They were n't engaged exactly , I believe , but they went about together for two years . And then they just broke off -- nobody ever know why . Just some silly quarrel , I suppose . And Norman went and married Hester Reese before his temper had time to cool -- married her just to spite Ellen , I have n't a doubt . So like a man ! Hester was a nice little thing , but she never had much spirit and he broke what little she had . She was too meek for Norman . He needed a woman who could stand up to him . Ellen would have kept him in fine order and he would have liked her all the better for it . He despised Hester , that is the truth , just because she always gave in to him . I used to hear him say many a time , long ago when he was a young fellow ` Give me a spunky woman -- spunk for me every time . ' And then he went and married a girl who could n't say boo to a goose -- man-like . That family of Reeses were just vegetables . They went through the motions of living , but they did n't LIVE . '' `` Russell Reese used his first wife 's wedding-ring to marry his second , '' said Susan reminiscently . `` That was TOO economical in my opinion , Mrs. Dr. dear . And his brother John has his own tombstone put up in the over-harbour graveyard , with everything on it but the date of death , and he goes and looks at it every Sunday . Most folks would not consider that much fun , but it is plain he does . People do have such different ideas of enjoyment . As for Norman Douglas , he is a perfect heathen .
When the last minister asked him why he never went XXXXX church he said `` Too many ugly women there , parson -- too many ugly women ! ''
Norman because before for in like of spunk through to