The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1922-01-26
Marion, the
Son-Daughter
~ MARTHA mewlLLlAMs

Another daughterl Seven in little
more than ten years What Is TO be
come ~ that family Is beyond me.
John and Noble ought 20 see that i
is actually criminal having family
~ this sort with 40 chance Of provid-
INK for IT," Mrs FORMER commented
freifully. looking up from the special
letter IN her hands.
Miss brave. her sp.nsier sister-ln,
law. said aciuy. seems like they're
proud Of their performanee-in such
hurry to let you know Of it,
"They are You should hear Mol
lie" Mrs. Former returned. says she
is 50 lucky--has never had 10 make
single set Of baby-elothes-justa iece
az time, as the first were handed
down And that she can be thrifty
without hurting the children In the
loast-they don't have to wear things
the least bit tigH-shoes even can
be passed on, SO no feet are cramped.
/ feel like shaking her-but what good
would IL do? John Is just as bad. !
asked him what under the sun he ex-
pected 10 become OF his family. He
only grinned and told me there might
he too many wometi but never In the
world could there be too many good
wives. Like Mollle, suppose he meant.
Anyway. he sounded mad TO me. No
girl can marry well II she Is not well
brought forward. Though ! cGn pos
sihly do something II ike Ia see them
grown. | doubt If enc Of the lock VIII
have looks enough ,r wit enough to
make her worth my bringing out
YOU'D have to dress hcr-and
everything. Brother Lisha would
never stand for that" Miss Brave said
reflectively.
Mrs FORMER cast up her eyes, say
ing piously: Life is uncertain. None
of us can count on IT,
II there was q note of regret over
the uncertainty II was too well masked
10 MI casual ear.
Mrs. Mollie Bryson's sole regret
over her seventh daughter was thar
she herself was not likewise a seventh.
That would mean untold luck for the
small adorable mlte-even better luck
than having come into place full of
loving welcome. John had fair sal
ary-they owned bit of home In
stead of having life insurance, so with
a trifle of savings against emergencies,
what need was there for worry?
Mrs. Fortner was Johns half-sister,
the rich woman of the connection, so
of course her attitude toward the Bry-
sons set the family tone. All hands
agreed that seven girls like stair steps
were next door TO a criminal offense-
one that fate could not afford TO leave
unpublished. Sparse visits to the Bry-
son home usually mitigated the visit
ors' harsh judgment. The girls were
adorable-rosy. radiant, reasonably !
obedient. sunshiny spirits singularly
alike, yet agreeably different. 1t was
not, after all, so strange that John, |
who had put by ambition to be an art
list for steady job. and that Mollie /
should say, looking az the flock: Beats |
everything | could ever have inn
agined." But once safe away prudence |
again preyailed-pity, kindly or acid,
was melted out to the reckless parents. |
Pretty girls, very pretty girls, with
sweet home voices, adorable dancing |
feet. and Madame Mollie's knack Of |
cookery, sewing and home-maklng, /
they were married out of hand, as II
were, before they came to nineteen; to
the rout and confusion of Mrs Fort
ner, by that time well-dowered wild
ow. who offered TO take Lenore, the
eldest, and give her a two years
chance 10 marry well-that is to say,
rich. Indeed there was candidate
almost in the ofling- Major Burke,
man Of millions, just turned sixty.
who had divorced one wife and bur
led another, hence was eager to find
a submissive and well-broktn third.
John Bryson was so foolish as TO re-
sent even a mention of him. saying
He shan't look at my girl-as for
anything else"
'But-think Of the alimony. If she
got 10 dislike him. Mrs. Former re-
a result of shutting
herself permanently away from her
brothers house.
With five married daughters john
Bryson chuckled over the fact that
there was neither a minister nor
millionaire among his sons-in-law.
True. one Of them, Joe Calverly. had
but they didn't hinder
his doing a mans part. Then HyInen
tumbled-instead Of carrying off Miss
Marian seriatim. his dart hit Baby
Bernice, just turned seventeen. Then
Tor the FIRST time, John and Mollie
cried hard. 1t did not in the least con
sole them that Marie said. trying to
siggle: Dad. don't spoil your beauty
you know you've got your son
laughter left"
For how long. / wonderT John
'aid, yicionsly. Marion swept him a
,urtsy. Years and years and years"
he said I'm serious-you must