The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1864-12-08


ss"rj- g's doids ssoatsa,,7ol ssT -
90 10 :podh ,7evil ,.t 7qyit r,ag1 F-e.
Widow simpsasa% Spoons.
!, In the pArrshs Of Blathgate. IN Linlithgos
shareo oScotlaDd,e ,e ,t.ed widow woman b
toe name Of Simpson. arnsq .raia i,st..s
I'm her family resided, ) in the capacity
servant one Nancy Campbell. givl abou
!, nineteen years Of age, who wa. suspected /,
having taken , fancy to Robin, the widow
sone ewho rsciproxted the sentiment. No
things however. would soften the widow
heart, ~ regarded the match. till at. iast the
following event t'ocenrrcd. and eau ,ed her 4,
alter hes determination. nrdi -raaf sysr, -
About the hsyEaaking time distant AMI
Comparatively rich relation was expected to
call and take tesone evening On his way to
Linlithgow. It was not often sh,t ,4he .su.
perior relative honored hcrhpusewith via.
itiapd, Mrs, Simpson. Determined, hat aotn.
ing shonh be wanting Cor bis entertainment
broneht ont. Der treasured silver spoons ear.
in frightening them up-1 =. s. - -;
While this operation was being conduct
ed in the kitchen. one Of those uncertain
days which Vary the northern june. sud
den darkenins n the skv snnounced the -
proach Of heavy rain Tie hay was dry
and ready for housing R,bin and two
farm men WIRE bnsy gathering tin but
great drops began to fall while considers
bic eport;on Sfthe hay vet remained in the
iieid, and. with the instiicts Of cfepc pcpneses
vstien, firth rnxhed the widow followed by
Nsncys leaving the isp,ons h,M scoured on
the Kitchen ,sble. aIu her rapid exit the
girl had fsrgctsen7 to latch the door. y The
weaaeaAnsi the kite were the esoniy depreda-
tors known about the Moorland farm p but
while they were al occupied. in the hay
field. who shoald come that way but Geor-
-dy Wilson,, 80. ar ..o;o,s s.u+
Well. the, kitchen door was open. and
Geordy stepped in. He b,nged the settle
with his staff. he coughed. he hemmed, he
saluted the o,t, which sat pUuing on the
window, seat and at length discovered that
there Was nobody. within. Neither meal
ror penny was to be expected, that day !;
the rain was growing hssyisr. soma Of the The
hay must be wet. and Mrs, Simpson would
return in bad humor. Buttwo objects pow
erfally arrested Geordy's attention. one was
the broth pot boiling on ths fire, and the
o'her the silver spoons scattered on The t..
BILE. Bending over the former, Gsordv took
> considerable sniff. gave the ingredieAts :
stir with pot stick, and muttsred-
"very thin -. -, - -.
his procceediag with the latter d must ~
main ,unmsntioned; but half an hour later.
when he WAS safely ensconced IN aEm
house half !; mile OF. and Mrs. Simpson's
awilx. Eas aziysa yithia doors By The in:
had been left-the broth on the fire. the cat
or tseiwi01ow.seat, and tie whiting and
flannel onstAe nbh;s bqeuotfa isReoq vas
there. Aaoi .tsoa5AzsD .aoiTEu diAasiA
"where's the spoons ," cried Mrs. Simp.
son to the whole Family, who stood by the
fire drying their wet garments. a'.a" @
; No one could tell. Nancy had left them
on the table when she ran to the hay Held.
No one haa been in the house; they we're
certain that nothing was disturbed. The
drawer was pulled out. and the, empty
stocking exhibited Every shelf and 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. question
ing, scolding and sesrchipg. ~ 1
? Robin. Nancy and the farm men were dis
patched in different directions, as som as
the rain abated, to advertise shc neighbors,
under the esupposition that some strollhn.
beggar- or gipsey had carried of the treas.
ure, and would attempt to dispose Of it in
the parish. Nobody thought Of Gsordy
Wilson, he had not been espied from the
hay field. Lost the spoons were, beyond
doubt, and the widow lbsde fair to lose her
senses, The rich relative came lat the ap-
pointed time, and he had such 4 tea that be
vowed sever, again to tspat himself in the
house OF his, entsrtaincr. But the search
went onYrabbits' holes were looked into for
the missing silver, snd active boys were
bribed to torn out ,nagpies' nests Wells
and, barns IN the neighborhood we're even
explored, t4esl sdt ri bs9foi svad % fs,ra
The ssiess ofthe three nearest parishes
were employed to proclaim the loss I; it vas
regularly sdvertiseds at the kirk gate and
market place; aud Mrs. Simpson began TO-
talk Of getting search warrant for the
,beggar's meat pouch. Bathsate was alarm.
Cd throughout its borders concerning the
spoons bu. when almost month wore
away and nothing could Se heard of them.
the, widow; suspicious turned from beg.
gars, barns and magpiss to light upon poor
Nancy. She had been securing the spoons
and left the house la.t; silver could not
leave the table without hanis. twas true
that Nancy had borneans unq nestionable
character !; but such spoons were not to be
found every day, and Mrs. Simpson was
fully determined te haye then back in her
stocking.