Year: 1875

l was Iom DtakeS nearest Trend and
confidant for twenty years. helped him
VIXEN he began business for himself, ten
years ago; l assisted him with funds
when he was embarrassed by hard times
| advised with him when he was ques
tioning himself about Maria Benson; /
stood up with him when he was married,
and his only boy wears my name. How
we came to be such friends, am not able
to tell. l suppose it was because we suit
ed each other. Our friendship had no
romantic beginning, but grew with our
knowledge Of each other.


! cannot point out any distinctive trait
in Tom that held me to him, and never
supposed him to be more than con-
monplacc type of man Undoubtedly he
could say rs much of me. As business
man he was tolcrably successful; he did
not get rich, but he was in fair way o
becoming rich, and managed his business
carefully and wisely. am ploddine
lawyer, with few clients and fewer needs
l have neither wife nor family, and very
few friends came into possession OF
An ample income when arrived at lawful
age, and that has kept me from making
any effort for reputation.


When Drake was married to Maria
Benson, think | was fully as happy as
he was knew Maria before Tom he
came interested in her; but when he told
me that he was in love with her. began
to study her as carefully as if she was
about to become my own partner. saw
some traits in her character that was
sorry for; but judging her as q whole, /
thought she was an excellent woman.


Tom was always open hearted to me,
and knew that he was not blind to her
imperfections but, as he remarked, he
did not expect to find perfection. From
the fact that they were totally unlike in
many things, Itook it for granted tlla,
they were made for each other. l am not
sure, now, however, that that is a safe
rule to follow. Tom always admired hcr
piety, and thought it good point my
self. No matter how worldly minded VIC
men may be, and careless as to our own
religion, or. rather, want of religion, we
are anxious that our children shoLld be
subject to proper religious influence, and
we expect them to obtain it from their
mother. Tom was not very regular
church goer, and--I may as well confess
it-neither was |. But Maria was con
stant in her attendance and observance OF
churchly duties. Indeed she was fore
most among the young ladies Of the
church. She taught class in Sabbath
school, another in mission achool, and
was on nearly every church committee
that required wonan's presence.


Tom and l discussed this phase in her
character, until we were both agreed that
it was just whata wife's ought to be.


Maria was very fond OF parties, hops,
picnics, sleigh rides, and all that manner
of enjoyments that seem to come under
the head of innocent am sure l do
not know why they arc thus called am
not responsible for the classification Ii
were to decide from recollections of my
youth, | shyuld say there was as much
dcviltry in everything as one carried
there, and no more. have listened to
excellent sermons preached by actors on
a stage, and seen some good land bad J
acting done in pulpits. have seen peo-
pie warm hearted and neighborly to each
ather at dances. and heard some vicious
back biting at church sociables. But !
do not pretend to be posted in these mat
ters, nowadays, and know that Maria
looked upon round dances as sinful.


do not know why it should be so, but
believe it is a rule that wives do not Ell.
dcrsc their hasband's friends Maria did
not quite do me justice from the first.
think she would have been glad to create
a rupture between Tom and me, but she
soon found it an impossibility. and she
desisted But she never quite forgave
Tom for conliding in me to the extent he
did, and | am sure did not blame her. |
tried to persuade Tom not to open his
heart to me on matters that concerned
only himself and his wife, but he insist
ed on telling me everything, as he had
always done.


am confident now that Maria under
estima ated Tom before she married him
Women are not aptto give business men
too much credit Most of their ideas OF
business are derived from the army oI
young clerks with whom they mingIe, and
certainly one cannot blame them for hav,