CHAPTER III.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 224, 16 May 1872, Page 9

CHAPTER 111.

Aly mamma was Evelina.

She was one of seven — -the beauty — and my papa was thought to be very lucky indeed to cut out all his rivals and carry her off in triumph. Some of tLe other rivals were rich and powerful, and it was feai'ed that they would wreak a cruel vengeance upon papa, and thwart him at every turn throughout his life ; but I rather think they forgot all about him after a year or two, having married other ladies in the meantime. My papa was not as well off as the other gentlemen who were in love with mamma, and mamma's parents did not very much approve of him. I rather fancy that was why mamma did ; for it was a love match. And to some extent they lan away, only not very far, because papa could not get a holiday from his office ; and it was only two or three streets off, from which mamma wrote begging for forgiveness by return of post, but begging in vain. Mamma's parents did not approve of poor papa ; and mamma's mamma said that she could 'never, never countenance him.' So papa had to go back to hjs. office-stool and put faith in his'prospects. At that time everybody said papa had very gopd prospects. I can't think they could have meant the chimney-pots through the sky-light over papa's desk, but it wasn't anything much more tangible. To this day, though now poor papa is. dead and gone, there are vague and undefined expectations in .our family of something turning up You may have noticed this hopefulness in other families. I don't see much harm in it myself.