Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1870-03-04
C4PZ4LV BEN'S CHOICE.
From the Atlantic Monthly

! From the Atlantic MOuthly.l
An old red house on a rocky shore
with fisherman's s blue boat rocking OF
the bay, and two white sails glistenins
far away over the water. Above, tht
blue, shining sky and below, the blue
shining sea.
at seems clever to have a pleasan
day, said Mrs. Davids, signing.
Mrs. Davids said everything with {
sigh, and now she wiped her eyes also
on her calico apron. She was a woman
with a complexion like faded seaweed
who seemed always plying herself.
Il tell them, said she, 81 have haC
real hard luck. My husband IS buried
away off in California, and my son died
in the army, and he is buried away down
South. Neither one of them is buried
together
Then she sighed again Twice. this
time.
And so, =" she continued, taking out a
pinch of bayberry snuff, II am left alone
in the world. 4Eoze, l say! why, I've
got a daughter, but she is away out West.
She IS married to an engineerman. And
I've got two grandchildren"
Mrs. Davids took the pinch Of bay
DS4A anu SAAOOh ACI AACdOs 4OOh44lS ctS
though that was the hardest luck" of
all.
We'll, everybody has to have their
posters, and you'll have to have yours, .
rejoined Miss Persis Tame, taking a
pinch of snuff-the real MaccabOy-
twice as large, with twice as fierce an
action. Il don't know what it is to bury
nor to lose husband s'pose
l don't; but know what it is to be
jammed round the world and not have a
ruff to stick my head under l wish l
had all the money l ever spent travel
ling,-and that's twelve dollars" she
continued, regretfully.
why in the world don't you marry
and have home of your own ?" sighed
Mrs. Davids.
well, l don't expect to marry. I
don't know as l do at my time of life.
the spinster. q rather guess
my day for chances is gone by"
you amt such a dreadful sight old
er than ! am, though, replied Mrs.
Davids, refiectively.
Not so old by two full years, re-
-urned Miss Tame, taking another smart
pinch of snuff, as though it touched the
empty spot IN her heart and did it good.
= But yoD amt looking out for oppor-
-unities yet. suppose"
Mrs. Davids sighed evasively. I'VE
can't tell what is before US. There is
more than one man in want of a wife. .
As though to point her words. Captain
Ben Lundy came in sight on the beach,
his head long way forward, and his
5hambling feet trying in vain to keep
up.
Thirteen months and a half since
Lyddy was buried, continued Mrs.
Oavids, accepting this application to her
words, "and there is Captain Ben taking
Up with just what houseIeeper he can
get, and no housekeeper at all. 1t would
De an excellent home for you, Persis.
Captain Ben always had the name of
making a kind husband
She sighed again, whether from re-
sret for the bereaved man. or for the
multitude of women bereft of such hus-
1and
By this time Captain Ben's head was
It the door.
Morning {" said he, while his feet
we're coming up. Quite an accident
lown here below the lighthouse last
light. Schooner ran ashore in the blow
md broke all up into kindling-wood in
ess than no time Captain Tisdale's
been out looking for dead bodies ever
;ince daylight. -
81 llnowed itr' sighed Mrs. Davids.
4 heard a rushing sound some time
lbout the break of day that walked me
1ut of a sound sleep, and l knowed then
here was a spirit leaving its body. /
heard it the night Davids' went, or |
expect did. 1t must have been very
nearly at that time
''Well, l guess it was mt a spirit last
hight, said Captain Ben "for as was
md forth, Captain Tisdale came upon
he folks, man and boy, rolled up in
heir wet blankets asleep behind the life
BOAT house. He said he felt like he
could shake them for staying out in the
vet. Wrecks always make for the light
house, SO he sposed those ones were
to death, sure enough.
20, then It could mt have been them
vas warned of returned Mrs. Davids, |
ooking as though she regretted it. at
vas right over my head, and walked up
ust as the thing was rushing past You
lave n t heard, have you, she continued, |
whether or no there was any other dam
ge done by the gale p
81 don't know whether you would call |
damage exactly" returned Captain
Ben; but Loizah Mullers got so scared |
he left me and went home. She said
he could MT stay and run the chance of
mother of our coast blows, and off she !
rapsed.
Mrs. Davids sighed like November. |
SO you have some hard luck, as well |
S myself don't suppose you can get
J housekeeper to keep her long, said
he, dismally.
label Grimes tells me it is enough
light easier getting wives than house
,eepers, and l m some of a mind to
~ that tack, replied Captain Ben,
milling grimly.
Mrs. Davids put up her hand to feel of
Ter back hair, and smoothed down her
-pron while Miss Persis Tame blushed |
Ike a withered rose, and turned her eyes
out of the window.
Il am so. But the difficulty is, who |
viii it be !? There are SO many to select |
rom it is fairly bothersome," continued |
captain Ben, winling fast and looking
S though he was made Of dry corn
obs and hay.
Miss Persis Tame turned about abrupt |
y. "The land alive !" she calculated |
With such sudden emphasis that the
fishes shook on their shelves and Cap
ain Ben in his chair ut makes me /
mad as a March hare to hear men go on
S though all they'd got to do was to
brow down their handkerchers to a wo-
nan, and, no matter who, she'd spring
nd run to pick it up. It is always
Who will / marry /? and not Who will |
marry me ?
why, there is twice the number of
1idders that there is of widderers here
t the Pint. That was what was in my
mind, said Captain Ben, in a tone Of
neck apology. There is the Widow
<eens, she that was Azubah Muchmore. I
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