me must have
turned your BRAIN"
That was enough. He kissed her
with all the warmth Of a lover, and that
was as far as ever quarrel progressed.
A year passed, and not only was Rob-
ert Kester still widower, but he had
not even begun to take notice. He lived
in the comfortable house which had
been his home for many years, and it
was taken care of by a chore-woman
who came twice a day and cared for
the premises when he was absent. No
invitations had wheedled him out of his
solitude, and he had never noticed any
Of the sixteen-year-old girls who were
to succeed Mrs. Kester. All overtures
Of sympathy and respect were put
Sid Id fho al;