Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1897-07-02

IHulON.
Margaretta was a handsome and
prepossessing girl; though even in
those days she showed some slight ten
dency toward that richness of form and
feature which she has since abundant
~ realized. You have never met the
bishops wife: All, well! She has
long measured a good forty five inches
round the waist and is now the Dos
SCISSOR or four chins. But in her girl
hood she was pretty and fascinating.
and slight. and not "A few local bloo,ls
were enamorcd of her. These local
b!oods, however. We're all of the plcbs
plebian, and Margaretta was "A girl
OF aspirations. She wanted to escape
altogether from the sortlid vulgarity of
marlborough society and to blossom
into some more select and fashionable
| sphere. Thus, at least, she frequently
contided to my wife. who. womanlike,
aided and allotted her in this ambitious
folly.
MY wife was talking to me about
Margaretta one day. She was deplor-
ing the fact that there was no well
born and bred young men in Pembor-
ough to marry the poor girl, and re-
move her into that higher circle in
which she was SO we'll qualified to
shine. And said, laughingly:
There's the vicar. He's splendidly
| connected. Why shouldn't she make
a match Of it with the vicar?'
-, 81
! But my wife ITO whom this was evil
IDENTITY new idea) took it quite serious
| ly.
TO be sure she cried. clapping her
| hands. There's the vicar. l wonder
have never thought of him. OF course,
| he's the very man.
Il laughed aloud at the eager serious
| ness with which she said it,
MY DEAR l told her, I was only
! joking. You don't suppose that the
vicar would look at Margaretta, do
your
"'And why not" demanded my wife.
bridlng. 'Margaretta Is good enough
for any man.
"'Perhaps So observed. Far be It
from me to depreciate Margaretta. But
! you see, my dear, the vicar is not Il
| marrying man. In fact, for all his fiirt-
| ing propensities, he is as confirmed a
| bachelor as l have ever come across
lit is crying scandal that such
a man should be a bachelor exclaimed
my wife, in an indignant tone. 4 call
| it outrageous
Especially with girls like Margaret
ia about suggested, slyly.
But my wife was in no mood for
testing over this affair.
~ wish you wouldn't make Jokes
out of everything she retorted, quite
Grossly 1t is scandalous that the vicar
should remain bachelor. 1t ought
not to be allowed. Everybody admits
| that it Is the bounden duty OF a bene-
feed clergyman to marry. Look what
an invaluable help wife is IN par
ish! You can't deny that, can your
"'Certainly not, my dear. 1t is quite
indisputable.' l assented, for 1t was
after dinner. l was spelling for my
nap, and it was my hope that If l al
lowed my wife to silence me in argu-
ment she would let the discussion drop.
| Wherein, to my great thankfulness,
| was not deceived.
But although no more was said on
! the subject just then. this idea which
| l had so lightly moOted and which my
wife had jumped at with such eager
ness was not allowed by that persever-
| ing angel to rest The keenness with
which she threw herself into her new
scheme, the energy with which she set
| herself to execute it, excited my su-
preme wonder and amusement. No lit
! tie dodge whereby the vicar and Mar
garetta might be brought together was
| too barefaced for her; no little preteXt
was too fiimsy. She inveigled the rev.
erend gentleman into little dinners,
luncheons, teas, picnics, at which it
| was invariably managed that he should
be brought into close proximity with
Margaretta. She made them partners
at tennis and crOquet, at whist and
| four handed chess. The vicar evident
ly enjoyed all this-as pastime-for
Margaretta was very pretty. But while
he flirted with her. decorously and as
a clergyman should, and even some
times went rather farther than a cler-
gyman should, he never went, nor nad
| any idea of going, to the length which
Margaretta pinned for.
"You, my dear fellow, are married
man, and you know the ways Of wom-
en-. You will, therefore, feel no sur
prise to hear that neither Miss Barker
nor my wife thought for minute Of
being content with these impractical
hirtations. Nor will 1t cause you the
smallest sensation Of wonder to be in
formed that the entire blame for the
wears declining to toe the scratch was
shuntcd on to me. If had been half a
man. etc, If had cared n fraction of
q straw for my wife's peace Of mind.
etc, If had been at all like some 9TH
err husbands she knew etc. However,
YOU, being married, have all this, of
course, at your fingers ends, so will
not go into that part Of it. Nor will l
dwell upon the piteous accounts given
p,o bu my v,jfa If NOR Narraretfa' g