The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1913-01-21

Bitter Experience Made
Her One
BY MARTHA A. HARDING


my aunt. She had made an unfortu-
nate marriage in her youth and had
been divorced Her husband was still
living. and she did not marry again.
One matrimonial experience was quite
enough for her. But she possessed a
fortune, and her husband, who was a
lawyer by profession. was on the
watch for any technicality that would
enable him to get any of It For in
stance, the laws of the state in which
she lived required that the husband
should join with the wife In conveying
real estate. My aunt owned the house
In which she lived. and her husband
would not join in deed conveying it
unless she would give him half the
amount of the purchase money.
My aunt did not wish to sell her
house, but the matter opened her eyes
to what she had to fear from her hus-
band, especially Ii he outlived her.
was to be her heir, and she dreaded
lest he should attempt to break any
will she should make in my favor with
a view to deprivfng me Of my inherit
ance
Her fears did not end here Sup
pose l should have the III luck she had
experienced in making a marriage
The idea was horrible to her Scarcely
a day passed that she did not remind
me of the dangers incurred in taking a
husband and always ended by advising
me to lead life of spinsterhood
These constant admonit1ons served to
defeat the purpose for which they were
intended. The quickest way to get a
young person to do anything Ia to warn
him or her against it Youngsters wish
to see ''the folly Of it, as well as their
seniors. There is another adage that
works in connection with this one,
Stolen fruit is the sweetest" / not
only wished to marry because my aunt
warned me not to do so, but l was
ready to enter upon love AFFAIR with
out her knowing It.
l was but seventeen when l met
Charlie Edison. and he showed predis-
position In my favor He was half a
dozen years older than and was con
sidered fine young man by all who
knew him.
Nevertheless ! question If our inti-
macy would have ripened into love had
/ not told him that my aunt was OPP
posed to my marrying any one. and
expected to be an old maid. My aunt's
action had the same effect on Charlie
that it had on me. He began to make
love to me at once, and experienced
the delightful sensation of eating stolen
fruit.
This was enjoyable only for a short
time. Love leads to matrimony, and
the first thing knew my delight was
turned to worry. Ny lover, who was
more farsighted than l, inferred that
II ! took step toward marriage with
out my aunt's consent she might cut
me OF from my expected Inheritance
did not think she would do that, but
the possibility Of her doing 1t troubled
me. Charlie was clerk with a salary
Of $40 a month. and he at least had
sense enough to know that marriage
between US on such an income meant
hard times ahead
But when two persons are violently
in love with each other prudence hides
her face. After much uibulation we
did what many youngsters have done
before us to their cost. We went to a
parson and got married, he alone know.
ing Of the marriage. Then l went home
and Charlie went home, and where
there was worry before there was now
misery.
1t happened soon after this that my
aunt's divorced husband attempted by
process Of law to get possession of a
certain piece Of property she owned by
means of paper he had induced her to
sign when they were living together;
or. rather, the attempt was to levy
biackmail. since he offered to " b
draw the suit If she would pay him
stipulated sum- This act so infatuated
her, so filed her with horror at what
she called the iron chains of matrimony
that she sent for her attorney and made
a new will. which prevented my get
ling possession Of her estate after her
death In case ! was then married. Her
object was to save me from the iron
chains. and this was the only way she
could effect that object.
No sooner had she made this new
Will than she Informed me of the fact
Imagine my establishment and my cha
grin. Ny first impulse was to throw
myself into her arms and confess. bIt
remembered that | had husband
with whom to consult, so only said:
well. annty. | suppose that makes
me an old maid
Rather say it insures you from the
persecution of some demon Of man.
When l told Charlie of what had
happened be was sick at heart. olam
ing himself for having deprived me Of
a fortune. But we were both young
and full of vigor. and before the end
Of our interview we agreed that we
would rather have each other than the
fortune. and since we couldn't have
both we were satisfied Our financial
outlook was not pleasing. but there is
more zest In having a world to con
Quer than having a conquered world
Our chief concern was what to do
In the immediate future. II con-
fessed to my aunt what i had done
she might tell me to go to my husband
and suffer the consequences Of my de-
ception. We are all prone to put of
an evil day, and Charlie and / con-
cluded to keep our secret and live the
lives we were living apart till such
time as we could see our way to set
up housekeeping in its simplest form.
1t was long while before my aunt
recovered from the effects Of her hus-
bands attempt sufficiently to cease
talking about it, inveighing against
matrimony and an occasional remark
to me:
''If ever I catch you listening to the
poisoned words Of any young rascal
I'll turn you out of the house." But
after awhile she ceased to get wrought
up over 1t and in time not to speak Of
It at ALL
Then the old lady was taken with an
Illness from which she was not des-
tined to recover. She had been very
good to me and loved me very dearly.
I felt 1t my duty as well as my choice
to devote myself to her comfort. While
doing this it was impossible for me to
meet my husband except at long inter
walls and then for brief interviews. My
aunt was very exacting and kept me
with her nearly all the while. More
over, l would not for the world have
her discover that had repaid her kind