while he might object to a clerk who could not support a wife, as a
consistent democrat he could not oppose a fairly prosperous tradesman.
A final appeal was made to Delaware; she was implored to consider the
situation of her sisters, who had all made more ambitious marriages
or were about to make them. Why should she now degrade the family by
marrying a country storekeeper?

It is said that here the youngest Miss Piper made a memorable reply, and
a revelation the truth of which was never gainsaid:--

"You all wanter know why I'm going to marry Tom Sparrell?" she queried,
standing up and facing the whole family circle.

"Yes."

"Why I prefer him to the hull caboodle that you girls have married or
are going to marry?" she continued, meditatively biting the end of her
braid.

"Yes."

"Well, he's the only man of the whole lot that hasn't proposed to me
first."

It is presumed that Sparrell made good the omission, or that the family
were glad to get rid of her, for they were married that autumn. And
really a later comparison of the family records shows that while Captain
Fairfax remained "Captain Fairfax," and the other sons-in-law did not
advance proportionately in standing or riches, the lame storekeeper of
Red Gulch became the Hon. Senator Tom Sparrell.