Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1871-03-24
J 4QwIDOw HAWKINS TRIALS.

80 =. --ChicGgo Art RsrleW.
v 4NWIDOW HAWKINS TRIALS.
"TnE old Hawkins estate" was about
as bare, rocky and unpromisiDg a farm az
you could find in all New England. A
Western man wouldn't have taken single
= chance there against starvation, and yet
the Hawkinses had held TO it for many gen
,eTations.- There was a tradition thai tho
old man OF all had been put on that place
and compelled to earn living" What
ever may have been the truth of that, il
was certain his descendants had always
shown great attachment to the old home
stead and would answer any disparagine
remarks concerning the land by quoting
"Granther Hawkins" who used to say
There's master lot of rock, which
gives the farm a. dreadful uneven look
but there's spots where the size is rs good
as can be found in this ere section"
The present owner and occupants were
the Widow Hawkins and her two sons
DEphTain, Hman of nearly forty years, and
Solomon, who was :" just turned twenty
And" these two boys were the source oi
all the poor woman's trials.
a Not that they were bad, or even ill-dis
posed, but simply "trying"
The husband and father had died when
solomon was babe in arms, and "the
boys had been brought up without any
head, as the widow expressed it.
g Z. Ephraim inherited the family name and
most of the honors which had fallen sue
cessiveiy to their share-such as being Sc
lectman and q member of the "School
Committed" But his father, grandfather
4 and great-grandfather had been Deacons
and as yet he had not been "chosen," al
thOuuh several vapapniaa hod Onourrod
since his years and experience had rem
dered him eligible TO that Office
1t was q great trial to the widow, for
with mothers partiality, she deemed il
fitting that the fathers mantle should fall
upon the son, who was in every way
worthy to follow in the footprints of his
sire And another thing "tried" the
Widow Ephraim had never shown any
ematFimonial inclination, although his duty
had been faithfully held before him I" line
-iupon line, precept, upon precept," but
with strange perversity common to human
nature, (and should like to add, for the
sake of truth, that it reaches its highest
development in the masculine persuasion,
4 he seemed deaf TO her fond entreaties and
,sblind,to his own interests.
r. Wise and deep were the arguments used
by the widow, but Ephraim would coolly
-nput' on his hat and make his exit in the
lmiddle of her longest sentence. Many
!, and curious were the traps which she SET
for her son, but he never for moment
became entangled in any of them.
,@'.. Did she invite some of the farmers
daughters to" pass the afternoon and stay
to tea" Ephraim was sure TO be absent al
supper time, and Solomon would have the
> girls TO entertain and "see home" And
yiSolomon, instead of blaming his brother
and sympathizing with the poor woman
s.iin " her trials" seemed to consider it good
fun, and would persist in rehearsing what
the girls said about Ephraim's running
away from them. And many evenings,
when he should have been at home with
=, his books, or in meeting with his mother
hewould be idling his time away in some
rfarmer's kitchen, in dangerous proximity
esto rosy cheeks and flashing eyes, or away
On the ice, where some pretty girl would
: cling closely to him, knowing intuitively
that the more helpless and dependent she
seemed, the greater would be the care and
-sattentioni given her. r.
~ No wonder Mrs, Hawkins used to sigl
> and say, I" If Ephrain ever does get 6
wife. and Solomon don't get more'n one,
shall be thankful"
She had borne, with commendable spirit
land silence the remarks which were made
esin her hearing; but there is a limit to hu
:, man patience, and tits fact that womer
o. can manage to say most cutting and irri
tating things. to each other under the gart
sSof sympathy and coincidence.
IL WAS at the sewing society, the first
od which had met" since Deacon Ellsbret
had been gathered to his fathers
q ,iAITs. Smith, with an elongated face, and
voice toned down to the proper key
said; 81 felt so bad for you, Sister Haw
,hi ikins, when heard they was going to pass
your Ephraim by again, and take a mar
so much younger, and with so little expe
- Tience. Ii seems kinder like put upon
upon you both, and slight upon you
,s'husban anTthat'Snow,dead and gone, 1t really
does.S And she madea desperate effor
< to subdue the rising triumph in her voice
Who have they picked out ?" asked the
widow, and she looked ready to sink,
z for she had Thought, surely they will TAXI
( Ephrairn now" -
- &c It's not settled yet; but they are talk
in bout Car'line's husban'," and then sh'
added, after a moments pause, az wisl
things had been q leetle different Will
EphTaim."
Mrs. Hawkins tried to brace herself Il
hear the rest. She was soon accosted with
=" Glad TO see you out to day, Sister kHaw
. kins; shows you amt no feeling 'bou
aEphraim's bein' slighted we all 'specteC
you'd lot on his being chosen, but you se'
'twouldn't do, no how"
b The pale face flushed, and then sh'
i looked up to find that every eye was upoI
q her, and every one waiting to see what sh'
. would say.
sas She spoke up quite unlike herself. mo
i don't see why il wouldn't do; my Eph
= rains as likely a man as there is in thi
town, and there amt person with thu
right to speak agin him, and that's more'I
can be said of some folks that pear L
I. stand better chance than him."
,.t,s III was pretty still there for minute o.
so, and then Deacon Slocum's wife, WHIT
!, was hostess on the occasion, said, "Don'
you be 'fronted, Sister Hawkins, nobody
~ blames you.p 'f 7''
90 "And who do they blamep Hasn't my
son always walked 'cord'n to his profes
sion?"
~ rY-e-a-s, but you know what the Scrip
: tuTs say.p 1913
know a good deal that would be
rebuke TO folks | could mention" Blu
she tried TO smile ias she asked, Wha
haftickler' Scriptur do you refer to, Siste
SlocumfHi ts4 4el dsas SO .ai ft4
,gIf'Ldon't.know as / can give you tn
words straight. / heard my husband talk
In It over; twas something bout dea
con havln' wife and children; | CUES
that they always have to, don't they"