The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-02-09
The EUenir1g Story

The Evening Story
Her Last Match.
(By Lawrence Alfred Clay.)
1t was said of Aunt Mary Baker of
Wellsviile. shortly before she died It
a good old age, that she had made
more matrimonial matches than any
five women in the state combined.
She was only thirty-five years OF
age when her husband died. and in
stead of looking solemn for q year and
then marrying again. which she could
have done. she said to herself:
mo. no. There il work to be done
and my mission shall be to do it,
Did she mean that she was going
into the cause Of temperance? That
she was going to smash show windows
and set houses afire in the cause OF
woman's rights? That she was going
to work up taste for mutton instead
OF missionary in the cAnnibal islands?
That she was going to furnish q hum
dred bucksaws and a like number OF
sawbucks and coax the tramps of
America to take off their coats and
get up q sweat?
Nothing of the sort. She wasn't
even going to give q turkey dinner
to one hundred poor families and
give half of them q collie from over
eating.
Aunt Mary's mission was to be the
bringing together of loving hearts and
stand by them until a minister had
made one heart out OF the two. The
hearts wouldn't be loving hearts ex-
actly until brought face to face. a. 1t
were. They would first be lonely and
discouraged hearts.
the males and females who stood q
fair chance with their natural attrac-
tiOns. but to search out those on whom
nature had vented her spite by giving
them homely faces. lop shoulders, pro-
tubing teeth. bowlegs and other ham
dicaps. 1t was not only q merciful
mission, but a glorious one.
Aunt Mary was called home at the
age OF seventy-tWo. and the number
of matches she had arranged since
she took up the business averaged
two per year. She lived with rela-
whim. and she drove about the coun-
try with an old horse and buggy look
ing for despairing hearts. Many a
widow would have been glad of her
assistance. but she would not give
it. When she had heard Of a home
~ old maid. living from five to twen-
ty miles away. Aunt Mary would
drive to the address and introduce
herself
Il have come to arrange a mar
rage Tor YOU"
but I am SO homely that no man |
ever even walked home from prayer |
meeting with me-" might be the re-
ply.
Yes, you are very, very homely, |
but hope to find q husband for YOU
He will be as homely as you are, but
you must expect that. Homely men I
and women make the best husbands
and wives. You look to me to be q
sOOd-hearted woman"
They say am
Are you quick-tempered?"
Good at housework?"
II am told So"
How about romance?"
I've got over expecting a prince
o come along"
"And the age is about thirty-five ?"
about that. but this is making a
business of getting married, isn't 1t ?".
my DEAR" replied Aunt Mary, eff
vou were only eighteen you would fall
n love with q young man because
lie wore cute necktie. A youth of
wenty would fall in love with you ,
ensible marriage you must mingle =
BUSINESS with it, at least enough to
NOW how the first months rent il to :
'e paid. :
sked.
Il don't know yet, but shall find !
ne for you.''
And good Aunt Mary would go 7
irving about the country asking: do =
GU happen to know of q homely I
7idower or old bach?" n
How homely must he be?' t
''Wel1, homely enough to scare a t
ow out of the road. II he isn't SO a
cry homely in the face then he must \
ave bowlegs and be humpbacked.' y
And she would hear Of a man that
hight fill the bill, and she would trail
i'm down and talk to him, and 1t gen.
rally ended in a marriage. 1t was
aid that she had only three failures
l all those years, and one of them
ecause an old maid fell into q WE'LL
nd froze to death.
AT length Aunt Mary set out to
lake her last match. She didn't
now that it was to be her last, but
le realized that she had grown old.
he had run across an old forty-year-
Id that for h0melinesS beat all who
ad gone before. She took a sensible
Jew of the situation, however.
kpect q man to marry me unless he
anted to exhibit me as a side show
eak," the maid admitted.
Then you are aware Of your
oks ?"
when 1 can drive the pigs out of
lie garden by merely showing my
.ce at a broken window pane. hadn't
ought to be aware ?"
But it isn't the handsomest wife
TAT makes home the happiest Ma
re gives every man and woman a
cling that they want home. Even
e birds have that feeling homely
I'd as well as q handsome one. Some
an is waiting for you to help make
home"
Then he'd better hurry up before on
e Judgment day arrives" laughed m
e old maid. AZ
As Aunt Mary had about resolved 81
at this should be her last case and ",
her eyes told her that this was the 81,
lmeliest woman In the limited States al