The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-08-10
WIDOW sIMPsoNs SPOONS.


In her family resided, in the capacity Of help,
one Nancy Campbell, girl Of about nineteen,
who was suspected Of having taken a fancy 10
Robin, the widows son, who reciprocated the
sentiment. Nothing, however, would soften the
heart Of the widow AZ regarded a match, till a.
last The following event having occurred, and
caused her TO give way .-AhOu' the hay-making
tine a distant and comparatively rich relation
was expected 20 call and take tea that evening
on his way 70 Linlihgow.
IL was not Oftcn that the superior rel tive
honorcd her house with VISIT and Mrs. Simp-
son, determined that nothing should be wanting
to bis entertainment, brought out the treasured
spoons early In the forenoon, with many iniunc-
tious 20 Nancy touching The care she should take
In Frightening th,m up, While This operation
was being conducted in the kitchen, IN the midst
Of those uncertain days which vary the Northern
June, a sudden darkeuing Of the sky announced
the approach Of heavy rain. The hay was dry
and ready for housing. Robin and two farm
men were busy gathering it in; but the great
drops began TO fell while a considerable portion
vet remained in the field, and, with the instinct
of crop prcserygtOn, forth rushed the widow, fol-
low ed by Nancy, leaving the spoons half secured
on the Kitchen table in her rapid exit, the girl
had forgotten 10 latch the door. The weasel aud
the kite were the only dcprCdators known about
the moorland farm; but while they were oil
occupied IN the hay field, who should come that
way but GeOrdy WILSON,
Wen, the Kitchen door was open, and Georly
stcppcd in He banged the settle with his staff
he coughcd, he hemmed, he sauted the cat,
which sat puTring on the window. seat, and at
length discovered there was nobody within.
Neither meal nor penny was to he expected that
DAY the rain was growing heavier, some Of the
hay must be wet, and Mrs. Simpson would return
in bad humOr. But two objects powerfully
arrested Geordy's attention; one was the broth
pot boiling on the fire, and the other the silver
spoons scattered on the table. Bending over the
former, GeOrdy took a considerable sniff, gave
the ingredients stir with pOtstick, and NUT
tered very thin" His proceeding with the latter
must remain unmentiOned; but, half an hour
after, when he was safely cnscouscd in farm
| house a mile of and the family were driven
! within doors by the increasing storm, they found
| everything as it had been leit-the broth on the
fire, the cat on the windOw-seat, the whiting and
| flannel on the table but not spoon was there.
"Where's the spoons 2" cried Mrs. Simpson TO
| the cnthe family, who stood by the fire drying
| their wet garments. Nobody could tell Nancy
had left them on the table when she ran 10 the
| hay. No one had been in the house they were
certain that nothing was disturbed. The drawer
was pulled out, and the empty 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-
| tonng scolding, and searching. Robin, Nancy,
and the farm.men were despatched in
different directions, as soon as the rain
| abated, TO advertise the neghbors, under
| the suppostion that some strolling
| bt gear or gypsy might have carried off the trea-
| suTe and would attempt to dispose of il in the
had not been espied from the hay y-feld. Lost the
| spoons worc beyond doubt, and the widow
bade fair to lose her senses. The rich relation
| came at the appointed time, and he had such a
| tea that he vowed never again to trust himself
In the house of his entertainer. But the search
went on; rabbits holes were looked into for the
missing silver and active boys were bribed to
tuin out magpies nests. Wells and barns IN the
| neighborhoOd we're explored.
| The criers OF the three nearest parishes were
| employed TO proclaim the loss; IL was regularly
advertised at kirk-gate and market-place; and
Mrs. Simpson began TO talk OF getting search
warrant for the beggar's meal pouch. Bathgate
was alarmed through all its borders concerning
the spoons; but when almost month wore away
and nothing could be heard Of them, the widow's
suspicious turned from beggars barns, and mag
pies to light on poor Nancy. She had been
securing the spoons, and left the house last; sill
yer could not leave the table without hands. II
was trne that Nancy had borne an unquestion
able character; but such spoons were not TO b,
met with every day, and Mrs. Simpson was deter
mined TO have them back in her stocking.
After sundry hints of increasing breadth tC
ROBIN, who could not help thinking his mothe
was losing her judgment, she one day plumpcC
the charge, to the utter astOnishment and dismuy
of the poor girl, whose anxiety in the search ha,
been inferior only TO her own. Though poor an'
: an orphan, Nancy had some honest pride; sh'
Immediately turned out the contents Of her kis
(box), unstruDg h,r pocket in Mrs Simpson
presence, and ran, with tears in her eyes, TO tel
the minister.
)
! of Scotland difficulties and disputes which nigh
/ | have employed the writer's and puzzled tn
magistrates, referred TO his arbitration, an(
thus lawsuits and scandal prevented The min
lister had heard-as who in Bathgate had not 20
| Mrs. Simpsons loss. Like the rest of the parish
: | be thought it rather strange; but Nancy Camp
| bell was one of the most serious and eNemplar
| girls OF his cUngregatiOn-he could not beicY
e that the charge preferred against her was true
D yet the pcCuarities of the case demanded inve;
4 | tigation. With some difficulty the minister pei
= suaded Nancy to return to her mistress, hearin
) | a message 10 the effect that he and two of hi
! | elders, who happened to reside in the neghbol
hood, would come over the following evening
4 | hear what could be said on both sides, aud,
$ possible, clear up the mystery. The widow WI
0 well pleased at the minister and his elder
u coming 20 inquire after the spoons. She put o
: her best mutch (that is 10 say, cap) prepared he
4, best speeches, and enlisted some OF the mos
} serious and reliable Of her nelghbOrS to assist
r. the investigation.
T. Early in the evening of the following day
/; when the summer sun was wearing low and th
h fed work was over-lhey were ali assembled
C | the clean-scOuled kitchen, the ministers, elder
and neighbors, soberly listening 20 Mrs. SIM
)t sons testimony touching her los silver, Name,
y Robin, and the tarmmen sitting by TILL their tur
If came, when the door, which had been left hl
is | open to admit the breeze, for the evening WI
q sultIy, was quietly pushed aside, and in sl
n GCoroy Wilson, with his usual accompaniment
"a OF staff and wallet.
: There's ma room for We here, Geordy," sa
lt the widow; "we're on weighty business"
5. "Weel, mem" said Geordy, turning 20 deplr
l., "it's OF nae consequence / only came to spei
ID about your spoons
n, "Hae you heard o. them 2" cried Mrs. Sim
1t son, bouncing from her seat.
N "I COuldna miss bein' blessed wi the prcci)I
ir gift o. heaTin', and what's better, l saw them
said Geordy.
A. ''Saw Them, Geordy Whar are they al
Y, here's a whole shilIin for ye ; and Mrs. Sim
"a sons purse, or rather an old glove used for IN
10 purpose, was instantly Produced
IN "Wccl" said GeOrdy, II slipped in &c do
rs ard ,CeiI' the siller unguardcd, thought sor
~ il.gui1td body might cOyet it, and laid IL by
nc may say among the leaves o that Bible, thinNi
" you would he sure 10 see the spoons when y
re went 10 read"
It. Before GeoTdy had finished his reveatio
TX | Nancy Campbell bad brought down the proud
he displayed, but never opened Bible, and intC
a spersed between its leaves lay the dozen Of lon
ia | sought spoons.
A The minister of Ba'hgaie could scarcely col
n mAnd his gravity while admonshing Gcordy
the trouble and vcNation his trick had cause
~ | The assembled neghbOrs laughed outright VIII
er | the daft man, pocketing the widows ShilliI
as which he had Cutched in the early part Of
ll- discourse, assured them all that he kcnned Nj
e. Simpson read her Bible so often that the spoC
ell | would be certain 70 turn up. Geordy got ma
lg | a basin of broth and many n luncheon OF bre
or | and cheese on account of that transaction, W
n which he amused all the firesides of the pari
IS | Mrs. Simpson was struck dumb even from SEQ
IN | ing. The discovery put an end to her Osten