The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1903-11-13
ONE coURrsHIP.
rive Pretty Much Made Up My Mind
to Get Married"

November Century: Susan and Mrs.
LatArop were great friends, although
there was some eight or ten years differ
ence in their ages. Susan was AZ, but
Mrs, Lathrop har married young, and this
fact caused her to feel ever youthful, and
thus to be companionable to her girl
friend over the fence. Then, too. ever
since the death of Mrs. Clegg, some
twelve years before. Mrs. Lathrop's ad-
vice had ben Indispensable to the others
ignorance. 1 dare say there are some
who may smile just here and consider
tina at 80 Miss Clegg should not have
needed much motherly counsel; but until
one has really arrived at the age Of 30
it Is impossible to convince one how really
immature said age is. and I can personal
ly vouch for the fact that a mother Is
Just as handy to have about then as she
is at any earlier period.
Mrs. Lathrop had always had a good
deal of time to devote to her friends af-
fairs, because her family consisted Of but
one son, and she was not given to that
species of housekeeping which sweeps I'M
der the beds too often. Miss Clegg had
somewhat less time. because her father
(wavertng between 70 and S) was a bed
ridden raralytic, and had been so for over
twenty years. He was Of necessity a
great care, aad she did her duty by him
both vigorously and consclentiously; but
the years in bed had led her to confound
the bed with the father and to refer to
them both as one united factor in her
domestic economy. Friday morning she
always tore herself away from the fence
with the remark, well, I must be gettin'
back to beat father up an put him on his
clean Sheets" and such phrases as I've
got father into new piilow-slips," or
Next spring I mean to have fathers hair
picked over an get him a new tick" were
ever rife on her lips. She was generally
very cheerful and quite resigned to her
lot, but occasionally she had a spell of
feeling that the world had more to offer
than she was getting.
IF father should live to be a hundred"
she said enc afternoon in June, as she
and Mrs. Lathrop held a parley on the
borderiine Of their respective Kingdoms
"if father should live to be a hundred, I
wouldn't stand much show O. gettin' mar
ried afterward. I'd be 60. an. even with
a good new wave, GO is CO."
Mrs. Lathrop chewed her clover.
Nobody but a man O. Os goin' to mar,
ry me at 90. That'd make me bury father
to begin on some one else. I got to think
in about 1t last night, an Nv been keep
In on this mornin', too, an l can see tina
If l want to get married at all, I'd better
de it now. There's no time like the pres
ent. This worlds made for the young's
wells for the old. Besides, II 1 do it be-
fore cold weather, he'll pay for half Of
x winters fuel. Then l could make
my things along durin' tho SUMMER
amt got nothin' to sew on since 1 fin
ished my dress for the funeral. You ought
to see that dress. Mrs. Lathrop; it's just
as nice. 1 put it away with campher
balls, an stuffed newspaper in the
sleeves. There's nothin' to do when ia
ther dies but shake it out and lay it on
his bed-'cause O. course that day father'u
have the guest room-an' the black gloves
an two black trimmed pocket handker-
chiefs is all ready in the pocket"
Mrs. Lathrop took a fresh clover.
$50 I've pretty much made up my mind
to get married, an I'm goin' to set right
about it. Where there's a will there's a
way. 1 amt goin' to leave a stone I'M
>urned, either"