Year: 1865

choose their wives is wonderful to me-
they seem to bestow more trouble and
pains upon the choice of coat. One or
two instances which have lately come to
my notice will account for the charge 1
have brought against the lords of creation;
but only some of them, for others, finding
none good enough, and by remaining old


bachelors, and it is best they should, for
men Of that sort would have worried an
gels had they happened to marry them.


Then there is young Mr. Balmayne.


[ am sure [ never thought he would have
done so we'll as he has after that impru-
dent hurried marriage of his, and the heir
to so much. But it's all right now, and
| I'll tell you how it came to pass.
You must know that Mr.. Balmayne had
not much to do last winter in town, when


he was up with his father, who was i'll of
the gout; so he used to spend good deal


of his time looking out of the dining room


window; and as his father has one of those
elegant houses in Piccadilly, of course he


saw great many people pass by during
| the day.


One morning it rained very hard-quite


pelt; and, as he was at his post, he saw


pretty girl run across the road from the


park, straight to the porch which was over


the front of his fathers house. She had


no umbrella; so, of course, Mr.. Balmay-


mes first impulse was to lend her one
| He put on his hat and coat, just as if he


was going for walk himself, and opened
the door.


She really was very pretty, and very
wet. She would not come in to be dried,


for she was in hurry to get home; so, as


the offered umbrella was heavy one, Mr..


Balulayne carried it for her himself. She


was girl of good family but very poor
that evil worse than sin is in the eyes
of some people. However, to make long


story short, Mr.. Balmayne married her


before the season was over; and, more


than that, he told his father that such was


his intention. This brought on another


fit of the gout, and the old gentleman


vowed and declared that he never would


see her. Matters were In this fix till il


was time for the shooting season to COM


mence; and as the moors were in capita
order, and large party coming to the ole


gentleman highland box, Mr. Balmaynt


must come with him and leave his beauti
ful young wife behind. This grievet
him sadly; bat at last a bright idea occur
t red to him, which he carried out, as W


shall see, for this is true story.
| At the Easton Square railway station
e when Mr.. Balmayne arrived with his faith
j er, there was such rush for seats tina


they had some difficulty in finding one


and as for carriage to themselves, tha


was out of the question; but they secure


q compartment which, as we all knos
S contains only four. One lady was alread
f in this one, but, with the old gentleman
f innate politeness, he would not hear Q
y her moving, though, as his gouty foet wa
f obliged to be placed on the opposite, seat
y there was only just room for them.
fl The lady sat by the old gentleman, an
: the son opposite to her. The lady. wa
: very pretty and seemed SO sorry and SYN
g pathizing whenever twinge of the gor
e forced strong expression from the oil
: gentleman, that at last he began to tax


some notice of her and to talk to her.
b The young man, absorbed in his news
n paper, left them entirely to themselve
a and before they had reached York the
r were quite good friends. 1t so happene
d that the young lady, too, was going
l. spend the night at York. AS she W;
y quite alone, the old gentleman told h
d she had better come to the same hotel /;
tie they did, and his servant should look a
E ter her baggage. Evidently young NJ
is Balmayne did not intend to take the sma
a lest notice of her, and seeing his son
lg want of proper politeness perhaps MAJ
rs the good old gentleman all the more a
le tentive.


IN The next morning they again set o
I'D on their northern journey, and altoget


er, as before, for the lady seemed qui
is to belong to them now. Having asce
lie tanned that she was going down to pla
ut within few miles of his own shootil
ad box, the old gentleman promised
he would see her safe to the end of her jou
he ney, which was rather long one. S
be travelled slowly; being in delicate healt
~ and, owing to his gout, the old gentlem
d. did the same; so, as it turned out tn
n remained together the whole distance.
r. When they got to the last station,
'st fore leaving the railway for county roa'
ty the gentlemen got out, the father deslri
ly the lady to remain in the waiting rot
lgs till he had found her carriage and h


her luggage put on to it. She obey


with a very sweet smile, but looked l
"A commonly nervous. Mr.. Balmayne a
ic- looked nervous, which was odd. He +
NO lowed his father, who was looking for
'9l carriage for his pretty protege.
fiu "Upon my word, as nice girl as e.
We, I met" said the old gentleman. "Re
Oh ly, I'm quite sorry to lose sight of
= How she would enliven the moe
:, IN wouldn't she, George p


lhe But Mr.. Balmayne was as white a
'ho sheet, and could hardly speak. At |;
ca however, he did say


ng "You need not lose her unless you Ii
IN father"


oed "How now, young gentleman, what
on you mean?" said his father, bristl
-. up.


o oye II mean that she's my wife |" gasl
'ne ", out the young man.


Il. us "By Jove!" said the old gentlem
i1ls turning purple in the face, "who co


De have thought it? You impudent yol


rascal p


a. For some moments it seemed doubt
NV vbether AMER at beino taken in or