The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1870-01-21
WIDOW COBB'S FIRST
LOVE.

The fire cracked cheerfully on the
broad hearth of the old farmhouse
kitchen, a cat and three kittens bask-
ed i'm the warmth, and a decrepid yell
low dog, living i'm the reflection of the
yellow blaze, Wrinkled his black nose
apprOvingly, as he turned his hind
feet where his fore feet had BEEN
Over the chimney lung several fine
hams and pieces Of dried beef. APP
pies were festoOned along the ceiling,
crOOked-neck squashes We'd with red
peppers and slips of dried pumpkins in
garnishing each window frame. There
were plants, too, on the window ledg-
es-hOrse-shOe geraniums and dew
plants, and a monthly rose, just bud
ding, to say nothing of pots of viOlets
that perfumed the whole place when
ever they took it into their heads to
bloom. The floor was carefully swept,
the chairs had not a speck of dust up
OH leg or round, the long settee near
the fireplace shone as if it had just
been vanished, and the eight day
clock in the corner had its white face
newly washed, and seemed determin-
ed to tick the louder for it. Two arm
chairs were drawn up at cozy dis
tance from the hearth and each other,
q cradle, newspaper, a pair of spec
tales, q dish of red-cheeked apples and
q pitcher af cider, filled little table
between them. In one of the chairs
sat comfortable looking woman of
about forty-five, with checks as red
the apples, and eyes as dark and bright
as they ever had been, resting her ell
bow upon the table and her head upon
her hand, looking thOughtfully into
the fire. This was the widow Cobb
''relict" of Deacon Levi Cobb, who had
been mouldering in the dust in the
BytOwn churcyard for more than sew
en- years. She was thinking of her
dead husband, probably because-her
work being done, and the servant
gone to bed-the sight of his empty
chair at the other side Ofthe table, and
the silence of the room, made her a lit
tie lonely.
'tSeven years r' so the widows rev.
erie ran. at seems as if, twas more
than fifty-and yet / don't look SO
very old either. Perhaps it's not hav-
ing any children to bother my life out,
as other people have. They may say
what they like, children are more
plague than prOfit-that's my Opin-
ion. Look at my sister Jerusha with
her six boys. She's worn to a shadow,
and Pm sure they have done it,
though she will never own it.
The widow took an apple from the
dish, and began to peel it.
'sHow dreadful fond Mr.. Cobbused to
be of these CRAFTS. He will never eat
more of them, poor fellow, for don't
suppose they have apples where he's
gone to. HeighO! l remember well
how used TO throw apple parings
over my head when / was a girl, to
see who I was going to marry"
Mrs. Cobb stopped short and blush
ed. In those days she did not know Mr.
Cobb, and was always looking eagerly
to see if the peel had formed capital
S. Her meditation took new turn.
How handsome Sam PaysOn was,
and how much / used to care for him.
Jerusha says he went away from our
village just after did, and no ole has
heard from him since. And what a
silly thing that quarrel was. If it had
not been for that''-
Here came a long pause, during
which the widow looked very steadfas-
ly at the empty armchair of Levi
Cobb, deceased. Her fingers played
carelessly with the apple pairing; she
drew it slowly towards her and, look
ed around the room.
Upon my word it is very ridicul-
Gus, and | don't know what the neigh
bOrs would say if they saw me.u
Still the plump fingers drew the peel
nearer.
"But they can't see me-that's COM
fOrt-and the cat and old Bowse will
never know what it means. OF course
don't believe anything about it.u
The pairing hung gracefully from
her hand.
''But still, should like to try; il
would seem like old times, and'-
Over head it went, and curled up
| quietly on the floor at little distance:
Bowse, who always slept with one eye
open, saw it fall, and marched deliber.
| ately up to smell it.
"BoWse, BOwse, Bowse, don't tOucl
it?'' cried his mistress; and bending
over it with a beating neart, she turn.
ed as red as fire. There was as hand.