The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-01-08
A MATRIMONIAL
ASSOCIATION
BY HELEN r oCELsBY
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation. 1871.

You are invited to be present at meet
ing of bachelors and spinsters for the pur'
! pose of organizing matrimonial exchange
/ for elderly persons
Because that period at which persons
usually marry has passed there is no rea.
| son why marriage should be entirely Civ.
4 en- up. The exchange is intended for those
| who have before them a lonely old age
| that they may be thrown together with a
| view to forming matrimonial copartner-
ships for their mutual comfort.
Miss Weathersby thought the matter
over and concluded to attend the meet
ing. She was fifty-two, but did not
consider herself old enough to entitle
her to a membership to the exchange
Nevertheless she was very lonely and
ready to catch at any straw that might
bring her companionship.
On entering the room where the
meeting was held Miss Weathersby re-
ceived a shock. Men and women
whose hair was either sprinkled with
gray or had turned white were chat
ting together, any one of whom. she
thought, must be older than herself.
She was received by the chairwoman
Of the ladies' reception committee and
made bold TO express the opinion that
those she saw present were entirely
too old for marriage. To her aston
ishment the lady informed her that
most of the women present were her
juniors.
A gentleman was presented TO Miss
Weathersby, whose name she did not
hear. who began to chat with her, nat
urally choosing for a subject the pur
poses Of the exchange. Miss Wealth
ersby declared that she had come sim
ply from curiosity; that she was per
fectly satisfied with single life and
would not marry on any account.
Perhaps" said the gentleman,
years ago yon loved some young man
from whom fate separated you"
Rather say his own innate wicked
ness
And you were obliged to send him
awayg
II certainly was"
Sometimes in such matters the wo.
man liz partly at fault
THAT was not so in my case
II was dismissed by a girl loved,
| was but twenty-five years old, she
nineteen. She considered herself very
badly treated by me. felt sure that
she was Ia error. therefore IL yield
ed TO her | would not only make a
mistake in that instance, but be obIig
ed to continue yielding to her, right or
wrong. throughout our married lives.
Therefore | refused, and she dismissed
me-"
MY case was very different" said
Miss Weathersby. Il was entirely
right, and my lover was entirely
wrong. | had a brother who needed
my care. insisted on his living with
me after my marriage My lover very
selfishly declined the arrangement. |
naturally chung to my brother and let
my lover 60"
"Was your brother worthy of the
sacrifice of the happiness Of two per-
sonsT'
HE was"
"Affectionate unselfsh, honorable?'
''All these"
as he still living with your"
mo He died twenty years ago"
There was pause in the dialogue, |
during which the gentleman looked
at his companion and |
with a tinge OF melancholy in his eye. |
Then he said:
what would you think Of your ac-
ton il it could be proved to you that
your brother was unworthy Of the sac
rifice you made for him-a sacrifice |
that involved your lovers lifelong hap
piness?
mo such supposition is possible"
He drew forth his pocketbook and
took out a paper which he handed to
her. She read 1t, and every vestige
Of color left her face. 1t was con-
fession written many years before to
her lover by this same brother that
be had stolen money from him, the
being made on condition
that the debt was Cancelled and the
theft kept a secret. When Miss
Weatherby looked M she gasped:
And you are TOMB"
81 am Tom"
why did you not tell me of this
at the time 1t occurred?"
II preferred that you should choose
between me and your brother rather
han between me and a criminal. A
over, husband who is willing to be
second to any one is a weakling.'
From the time of her entrance into
he world to the present moment Miss
had been one Of those
who are best described by the
words. "She knows 1t ALL" This trait
vas strengthened by q strong will
rhe paper that trembled in her hand
lad produced in her revolution. 1t
anne late, but 1t left In her not one !
race of her former fault. From a .
ioness she had become a lamb.
Il beg your forgiveness for showing
'ou that paper" resumed the man. {
i had an object in doing so. For
wo decades | have lived In a foreign
ountry, Returning, received an in
-itation to join this exchange and ac-
identally learned that you were a /
member. ] came here with one OBJ 7
ect. to meet you. and that we should 6
neet Understandings ! preferred to S
xplain the past"
Al - - h.