"It appeared that the worthy fellow wanted to marry, but could not make
up his mind _whom_ he wanted to marry. He had his eye--so he expressed
it--upon two young women, and they, he had reason to believe, regarded
him in return with more than usual favour. His difficulty was to decide
which of the two--both of them excellent and deserving young
persons--would make him the best wife. The one, Juliana, the only
daughter of a retired sea-captain, he described as a winsome lassie. The
other, Hannah, was an older and altogether more womanly girl. She was
the eldest of a large family. Her father, he said, was a God-fearing
man, and was doing well in the timber trade. He asked me which of them I
should advise him to marry.

"I was flattered. What man in my position would not have been? This
Josiah Hackett had come from afar to hear my wisdom. He was willing--nay,
anxious--to entrust his whole life's happiness to my discretion. That he
was wise in so doing, I entertained no doubt. The choice of a wife I had
always held to be a matter needing a calm, unbiassed judgment, such as no
lover could possibly bring to bear upon the subject. In such a case, I
should not have hesitated to offer advice to the wisest of men. To this
poor, simple-minded fellow, I felt it would be cruel to refuse it.

"He handed me photographs of both the young persons under consideration.
I jotted down on the back of each such particulars as I deemed would
assist me in estimating their respective fitness for the vacancy in
question, and promised to carefully consider the problem, and write him
in a day or two.

"His gratitude was touching. 'Don't you trouble to write no letters,
sir,' he said; 'you just stick down "Julia" or "Hannah" on a bit of
paper, and put it in an envelope. I shall know what it means, and that's
the one as I shall marry.'

"Then he gripped me by the hand and left me.

"I gave a good deal of thought to the selection of Josiah's wife. I
wanted him to be happy.

"Juliana was certainly very pretty. There was a lurking playfulness
about the corners of Juliana's mouth which conjured up the sound of
rippling laughter. Had I acted on impulse, I should have clasped Juliana
in Josiah's arms.

"But, I reflected, more sterling qualities than mere playfulness and
prettiness are needed for a wife. Hannah, though not so charming,
clearly possessed both energy and sense--qualities highly necessary to a
poor man's wife.