cond marriages that was happier than any first ones that I never say
anything against marryin' twice. Some folks are made for each other,
but they make mistakes in the road and git lost, and don't git found
till they've been through a heap o' tribulation, and, maybe, the
biggest half o' their life's gone. But then, they've got all eternity
before 'em, and there's time enough there to find all they've lost and
more besides. But Mary found her portion o' happiness before it was
too late. Elbert Madison was the man she married. He was an old
bachelor, and a mighty well-to-do man, and they said every old maid
and widow in Christian County had set her cap for him one time or
another. But whenever folks said anything to him about marryin', he'd
say, 'I'm waitin' for the Right Woman. She's somewhere in the world,
and as soon as I find her I'm goin' to marry.'

"It got to be a standin' joke with the neighbors and the family, and
his brother used to say that Elbert believed in that 'Right Woman' the
same as he believed in God.

"They used to tell how one Christmas, Elbert's nieces had a lot o'
young company from Louisville, and they had a big dance Christmas Eve.
Elbert was there, and the minute he come into the room the oldest
niece, she whispered, 'Here's Uncle Elbert; he's come to see if the
Right Woman's at the ball.' And with that all them gyirls rushed up to
Elbert and shook hands with him and pulled him into the middle o' the
room under a big bunch o' mistletoe, and the prettiest and sassiest
one of 'em, she took her dress between the tips of her fingers and
spread it out and made a low bow, and says she, lookin' up into
Elbert's face, says she:

"'Mr. Madison, don't I look like the Right Woman?'

"Everybody laughed and expected to see Elbert blush and act like he
wanted to go through the floor. But instead o' that he looked at her
serious and earnest, and at last he says: 'You do look a little like
her, but you ain't her. You've got the color of her eyes,' says he,
'but not the look of 'em. Her hair's dark like yours, but it don't
curl quite as much, and she's taller than you are, but not quite so
slim.'

"They said the gyirls stopped laughin' and jest looked at each other,
and one of 'em said:

"'Well, did you ever?' And that was the last time they tried to tease
Elbert. But Elbert's brother he turns to somebody standin' near him,
and says he, 'Unless Elbert gets that "right-woman" foolishness out of
his head an