The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1895-09-27

siaStS He was able to crumble IN The
dust the highest and strongest argu-
ments brought forward by cynical
bachelors that marriage is failure.
But vet, with all his devotion, he was
able to appreciate a pretty woman.
He kept this appreciation to himself.
In years time he had learned many
truths of whose existence he had not
even dreamed before. One of these
was that it was far better for mar
ried man to keep some things to him
self and to observe religious silence
on others One subject upon which he
kept religious silence was that of
praising pretty women in his wife's
hearing. When he had married her he
thought his wife the most beautiful
creature which the widest dreams of
a lovers fancy could conjure up, bet
after years constant association with
her he had been forced 70 acknowledge
to himself that there were others as
pretty and at last had decided that
some were even prettier, but that none
was better or sweeter he never
doubted.
His wife loved him with that fond
private affectionate contempt which is
common to all married women, and
which is the result of their tactful
management of apparently refractory
husbands who are all unconscious that
they are being managed But take
things all together, this husband and
wife were as happy together as are all
young couples who have been married
year.
One morning at breakfast, as his
wife, clad in a bewitching gown, was
pouring the coffee, the smart, white
aproned maid came in with the mail,
and amid the pile of letters was one
upon which his wife seized eagerly
and tore open with the unconventional
aid of the butter knife.
''0h, Jack" she said, joyfully, as she
read on with a smiling face, "Maude is
coming. You remember Maude?"
He did not remember Maude and
said so.
"Oh, yes, you do" his wife replied.
'She was my chum when you came to
see me before we were married. She
used to plague us by coming in when
we wante to be alone. Don't you re-
member"
Jack had dim recollection of a
small girl who used to make herself
'too confoundedly numerous" as Jack
had once said in a moment of exaspera.
ton, but her face he could not call to
mind. So he nodded and asked when
she was coming.
Tonight she says She does not
mention the train. There are two,
you know. 1 suppose she will take
the ten thirty-fve from Boston, where
she wants to do some shopping. ] am
so glad she is coming. We can have
such fun talking over old times and,
oh, lots OF things"
Jack folded his napkin, got his grip
and, accompanied by his wife. walked
TO the door which opens on the pretty
porch with the woodbin and the view
of the garden and the woods browning
the hill. The old familiar scene was
enacted at parting for the day. and
Jack went briskly down the path to
the road which leads to the railroad
station, stopped at the gate long
enough to look back and wave fare
well to the figure in the bewitching
morning gown which stood in the door
framed by the woodbine. He boarded
the train which took him 10 Boston at
just the same time every week day.
Jack was a young lawyer OF consider
able ability and already had a fairly
good practice in a profession which is
so overcrowded.
Every afternoon at, half-past five the
train started back from the big. smoky,
noisy Il. a. A. station, and every after
noon at twenty minutes past FIVE Jack