Union County star and Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1859-1864, 1861-03-01
WIDOW SIMPSONS SPOONS.

CLASSIC spOtS VI Ccoliabu, ludsmuCu as III
formed part of the dover which Rober,
Bruce bestowed on his elder daughter,
Margery, when she married Walter, the
High Steward Of Scotland and thus became
the progenetor of the royal and ,uDlucky
house OF Stuart. Lying midway between
Edinburg and Glasgow, those rival queens
of East aud West, but out of the common
track of traffic aud travel, it has been for
ages pastoral parish, Of small and rather
backward farms. OF late years, coal has
been found there; and steam and trade,
which bid fair 20 leave the world no rus
tic corner, are rapidly turning it into q
mining district; which nobody thought Of
about the time of the general peace, when
Bathga,e lived on its own oats and barley,
wore its own holden gray, and had but
two subjects Of interest-the cOrn-market
ard the kirksessiOn. Among its peacea-
Bile and industrious population, there was
one dame, who, though neither the wealth
lest nor the best born, stood, 10 her own
esteem, above all but the laird and the
minister; and her style aud title was
Widow Simpson. This lady valued her
seif-not on the farm lef, her by her good
man, who had departed this life some sew
en- years before the commencement of our
story, for its acres were few, aud they con-
sisted of half reclaimed moorland-not on
her grown-up son Robin, though he was
counted likely and sensible lad-not on
her own thrifty housekeeping, though it
was known to be on the tight screw prin-
ciple, but-on the possession of dozen
silver teaspoons. Her accoun. of them
was that they bad belonged to the Young
Cavalier, aud had been bestowed upon
her grand father in return for entertaining
/ that claimant to the British crown on bis
march from Culoden-in proof Of which
she was accustomed TO point out half OBJ
liberated crest, aud the initials {. s., with
which they were marked. The widows
neighbOrs, however, had a different tale
regarding their coming into the family.
Ii was to the effect that her grand father,
who kept small inn somewhere in Fife,
had bought them of an ill-doing laird for
three gallons of Highland whiskey, and
had bestowed them ou his grand daughter,
as the one of his family mos, likely to hold
fast to such an important acquisition.
In the family resided, in the capacity Of
help, one Nancy Campbell, girl of about
nineteen, who was suspected Of having Ia
ken a fancy to Robin, who reciprocated
the sentiment. Nothing, however, would
soften ;he heart Of the widow, as regards
the match, until at leugth the following
event occurred aud caused her to give way.
About the hay.making time, distant aud
comparatively rich relation was expected
to call and take tea that evening on his
way from Linlithgowshire. 1t was not Of
ten that this superior relative honored her
home with a visit, and Mrs. Simpson, de-
termiued that nothing should be wanting
to his entertainment, brought out the
treasured spoons early in the forenoon,
with many injunctions to Nancy touching
the care she should take in Frightening
them up. While this operation was being
performed in the kitchen, in the midst of
one Of those uncertain days which vary the
northern June, sudden darkening of the
sky announced the approach of heavy
rain. The hay was dry, and ready for
housing. Robin and two farm men we're
busy gathering it in but the great drops
began to fall while considerable portion
yet remained in the field, and, with the
instinct of crop-preservation, forth rushed
the widow, followed BY Nancy, leaving
the spoons hali-scoured on the kitchen
table
In her rapid exit, the girl had forgotten
to latch the door. The weasel and the
kite were the only depreda,Ors known
about the moorland farm; but while they
we're all occupied in the bayfield,, who
should coue that way but Geordy Wilson!
Well, the kitchen door was open, and
he stepped in. He banged the set,eee
with his staff be cOughed, he hemmed, be
salu,ed the cat which sat purring on the
window-seat, and at length discovered there
was no one within. Neither meal nor
penny was to be expected that day the
rain was growing heavier, some of the hay
must be wet, and Mrs. Simpson would re-
turn in bad humor But two objects
powerfully arrested Geordy's attention
one Was the broth po. boiling on the FIRE,
on the table. Bending over the former,
Geordy took considerable sniff, gave the
ingredients a stir with the po,-hook, and
muttered, "very thin" His proceeding
with regard to the latter, must remain un-
mentioned; but, half an hour afterwards,
when he was safely ensconccd in farm
house mile off, the family were driven
within doors by the increasing storm; they
found everything as it had been left-the
broth on the fire, the cat on the window
seat, whiting and flannel on the table; but
not spoon was there,
"Whar's the spoons?' cried Mrs.
Simpson to the entire family, who stood
by the fire drying their wet garments.
Nobody could tell. Nancy had left them
on the table when she ran to the hay. No
one had been in the house, they were GER
tain, for nothing was disturbed. The
drawer was pulled out, and the stocking
exhibited. Every shelf, every corner was
searched, but to no purpose, the spoons
had disappeared, and the state of the
farm house may be imagined. The widow
ran through it like one distracted, ques-
tioniug, scolding, and searching. ROBIN,
Nancy and the farm-men were despatched
in different directions, as soon as the rain