Rensselaer Union, Volume 5, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 January 1873 — Why Jenks Never Married. [ARTICLE]

Why Jenks Never Married.

“I think a woman is a trenienduous beJng,”_said Jenks. “When she’s right, she’s the Tightest thing that floats. When she’s wrong, , she’s; the biggest-nuisance that plows the sea, even if Whe’s little and don’t draw two feet of water. Perhaps it isn’t just the thing to say to a boy like you, but you’ll never speak of it, if I should tell you a little something? ’ “Oh, never!” I assured him. “Well, I s’pose I might, have been a married man,” and Jenks avoided my eyes by pretending to discover a horseshoe in the road. “You don’t say so!” I exclaimed in undisguised astonishment, for it had never occurred to me that such a man as Jenks could marry. “Yes, I waited on a girl once.” “Was she beautiful?” I inquired. “Well, I should say fair to middling,” responded Jenks, pursing his lips as if determined to render a candid judgment. “Fair to middling,- barring .a few freckles.” “But you didn’t leaveher for the freckles?” I said. “No, I didn’t leave her for the freckles. (She was a good girl, and I waited on 1 her. I don’t seem possible now that I ever ra’ally waited on a girl, but I did.” And why didn’t you marry Jjer?” I in<piired warmly. “It wasn’t her fault,” said Jenks. “She was a good girl.” “Then why didn’t you. marry her?” I insisted. “Well, there was another fellow got to hanging round, and—you know how such things go. I was busy, and—didn’t tend up very well, I s pose—and—she got tired waiting for me—or something—and the other fellow married her, but I’te never blamed her. She’s been sorry enough, I guess." — ; -—— : —---' - Jenks gave a sigh of mingled regret and pity,' and the subject was dropped.— From ilr. Holland's new story, in Scribner's Monthly.