The Portland daily press., 1872-12-30
A Widows Life.
SOME OF ITS LIGHTS AND SHADOWS

Less than score of years ago, an eccentric
Ola woman, living in London took lodgings
IN rather mean part of the city. She was
h very airty IN her ways, very stingy in her
naDits, and very mum about her own affairs.
Zen n, years ago she departed this life.
,y;dn' dne iodging-house had been kept by an old
oaon,t; "l~U~, VINO knew hardly anything about her
s1, .ooou'iIe ,odger. But it was found. at the
aeat1 OF u tne iodger, to the amazement of tn
WoIiu, tnat tne lodger had oequeathed to the
miuo" nTr ent,ie e fortune, amounting to over
| nall million dollars. There was no doubt
about it, for the fortunate widow soon eot
actual possession of the money. She was a
good old widow, but no wonder if visions of
glory now burst upon her soul. 1t seemed
Impossible ever to spend such a vast fortune.
The generous widow soon fell into the
hands of her friends. She handed each of
them five or ten thousand dollars, more or
less from time to time, and to four of her par
tlcular admirers, she was kind enough to give
as much as seventy thousand dollars apiece.
In this way her half million dollars were, in
two years, reduced to fifty thousand.
The hapless widow now made the acuuain-
tance OF man who had met with ill-luck in
business, and invited him and his wife TO
take up their abode in her house. The con-
fiding widow, wishing to do the man another
good turn, transferred to him, as trustee.
stock OF the value OF twenty thousand dollars,
and soon afterward gave him the entire
management OF what property she had left,
whlch, also, was next transferred to him as
her sole trustee.
Inc absurd widow was now induced TO
leave her house and go 10 live with the man
and his wife, in a house they had taken.
Here she made viii bequeathing him her
whole estate, excepting few small legacies;
put, as tne time OF her death was uncertain,
she made him gift in hand of ten thousand
dollars, and soon afterwa:d another ten. Not
satisfied with this, and still uncertain how
'ong he might have to wait for her bequest.
she next assigned him, for immediate deliy-
cry, all her rem, lining property he agreeing
TO BOARD her and give her a small annuity
Two years ago, VIII lie the smiling widow
vas living under taese circumstances. the
man died, and his relict then claim d the
rroper y which had been yes ed in him by
the widow. The wretched widow now got
alarmed, under the impression hat She
might yet have to pass her old age in a poor
house, and determined to bring suit ,or her
property. The case was on trial for five days
last month IN the Court of Chancery, In
London. The decision was in her favor.
The Vice Chancellor ordered the cancella-
ton the deeds she had given to the man,
and trld her that by the merest chance she
had been saved from hopeless poverty at the
close Oh ner lie. In festive widow is now
i'll possession of something over twenty thou
sand dollars out of the fortune of half, mill
ion bequeathed to her by her eccentric lodger
ten years ago.
The name of the eccentric lodger was Rob
inson; the name of the fluctuating widow
was Baker, and the name of the man who
did her was Loader.
The case, as developed ON the trial, is re-
garded as one of the most curious romances
ever brought before the British Court of
Chancery.
Perhaps the disenthralled widow will now
keep hold of the money she has got-perha IS
not She may have new set of admirers.
She may be seized with new fits of generosi-
ty. She may again have the feeling come
over her that it is bothersome to take care of
so much lucre. five should hear, by and by.
that the silly widow had managed to get rid
of it all, al d had been sent to the poor house
in her last years, it would not be more sur
prising than the experiences she has already
passed through.
We should say that the moral Of this story
must be quite obvious to any other widow
who may meet with her good fortune and
bad luck.