“I was very anxious, as I told you, to find another wife for him, and I took into consideration all the suitable girls I knew. There was some objection to almost every one. Some were too pretty and I knew I should detest them; and others were not good-looking, and those my husband could not bear. So I waited patiently, but did not give up the hope of succeeding eventually. At last I met with a girl who I thought would do. She was certainly not bad-looking, but she was very young, and I thought I should be able to manage her. The name of this girl was Alice Maynard; she was a neighbour of ours, and one of a large family. She seemed to me to be a quiet modest little creature, and I knew that she had to work hard and received very little in return. In fact, she led at home a life of drudgery, and even her very clothing bore witness to the poverty of the family. Her mother had often told me that she felt badly for Alice, for Mr. Maynard had three other wives, and it was more than he could do to support them all properly.
“I called one day on Mrs. Maynard to broach the matter to her. She received me very kindly, and entered into my views at once. She was anxious, she said, for Alice to get married, for then she would be better off. I asked her how she would like her to marry my husband, and told her that we were very comfortably off—as you know we are—and that my husband owned his house and lot, and was doing a very good business, and, of course, ought to take another wife. Would she agree to my proposal, and let me mention Alice to him?
“She said she herself had no objection, but that perhaps my husband might not like Alice, or Alice might not like him.
“I felt indignant at the idea that any girl should hesitate to marry my husband, and I told Sister Maynard that there could not possibly be any hesitation on Alice’s part. ‘I’m sure I have no objection,’ she said, ‘if Alice has none. I should only be too happy to see my child in a more comfortable home.’
“Well, then, we’ll consider the matter settled, I said, and asked if I could see Alice; so her mother called her in, and I proposed to her for my husband. You can guess, perhaps, how astonished I was when she actually laughed in my face, and said she should like to consider the matter! I did not, however, show her what I thought, but assented to what she said, and invited her to come and take tea with us.
“My husband had often told me, when I was teasing him about taking another wife, that he would willingly marry any girl I might choose for him; and I felt pleased at this, for it showed confidence in my judgment. So when he came in, later in the day, I told him I had found a wife for him at last, and that I knew he would like her. ‘Why, Ann,’ he said, ‘I do believe you are going crazy over the wife question; but if you are, I do not want you to drive me crazy also.’ I really thought this was too bad, after all my trouble for him; but nevertheless I was resolved that the marriage should take place.
“Three days after that, in accordance with my invitation, Alice came to take tea with us, and I fixed her up to look nice. When she was ready, I took her into the parlour to introduce her to my husband, who was sitting there reading. Henry, I said, this is Miss Maynard—the young lady of whom I spoke to you the other day. He looked up from his paper, and, to my astonishment, said, ‘Why, Alice, my girl, how do you do? How are mother and father?’
“‘What, I said, do you know Alice, Henry?’”
“‘Certainly I do,” he answered; ‘Alice and I have met many times before this, haven’t we, Alice?’