The weekly Mississippian. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1859-1864, 1860-01-25
The Little Widow Little,

house beside little river in the little town OF
S.
The widow WIS now. single, although sho
had been double. Naughty death had carried
off her mate At morn be was well and rosy
at night he WAS corpse.
The willow was Young, although she had
been younger. Fourteen summers had gwen
her beau, AMI sixteen summers husband !;
for youth lad spanked, Won, and wed her
ere her sixteenth summers sun had shed rs
soft, pure rays upon her.
All this strange strange worIi so full OF
hopes and fears so full Ct smiles and tears
Misfortune had knocked at the widows door
sorrow had touched her heart but the little
widow had friends who soothed her little heart,
Gained her little fears, and ministered to her
lit lie wants and gradually sweet little smiles
took the place of moist little tears, and her
merry little laugh rang like soft music upon
the ears OF many young bachelor.
The little widow was no tlirt, hQt she was
getting little wild; ard often she said mod
estly to her little self "Tru,, the partner of
nv little bosom is gone but, then, isn't he in
heaven dear fellow, happier than | could ever
make him here in this wicked world, and
thousand times better off thanI? And why
should sigh and fret To be sure, it is
naughty to think of the men so Soon after he
has left-whcn they are so much inferior to
him-st:ll will row and then smile and chat
a little with them Just to show my pretty
teeth and sweet lips, and cheer them up
very. very little"
All the blooming little widow, with the
rose upon her cheek and honey upon her lip
true, not sweet sixteen" but ripe, charming
twenty-one.
What teeth - said the dentist.
"What hair :" said the hairdresser.
what hands !" said the glove maker.
"What bust !" said the dressmakeF.
"What foot !" said the shoemaker. 'If
her soul is as fair as her sole, how nice -
"What step p said the dancing-master.
GWhat sweet voice p said the singing-mas
ter
"What pretty speech +" said the French
teacher.
"And oh what chicks and lips! said the
admiring schoolmaster.
Then old bachelors began to sigh, and old
maids began to grow jealous, while scandal
began to weave its web to crush the little
widow.
Miss Pickerel-a slim sp;nster Of fifty sum
mers. whose face Daddy Time had plowed
with WfllkIeS, "IlUSc ildiiI IAd0 ptSbbJ MUM
pIucked from the place where nature first
planted it, and whose beauty had long since
flown or blown away-had, on dark night
perched upon the end of her shriveled toes
peeked wickedly into the little widows win
dow, and seen her sitting upon a sofa with a
young mans arm thrown lovingly about her
fair neck.
"Whew :" said the old maids
"Bah !" said the old bachelors.
The neighbors, the town-nay, the whole
country-was disgraccd
Then the little widow was Intercepted
and alas she could not say mo- to the aues
ton: WAS it as Miss Pickerel said - Her
pretty lips acknowledged, while her pretty
cheeks bIushed that such was the fact and
more, that Young man had been stopping at
her house-yea, lodging therc-three mortal
DAYS
Could anything be more startling to the
vrtuous old maid of S., who had re-
manned so for fifty years
What Of it ~ sid the little widow. "He
is my" Here she checked herself and
blushed.
Yes" said Miss Pickerel 'you say just as
Isupposced knew it was so. You needn't
say what / know all now. Oh that should
live in such neighborhood " And Miss
'Pickerel wiped the Precipitation from her faded
checks.
Soon the town was in commotiOn. The
butcher laid down his cleaEer, the barber his
razor, the carpenter his hammer, the shoena-
ker his last, the tinman his mallet, and the
housemaid her broom, to talk over the little
widows affairs.
Meantime, the youth who had caused this
stir came and went, but said nothing. Ills
mouth was shut, but his ears were open.
''T'he town won't hold erlong," said Miss
Pickerel, smoothing with her skinny fingers
the few lonely hairs which Old Time had
kindly left upon her bald and glistening pate.
Too hot for here"
Madam" said the little widows landlord,
one morning, you pay rent like banker
your gold is as any but still-ahem :" And
the man fairly blushed. 'I-that isl think
you had better get another tenement there's
so much talk. I'll give you a months time
Very WELL" said the little widow, patting
pusss neck with her little, soft hand-'one
month will Co."
The news soon went abroad, that the little
widow was going to pull up stakes, and
move her traps"
''Not so fast" said the little widow, pouting
her cherry lips: Il can hire another house, if
choose
''You can't, and shant !" said an ancient
virgin with a fearful scowl. We'll head you
off there.''
And the landlords were waited upon, and
requested not to disgrace thier houses with
her presence.
"What has the little widow done Pr said 4
stranger
"Modesty forbids us to repeat it :" said the
spinsters.
Sewing society night came around. The
spinsters met, and were chattering like mag
pies when, modest knock at the door, and
thep-pitchiorks and birthstone There en-
tered the little widow and lover.
A shower of lava from Eesuvius would
not have astonished them more than this sud-
len entrance.
Goodness brass impudcnce shame ~
exclaimed Miss Pickerel to herself
Nobody said take seat but the little
widow, drawing herself up to her full height,
and with flashing eyes, said:
81 came, ladies, to explain the mystery
which has hung over me, like dark cloud,
for some weeks. You have taken it upon you
to SANDER and backbite me in all possible ways
Your tongues have been in perpetual motion,
and full of venom.
Here the wicked old maids began to cringe,
while little Widow Little boldly went on /:
"The person whom you have seen sitting !
in my room, who has lodged in my house, and |
whose presence and intentions you have
chosen to construe in their worst light so as |
70 make my name repruaeh to all around, is |
my own brother !
This was as unexpected and effective as a
hunderbolt The listeners held their breath |
till, finally, Miss Pickerel concentrated her
catered wits sufficiently to inquire
"Why didn't you explain before, and tell US
yho he was p
Because 1 could no." replied the little
widow. Circumstances rendered it necessary
hat we should keep the presence ofmy brother
a this country secret for time Now, that
ecessity is past and | freely tell you, that
re have come in possession of large fortune;
nd there the little widows cheeks REDEEMED
ext month, am to wed one whose virtues
snnot be dimmed by the vulgar, slanderous
,ngues of female pirates, such as those now
ishonor myself by addressing ''
Thus the little widows trials were over
i'd snug home, worthy mate, and happy
lys, caused her to forgive and iorgett he
,isonous ISLANDERS Of the old maidsof s..
QUERY.-Iave you seen that sick "CHEEo-
EE INDIAN" in another column.
JAM GO d&s-w1y
hAy. A Danar II, thu mort horn, mart Of I'll;