The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1918-05-28

~, Judge. Ih1nk OF your children. EV-
cry one of them would be furious with
me as well as with you. / can't i'm
! agine what put this marryin' notion Ill
your head. In the first place every
body'l be laughing at you If you
should marry again. Then there'H he
howl from the children and lastly
You are too old and have got too many
mortgages on you. And you ought TO
be thinking about religion, too, and
preparin' yourself for the hereafter
instead Of filling your old head with
all these here lovesick notions"
you talk mighty hard Miss Dinah,"
said the judge, who was visibly dis
couraged and who, as he sat in the
moonlight, did look very old and lone
ly. "If you jes knowed how hard 1t
was to me to kill time on my place
with nobody but the servants there,
you'd change your idee about my bein'
so silly; but I've laid the case before
you and If you won't give me no de-
cision tonight, I'll ask you to consider
1t and give me an answer when come
again"
Every well, I'll do that; but in the
meantime you had better consider
what I've been a-sayin' to you before
you come again. You just take about
a. week and steddy it over"
As she went into the house the pic
ture of her aged sutton, departing sad
ly to his desolate home, remained with
her; and in her room she spoke to her
sister-in-law in this vein: yes; he
asked me to marry him, but I didn't
| give him no answer. He's too old te
marry, and I'd be a goose If did but
then he does live a lonesome kind Of
life. That old man certainly does
need heipmate; and then he set me
to thinlin' about myself Here I am
nearly fifty years old without a home.
and I've been forcin' myself very like
ly on lot of young people that didn't
want me. l suppose it's time for me to
! quit It, Well, Jonadab-I mean the
judge-wants me to be his'n OF course
l give the best advice I could and told
him he was a fool to think Of marry
ing; and I've done full duty I never
let on to him about 1t, Maria, but
Jonadab has actually convinced me
that I ought to git married, and I'd
Just as soon marry him as any other
man I know; and he's soft-hearted
critter, too, and so guess I'll take
him. He's powerful close reasoner.
Jonadab Is. and he's got me persuaded,
though he don't know it yet"
On the evening when the Judge was
to have returned for his answer Miss
Dlnah had arrayed herself with a lit
tie more than her usual care in antici-
patton of the VISIT. After supper she
took her seat upon the porch which,
| by wise provision, had been surren-
dered to her, and she was enjoying the
| balminess Of the night and meditating
upon her hest plan of surrender when
the barking Of little terrier at the
front gate announced the arrival of
negro boy. He brought with him a let
ter for Miss Dinah, 1t was from dc
jedge, an dar warn't no answer"
Miss Dinah took the letter into the
house, thinking IT was anything but
what 1t was, for this is what the Judge
wrote:
Dear Miss Dinah-I have been
thinking over what you said to me the
other night. l have went over the
pints seriathim, as the lawyers say,
and your argument is like yourself,
perfect You have convinced me that
I am an old fool and that amt got
no business with new wife at my
time of life. amt got so much relig-
ion as I oughter have, and I'm a-going
to get some more. You are right, Miss
Dinah, and you've convinced me that !
was wrong. If you ever need a friend.
call on the undersigned. l hereby with
draw my suit for the hand Of the most
sensible woman / know. Yores to
command,
"JONADAB BOGGS,
"Justice of the Peace"