The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1872-11-15
The Widows Sewing Machine.
BY MATTE DYER DRIFTS.


BY MATTE DYER DRIFTS
Little Widow Wilkins was the pret
tiest little widow in SquashtOwn. If
should add that she was the prettiest
little widow in any town, l don't sup
pose it would be saying any more than
the truth.
She was as round and rosy as June
apple, and great deal sweeter; she had
ewes as black as the night, and bright as
the stars which gem ii; she had a
wealth of rippling black hair-hers by
gift, not by purchase-and the plump
est, softest little hand that ever sent the
blood bounding through lovers veins
by its warm touch.
She also had the finest farm and the
choicest farmhouse in the country, and
purse as plump as her own little per-
son. These things being promised, it
follows, as a logical consequence, the
Widow wilkins need not have renamed
a widow had she chosen otherwise.
Suffers she had plenty, but they did
not suit her, because-well, because the
only one upon whom she had resolved
TO smile did not propose.
This fortunate individual was Deacon
Simpkins, whose farm lay next beyond
the little widows, so that he could not
even go to town without passing her
house.
How it was that the worthy deacon
turned a blind eve on the little widows
beauties l cannot explain-though,
truth to tell, he did not do so.
He saw her charms quite as plainly as
any one else did, and had long possessed
a areant desire to make those charms
his own. But he was exceedingly BASH
full, naturally, and it had been so long
since he made love in his younger days,
10 the deceased Mrs. Simpkins, that he
was entirely out of practice.
So helooked and admired at distance,
without daring to come near and eX-
press his admiration. Then his two
daughters, Martha Jane and Rebecca,
were notable housewives, and hept his
house in perfect order; so he had no
loophole of escape on the score of need
ing a hOusekeeper.
Little Mrs. Wilkins perceived the
state of the good deacons mind quite as
well as he did himself, and finding quite
an attraction in the portly figure anC
genial manner of her bashful admirer
was very much provoked to see what
laggard in love he appeared likely {,
prove
But not whit would she help or en-
courage him. In fact, she rather de
llEnlE.l " LEdlSE llAll Will lllAfSE tONuel
ish little airs which she could put on s.
prettily, and laughed in her sleeve +
see the poor deacon set half-distractei
by them.
Now it happened that the prett,
widow was the happy owner of a sewing
machine. In those days they were no
so plenty as they are now, and the pos
session of one was regarded as quite
distinction. In tact, there was only on
or two Others in SquashtOwn, and man,
was the bit of Stitching" for which tn
bellies of the neighbOrhood were in
debted to pretty Widow wilkins.
The widow made a great pet of he
machine; and, shortly after she hal
purchased il, she was heard to declar
that she would as soon lend herself a
her sewing machine, and that, in short
any one who got it, would have to ge
her, too.
Martha Jane and Rebecca Simpkin
had a cousin who worked in a dress
makers shop in New York. Ever,
summer this cousin, whose name wa
Araminta Jones, came down to Squash
town to pay visit and rustieate among
her friends.
With the bright summer of which w
write, therefore, down came Miss Jones
with trunk full of the latest New
York fashions, wherewith to dazzle tn,
eyes and excite envy in the breasts o
the simple inhabitants of SquashtOwn
When Miss Araminta's visit wa:
nearly over she persuaded her eOusiT
Rebecca TO return to New York witt
her, and the whole Simpkins family
was thrown into fiutter of preparation
The house was filled from one end to the
other with silks, and lustres and mus.
Gns, and such like female parapherna.
liza, and the girls made their needles fiy
from morning till night Miss Ara
minta declared that if she only had 9
sewing machine she could get ready in
half the time, and more than half as
well again, and harped npon that string
until the Simpkins girls began TO think
that there was but one desirable object
in the world, and that was a sewing ma.
chine.
In this emergency Deacon Simpkins
was called on, and entreated in his turn
to call on the Widow Wilkins and beg
her to lend her sewing machine for a
single week
Now, had the deacon remembered the
laughing challenge thrown out by the
pretty widow when she purchased her
sewing machine, no earthly power could
nave induced him to undertake the er-
rand.
But If lie ever heard it, he had en-
lie iSiteiy forgotten it; so, being overcome
~ ,,Ae many another weak brother. bv the
What 81 I feminine persuasion, he some
IIa. Dr.Iel eell9ctantly consented TO 90.
;rd.I,e IeSSeu 5 IN his Sunday best. accord
,,-iSaSS,1,.iI iDeIIcoh Simpkins started 10 tba
willow house. AS he drew ~ 49, ~ 'he he
coul1 not help observing and o,In,iI;il' ne
the thrifty look of everytbing r,g haanlirlng ha
The meadows were heaYys n.;,i; ne saw.
grant clover, among which the eu Ira lra-
cattle were lazily browsing: ne u.ie ers,1 sleek
dropped with apples, red and To,,,,I 70 q
the widows own pretty cheeHe. Huiu ,ils as
garden was neatly weeded. and 81 the
antly filed; and everything in unul aoLI
about the farm-yard betokened mana,.n ~
ment and care.
At an open window, fresh and fair a,
q May morning, sat the pretty mistres,
herself, humming snatch of song, Il
the busy click, click, click of that very
sewing machine, as it flew under he
deft fingers.
But as the deacon passed on the porch
and took off his hat TO fan his heateS