The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-11-01

Dear Ned,-And so you've decided to
take unto yourself a wife? Good! That
part of the departure isn't open to de-
bate. And neither is your observation that
YOU feel that your wife will have a de
cided Influence" on your political career
But no being short of the Almighty is
able to give anything like safe guess
on whether that influence will DO of the
sort you are counting on. This is one of
the things as inscrutible as the mystery
of goodness.
Any fair sample of common American
womanhood is prize package for a
bachelor politician to draw. but when it
comes to the question of her Influence
on his career. one guess is as good as
another. And this uncertainty isn't mat
ter of the particular kind of feminine
loneliness that the woman in the case
happens TO represent. She may be as at
tractHe as lost bargain and as tact
full as brook trout, and still manage to
warp your political destiny until it cracks.
1 never see young politician push his
head into the matrimonial lariat without
thinking of young Flournoy. one Of the
first speakers out here, after the Ter
ritory became a State. His story shows
how woman's presence in the back
ground of politicians life can change
the whole fact OF the landscape.
When the Almighty put the finishing
touches to young F'iournoy's makeup and
hitched him up for life's heat. he checked
him high. You remember that thorough
bred Kentucky colt used to drive the
first year ! occupied the Executive Man
sion? Head up; ears forward; set on n
hair trigger, and ready to shy at butter
fly; and so sensitive that a harsh word
would throw her into the dumps for
whole day. Ii had that little m',re now,
I'd call her "Flournoy" The young man
was as proud as q girl with her first long
skirt and as ambitious as Luclfer. He
had good ranch and kept severely to
himself until little school teacher with
fnappy, gray eyes, dimplos and cleft
chin. came from New York to teach Dis
trict Mo- 10. ! never saw bucket of
water bring a gopher out of his hole
quicker than that mite of a schoolmarm
brought Flourroy out Of his shell. He
spruced UP amazingly and never passed
the school house or the place where she
boarded without wearing clothes that
would have graced wedding.
Right al the start the young man got It
into his head that Miss Dove was mado
of superior clay, ana that her blood was
bluer than a royal milestone. 1t never
occurred TO him, for an instant that a
good. clean, young chap like himself
was worthy to come into her presence or
could be of the slightest poss BILE interest
to her unless he could do some knightly
stunt that would specially entitle him to
her condescension. There's no doubt that
the girl was so dead lonesome and home
sick that she would have gwen her shoes
for the companlonship. pf q man like
Fiournoy, and would have primped In
front of the glass for an hour II she had
been given any reason TO suspect tina.
he might call.
But the young rancher conrD..ed Ia
adore at a distance and to lie awake
nights scheming about how he could dis
tinguish himeel. In the eyes OF his lady.
9 There wasn't very much doing in the
way OF opportunity for old.fashsned he
4 roles Just then and there, the prairies re-
fused 10 burn, ramps kept shy of the
country for fear OF being SET 10 work,
4 not II dog went mad no Yiaif; fIsred In
suits to the little school tencher, and alto
sether there wasn't the slightest chance
Z for her knight to rush in and rescue her
from Insult or peril.
Perhaps you think Flournoy didn't
figure on any OF these things That's
because you mover saw him. one glance
into his big black eyes was like reading
u whole historical romance at n gulp.
You may take my word for II that there
\ wasn't dramatic possibility that this
adoiing lover hadn't figured on. He saw
the whole situation through age of chNul.
rs eyes, and all he needed 10 III him for
= 4 knight was little scrap Iron clothing
and good deal II bad language
But In the absence OF any better field