Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1870-03-24
CAPTAIN BEN,s CHOICE.


De'AAS $50 N""J N'S' Vs.
4 water. Above, the blue, shiuil
sky; and below, the blue, shinin
sea. lo i13ujIo
y at seems clever TO have pleas
ant day. said AIRS. DaYids sigt
fling.
| Mrs. Davids said everything wit
a sigh, and now she wiped her eye
.Ealsp on her calico apron. She wa
a woman with complexion lik
faded seaweed, who seemed alway
pitying herself.
! 81 tell them," said she, II hay
had real hard luck. My husban,
is buried away olfin California, an,
my sou died in the army, and b.
is buried away down South. Meth
er one of them is buried together.
Then she sighed again Twice
this time 'v''' w. ?
"And So" she continued, takin!
out pinch of bayberry snuff, {"
am left alone in the world. Alone
sayl why I've got a daughter
but she is away out West. She il
married to an engineorman, AnC
Pye got two grandchildren"
Mrs. Davids took the pinch o
bayberry and shook her head, look
ing as though that was the "hardes
luck" of all.
swell, everybody has to have
their posters, and you'll have to
have yours" rejoined Miss Persis
Tame, taking pinch OF snuff the
real Maccaboy-twice aslarge, with
twice as fierce an action. II don't
know what it is TO bury children,
lose a husband; 1 s'pose
don't; but l know what it is to be
jammed round the world and NOT
have ruff to stick my head under,
l wish | had all the money ] ever
spent traVeling,- that's twelve
dollars" she continued, rcgretfully,
"Why in the world don't you
marry and have home of youI
own ?" sighed Mrs, Davids.
"Well / don't eDpect to marry
/ don't know as do at my time
of life," responded the spinster. -
81 rather guess my day for chanc-
es is gone by"
"You amt such dreadful sight
older than l am, though" replied
Mrs. Davids, reaectively.
"Not so old by two full years, y
returned Miss Tame, taking anoth.
er smart pinch Of snuff, as though
it touched the empty spot in her
heart and did it good. "But you
amt looking out for opportunities
yet, | suppose"
Mrs. Davids sighed evasively.
"We can't tell what is before us.
There is more than one man in want
of q Wife"
AS though to point her words,
Captain Ben Lundy came in sight
on the beach, his head a long way
forward, and his shambling feet
trying in vain, to keep up.
"Thirteen months and halfsince
Lyddy was buried" continued Mrs.
Dayids, accepting this application
to her words, "and there is Cap
tain Ben taking upwith just what
housekeeper he can get, and no
housekeeper at all 1t would be
an excellent home for you. Persis,
Captain Ben always had the name
of making a kind husband"
She sighed again, whether from
regret for the beFeaved man, or for
the multitude of women bereft Of
such a husband. --
BY this time Captain Ben's head
was at the door.
"Morning," said he. while his
feet were coming up. "Qlite an
accident down here below the
lighthouse last night. Schooner
ran ashore in the blow and broke
all up into kindling. wood in less
than no time, Captain Tisdalels
been out looking for dead bodies
ever since daylight. ad }l
II knowed It'll" sighed Mrs. Da-
vids. Il heard a rushing sound
some time about the break of day
that walked me out of a sound sleep,
and l knowed then there was a spir-
it leaving its body, | heard 1t the
night Dayids' went, or | expect
| did 1t mhst have been very near
ly at that time" ."rl 2I
"Well | guess it wasn't a spirit,
last night'' said Captain Ben s,'for
as Twas going to say, after search
ing back and forth, Captain Tis-
dale came upon the folks, man
and A boyorolled up in their wet
blankets asleep behind the lifeboat
house. He said he felt like he
could shake them for staying out
in the wet, Wrecks always make
for the lighthouse, SO he s'posed
those ones wore drowned TO death,
sere' enough" o'''-l r '' ,.'A
20, then it couldn't have been
them ] was warned Of" returned
Mrs. Davids, looking as though
she regretted it, at was right over
my head, and I walked up just as
the thing was rushing past. You
havn't beard, have YOU" she con
tinued, whether or no there was
any other damage done by the'
gale ?'
at don't know whether you Wo'd
call it damage, exactly" returned
Ran "but Loizah iMullers