The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1911-01-21

beat like trip hammer. l considered
that had been a marvel of bravery.
wondered how | had dared do 1t.
What avail Is 1t for the old to at
tempt to instil their ideas, their fears.
periences-into the young? 1t did not
enter my head that this delicate crea-
ture would ever be aught but thing
Of beauty and Joy forever. My I'M
cle's prophecy had no more effect
upon my heart than a drop of rain on
my cheek. From the moment l saw
her pick up the flower | had not the
changed man-boy. / grew bold as
lion. A few days later went to
school with a bunch Of violets In my
hand and on meeting her did not fear
marvel Of courage that ! waste
toss them to her. She caught them.
and the smile she gave me set my
heart aflame.
her work as quietly as II an old cur
mudgeOn was not attempting to
thwart her, as unconcerned as the vio-
let's tossed to the maiden with whom
she designed should fulfill her inten-
lions. OF what importance to me
were my uncles warnings that this
sweet creature was a reptile with poi
son In her breast? And what booted
1t that ! had made a contract with
him never to marry? Marry? What
had my love to do with marriage? 1t
was love-love absolutely pure-that
had taken possession Of me. Mar
riage was something to be considered
when 1 should reach what to me was
an advanced age. And the girl! Be
tween her and that something which
falls to the lot of older people was
still the gulf of some five or six years
an interminable period.
But time was passing more rapidly
even than one realized. Before we
had had time to come to that COM
paratively prosaic period when young
people begin to talk of the love they
feel-an advanced stage on the road
to commonplace matrimony-we were
separated. l going to college, she to a
seminary. However, there were four
years before us of love dreaming.
have always thought that we were
especially fortunate that the period of
feeling was so long in giving way TO
that Of speech. There is in the former
delicious doubt. a fear that there
will nothing come of 1t all. a dread
that at any time we may hear that the
loved one has entered into another
such world far more beautiful than
the first and leaving horrible void fol
the forsaken one.
When We returned. an educated mar
and a woman. all was changed. The
flower had opened. but there were {
lot Of thorns bristling about it. knew
that the result of love was marriage
and between me and marriage stood {
. fortune. Still was no wise old man
l was merely one beginning life an,
endowed with the propensities bestow
ed upon mankind. 1 felt in homo
bound since my uncle had brought m
up for certain purpose under certain
conditions to fulfill those conditions
I was now old enough to realize tn
responsibilities l was under and tina
q carrying out of the contract with m
uncle would involve the loss to me o
my love. On one side of me wa
Sylla, on the other Chaubdis.
Though ] was twenty-one l was n
wiser in love than when l was six
teen, and my uncle. who was past fifty
; was greater fool as regards sue
matters than l. The truth is the fal
= Their we get from that period when ma
ture intends we shall mate the less w
J know about mating. When we are Il
+ it we and it are the truth; when W
| pass beyond it we know it by cold eS
perience only. The boys and girls t
A whom in other matters we may b
solons, in matters of love can &C
what we cannot even feel.
t This analytical statement is prelin
mary to confession. The first thin
: knew l was married clandestinely.
The marrying occupied about thre
} minutes, the ragged edge period tina
J, followed occupied months. Commo
t sense should have told me to arrang
: the matter with my uncle first an
L marry afterward. But common sens
! is very sparing of visits to young pee
Il pie. 1t is supposed to be a naturs
e faculty, but Lam inclined to think
o an artificial faculty. What does a pal
!. of doves know about common sense!
|, After our clandestine marriage W
e lived in a perpetual whirl between a
d ternate bliss and mental torture.
e least did. My wife. with the deligh
full stupidity of woman. said it woul
d come out all right. Her predictio
l. was followed by my uncle's suddenl
1. falling dead of heart disease.
d Here was a pretty kettle of fish!
It was his heir under pledge of bachelo
o hood, and l was married. However,
It was glad that the blow had fallen.
Is was tired of living under false colors
/ Then what happened? Why. whe
e the will was read it was found tn;
the bulk of his estate was left to n
E. and under condition. What cond
ton? Why, that l marry before
could inherit a cent of his none
y There was codicil leaving the incon
st Of $4,000 to a Miss Arabella Wa