The Literary echo, and Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1854, 1852-06-24
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THE TWO WIDOW $.
BY NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE.

domestic incidents of which, may be
deemed scarcely worth relating, afte,
such lapse of time, awakened a degree
of interest, hundred years ago, in the
principal seaport in.the bay of Massa.
chusetts. iraa.faE uttW adF G
The rainy twilight Of an autumn day
parlor on the second floor of small
house-plainly furnished, as beseemed
the middling circumstances of it's inhab-
itants, yet decorated with little curiosi-
ties from beyond the sea, and few deli
cate specimens of Indian manufacture
these are the particulars to be promised
in regard to scenes and seasons. Two
young and comely women sat together
by the fre-side, nursing their mutua
and peculiar sorrows. They were the
recent brides of two brothers, sailor
and a landsman, and two successive
days had brought tidings of the death
of each, by the chances of Canadian
warfare and the tempetuous Atlantic.
The universal sympathy excited by this
bereavement, drew numerous condoling
guests to the habitation of the widowed
sisters. Several, among whom was the
minister, had remained till the verge of
the evening when, lone by one, whis-
pering many comfortable passages Of
Scripture, that we're answered by more
abundant tears, they took their leave
and departed to their more happy homes.
The mourners, though not insensible "a
the kindness of their friends, had yearn-
ed to be left alone. United as they had
been, by the relations of the living, and
and now more closely so by that of the
dead, each felt as if whatever consola-
ton her grief admitted, was to be found
in the bosom of the other. They joined
their hearts, and wept together silently.
But after an hour of such indulgence,
one of the sisters. all of whose emotions
were influenced by her mild, quiet,
though not feeble character, began to
recollect the precepts of resignation and
endurance which piety had taught her,
when she did not think to nee them.
Her misfortunes, besides, as earliest
known, should earliest cease to inter-
lfere with her regular course of duties
accordingly, having placed the table
before the fire, and arranged the frugal
meal, she took the hand of her com
lpanion. 'aut ae11 oe4 a Y
"Come, dearest sister, you have not
eaten a morsel to-day" she said.
/" Arise, I pray you, and let us ask a
blessing on that which is provided us. I"
Her sister-in- law was of a lively and
irritable temperament, and the first
pangs of her sorrow had been expressed
by shrieks and passionate lamentation.
She now shrank from Mary's words,
like wounded sufferer from hand that
revives the throb. ct flt n.a il
"There is no blessing for me, neither
will 1 ask it, cried Margaret, with a
fresh burst of tears. Would that it
were His will that l might never taste
food more" 20 ".'
Yet she trembled at these rebellious
Expressions, almost as soon as they were
uttered, and by degrees Mary succeeded
in bringing her sisters mind nearer to
the situation of ber own. Time went
on, and the usual hour of repose arriv-
ed. The brothers and their brides en-
tered the married state with no more
than the slender means which then sane
toned such a step, and confederated
themselves into one household, with
equal rights to the parlor, and claiming
exclusive privileges into two sleeping
rooms contiguous to it. Thither the
widowed ones retired, after heaping
ashes upon the dying embers of the fire,
and placed lighted lamp upon tho
hearth. The doors of both chambers
we're left open, so that part of the in
terror of each, and the beds, with their
unclosed curtains, were reciprocally
visible.
Sleep did not steal upon the sisters
at one and the same time. Mary ex-
lperienced the effects SO often consequent
upon grief quietly borne, and soon sunk
into temporary forgetfulness, while
Margaret became more disturbed and
|feyerish in proportion as the night ad-
vanoed with its deepest and stillost hours.
She lay listening to the drops of rain
that came down in notonous success
sion, unswayed by breath or wind, and
a nervous impulse continually causing
lher TO lift her head from the pillow, and