Richland beacon., 1873-05-10
that helped men ito do that


With regard to young men. the fair
widow considered herself i'm the light of
benevolent Institution. In the evening
her house was open to as many of them
) as chose to come to il, and she welcomed
/ them cheerfuIly: 1t was one Of her hos
ptable ways that, precisely at nine
o'clock. tea was brought in. accompanied
by golden waters, brown crullers. and
, red-cheeked apples: which were partaken
. of in the most unceremu uniouS manner.
While they tasted the. cup, that cheers,
f stories, riddles, and witty anecdotes
abounded; and how weE tDe widow lis
'ened how prettilv she laughed =.
t Some of Mrs. M'Bride's i~male friends
had remOns trated-as temaAe friends will
/ but she had smiled AT their. wisdom.
Dear boys. they know J don't intend
, to marry them, and they' feel perfectly
safe. Ii only keeps them o,N of mischief y
And that was why she called herself "the
providence Of young men,"
Hitherto she had neglected Mr.. Plum.
He had lately come from large town TO
tilltne position of Cashier in the Apple
town1bank, and It was said that ''he didn't
: thil much Of country folks To BASH
ful young men Mrs. M'Bride was rs ten
1 der as mother; but pride was not To her
! taste, and she had been rather coOl to Mr..
Plum. However, at the beginning of her
t campaign he seemed To, be exactly the
man she needed to carry war into the
; enemy's camp.
; Mr. Plum was in everything the oppO-
| site OF Farmer Prindle. He was a city
9 man," with city manners and language ::
: he was handsome, tOO. with lack eyes,
= black hair. and the blackcSt mou>tache in
r Appletown.. Ii w3s not the style of beau
ty that Mrs. NJ Bride admired; but then.
as she said to herself, "that horrid old
thing will thiak he is an Apollo"
! Mrs. M'Bride was-right there. The
. 'horrid old thing" Peter Prindle by
e name. did think that MIR. Plum was "a
t handsome puppy-all hair and no brains" "
V Mr.. Prindle was rather bald, and prided
r himself on his brains: and Immediately
e after that meeting on Elm street he began
r to-deSpisc Mr.. Plum.
q In large town far away there lived a
sweet little girl who honestly believed
:, that Mr.. Plum was ''too good for his
: world" certainly too good for her; YET
: he had vowed that he loved her. But
e they were poor, and they must wait.
While he waited Mr.. Plum led a very en-
e durable life. and once a week he wrote tC
L his love. telling her how lonely he was
It without her. Mrs. MBride knew moth.
e ing OF the little girl, bCr had she known
it would have made no difference in hel
G plans. for she considered Mr.. Plum much
:. too young TO fall in love with her.
This little war Of the "weight in gold
:. began in May. and during the following
summer Mr.. Plum's devotion 10 Widow
" M'Bride was the general topic of conver
Sation. Did you ever!'' said the women
d forgetting what they had seen before
d She's hooked him T. said the men, witt
Il knowing wink.
t As for Mr.. Prindle. he spent nearly al
n his evenings at Mrs. Cranes, smoking hi
pipe by the side of Mr.. Crane, and freel.
expressing his disapprobation OF Mrs
= M'Bride's behavior. 1T is shame. ant
,. she that's old enough TO be his mother, |
!. is her money he is after.
e He had said this so often that Mrs
is Crane got tired of it 1T last; and as sh
hal made up her little quarrel with tn
It widow, she Il termined To stand up for he
friend.
g And why should it be- for her money!
she ked. "She is good enough for an
h man: and as long as you don't want he
d yourself. why don't you let her alone:,'
= .'Of course | don't want her" growle
1t the farmer.
"Oh. you needn't be afraid; sh
1t wouldn't have you if you wanted heI
:. Whe | rOld her what you said aboutit-
:. Then Farmer Prindle got up, and stanc
I ing in the middle of the room, he forge
: his mothers teachings, and-uttored pre-
f ne Ian uage! after which he went ava
d without saying goodnight, and didnot re
le turn fOrSeveral weeks.
NJ "And he was as mad as mad can be !!
t said Mrs. Crane to the widow, when sh
re related that little incident to her.
Men are so foolish" said Mrs. M'Bridt
in complacently.
ne Accidents will happen, and an accider
st happened 10 Mr.. Prindle: he was invite
to a tea-party.
ne Il won't 90" he said to himself. "Yei
n. | will, too Why shOuldn't |? | ain
ne afraid of her if she does know. | mean
at what | said. every word of itn'
"A SO Mr.. Prindle adorned himself an
al went. He looked very well In his blae
ID. coat and clean shirt. but he did not knO
he il. In the matter of good looks men al
he either too vain or too modest, and NJ
Prindle was too modest man.
de Widow NJ bride was there in her pre-
i'm test weeds" looking like full-blOw
ID rose in "A bed of autumn flowers, for tn
sk- was middle-aged tea-party, and she W;
Ike the Youngest woman in the room. 81
had made herself agreeable to the ladie
err as she always did; but when the gentl
- men came in she felt relieved, and SOC
nd proposed walk in the garden.
at The proposition was accepted, and, |
Isl some fateful chance. Mr.. Prindle foul
dr. himself walking by the widows side.
Ks. first he felt rather shcepish. AlthOus
he had meant what he had said, ''eve
ed. word of it, he could not help wishing
hat had not said it. Was she angry? he wo
I'D dered.
sh- Angry? Nc summer sky could be mo
am softly serene than the widows fair bro
his crowned by the little white cloud S
ow called her widows cap" 81 suppC
= you have great many flowers in yo
She garden" she said, mildly. -
rect mo; l don't care much for flowers
two said Mr.. Prindle.
Mr. Don't you? / love them; ! could
was live in the country If it wasnot for fiow'
and trees and birds"
,om .Farm-work wouldn't suit your tas
elm guess
At :. Not at all; | should hate it so.
plv would make my hands so hard a
hat brown" And she gazed autwo VII
Iade hands. on which dimplcs hau taken
his place of ..knuckles.". $50.
her Mr.. Prindle looked at the hands t
was 1T would be a pity to spoil them by u
was full work, wouldn't it ~ he said, not an
the bly,.
Il think it would. A lady must h
dow white hands, YOU know"
n to "And vet" said Mr. Prindle, speak
ONE almost angrlly, II knew woman,
my best OF women, VINO was as good ds
lady in the land, if she did milk the CT
he and make her own butter and cheese.
tool didn't think Of her hands"