The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1913-03-08

Ny father died when Twas six years
old and my mother two years later. At
my mothers death / went to live with
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, tie laws of the state in which
she lived required that the husband
should join with the wife in conveying
real estate. Ny aunt owned the house
in which she lived, and her husband
would not join in deed conveying II
unless she would give him half the
amount ofthe purchase money.
Ny 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 il he ontlived her. j
was TO be her. heir. and she dreaded
lest he should attempt to break any
swill she Should make in my favor with
F1anRiew.to depriRings mezofan8 inherit
.ance. ..z--...-.- E.
Her fears did not end here. Sup
pose should have the i'll luck she had
experienced in mailing 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 sptnsterhood.
These constant admonitions served to
defeat the purpose for which they were
intended. The quickest way to get a
young person to do anything is to warn
him or her against 1t. Youngsters wish
to see 1.-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 I was
ready to enter upon a love AFFAIR with,
out her knowing It. aoy ,s.at ,iS&tsi
K II wasatbut seventeen when /, met
/ Charlie Edison, and he showed. a ,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. 4 t'dtsa2, sf' e p%aiil91l
Nevertheless q question fnour intl-
macy would have, ripened into love had
l not told him that my aunt was op.
posed TO my marrying any one, and j
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. .sra, s,s,,a
This was enjoyable only for short
time. Love leads to matrimony, and
the first thing / knew my delight was
turned to worry. My lover, who was
more farsighted than 1, inferred that
II took a 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 it troubled
me. Charlie was clerk with salary
of $40 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 tribulation we
did what many youngsters have done
I before us to their cost. We went to a
parson and got married, he alone know.
ing Of the marriage. Then / went home
and Charlie went home, and where
there was worry before there was now
misery,
It Unopened soon after this that my
aunts 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
blackmail, since he offered to with.
draw the suit il she would pay him a
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.
ting 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 astonIshment and my cha.
grim. My first impulse was to throw
myself into her arms and confess, bat
remembered that / had husband
with whom to consult. so only said:
= well, aunty. / suppose that makes
me an old maid
/ 4'Rather say it insures you from the
nnrcanufior ~ so,,Sa 5nr,az - . ..stl