Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1896-02-27

arch and we his ministers. We think
better Of ourselves in these days than
we ever thought before or ever will
think again. We strut about little
space puffed with the idea of our i'm
portance, or stagger about drunk with
our ambitious dreams. And then
some bright morning we wake up to
find that we were all wrong-that
the universe wasn't made just for US,
and that love after all III not-but this
is not telling my story.
was just 20 when ] met Vivian
Meredith, and as full of all the foolish
and romantic notions that are COM
mon to that adolescent period as l
could be. She was indeed lovable
girl. l met her fist at party given
by my dear friend, Mrs. Horace Hab,
berton, and on inquiring who she was
was told by my hostess that she was a
"poor young woman of good family,
who wrote for the papers"
l was not poor and didn't write
things for the papers, but liked peo-
pie of that description, especially
when they looked like Miss Meredith,
so I sought and secured an early in
PRODUCTION to her. She was as charm
ing as she looked. Everything she
did was we'll done. She dressed well,
she talked well and she danced we'll.
have before intimated to you that
| was not literary. But I was fairly
we'll off in this worlds goods, and
amply able to support some one who
was literary. Then, besides | was 90.
So the idea took sudden and violent
possession OF me to have for wife a
woman who wrote things for the pa
pers, and who, placed beyond the
necessity of scribling for her daily
bread, might yet follow her bent and
make the name of "Jones" famous.
And to my mind Vivian Meredith
seemed just the person to do this. ]
thought of name-it was pretty one,
and thought it would look we'll, with
my surname sufixed, signed to a
story or magazine article. Vivian
Meredith ones! Pray think of It'll
With the hyphen between the Mere
dith and the Jones-I insisted on the
lhyphen-wouldn't 1t be tae very per-
lection of literary cognomens?
! The upshot of it all was that I fell
in love-or thought l had-wlth the
little blue stocking. She was very
gracious to me and SO began to hope.
thought that from feminine gracious
ness to love was not far cry, and SC
l had not only hoped, but was elated.
Such thing may happen at 20, you
know.
She had quaint little house down
on Tenth street, where she lived with
her mother and one servant and where
after q while began to be frequent
visitor. l found in the Widow Mere,
dith high bred, delightful old lady,
who talked with familiar ease of the
most prominent of our old families.
and musing over my cigarette, | con-
cluded that I might do much worse
in the way of family.
| Meanwhile the discovery began tc
dawn upon me that | was not the only
one who was seeking Vivian Meredith
with Intentions. On several occasions
at the house on Tenth street had
met another caller, a strong-faced
earnest looking young fellow, Halli-
day by name. found upon inquiry
that he also was poor and "wrote
things for the papers. Vivian was
very gracious to him also and hel
mother treated him as quite favorite
liked Halliday, but did not like
their attitude toward him, SO | told
Alsbury about it. He was sort of 9
friend and mentor Of mine. He was
q worldly bachelor, 40 and withal
cynical. He laughed at my appre-
tensions and said: "You are rich
are you not? Halliday is poor. Ev.
erything is in your favor, for money