Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1874-02-10
About WidOwers.

lQ6y wear Wttub upOu
worne hats. They wear sanctimonious
countenances. They are easily distin-
guished from other men by reason of
their subdued and solemn air, and their
tender consideration for sweet young
girls of sixteen or thereabouts.
They are usually quite anxious to
marry again, and are seldom unsuccess
full in their various matrimonial en-
deavors. They know how to handle a
woman; they understand her whims and
caprices; they are posted with regard to
the exact location Of the vulnerable
corner in her heart, and they besiege
this tender spot so assiduously that they
rarely fail to effect conquest.
Widows are particularly fond Of wid.
overs. They even prefer second-rate
one to a frst-class bachelor. | can ac.
count for this upon no other theory than
they find it a laborious and difficult un-
dertaking to instruct the uninitiated
bachelors in the mysterious arts and
rudiments of hooking their dresses and
performing those other necessary and
essential acts and duties appertaining
and belonging to household economy
and domestic felicity; while widower,
from long previous practical experiences,
can Immediately attend to the satisfac-
tory performance of these things with
out a long course of severe mental dis
cipline or physical training.
/ know young widow myself. She
is tall, elegant and warm-hearted wo.
man; she is dignifed in her demeanor,
pleasant in her manner, cheerful in her
conversation, and stylish in her attire.
She has pearly teeth, red lips, pair of
tender, bewildering eyes, and a high,
intellectual forehead, surmounted by a
wealth OF waving hair. Her hands are
soft, small and slender, and she pos
sesses as provokingly pretty pair OF
little feet as ever peeped out from un-
der the folds of dark dress. The other
Light we happened, somehow, to be
together We sat side by side in the
front parlor, having confidential chat
all by ourselves. The house was so still
that we could hear the very crawling of
the cockroaches in the partitions.
managed by some maneuvering to get
hold of that white, soft, small and
slender hand Of hers, and | said in my
tenderest tone:
MRS. Brown, do you intend to marry
again?"
Sho," she said.
Why, how you talk. "
Perhaps" she archly replied. I" If
can only persuade some rich and
handsome widower to have me. |
wouldn't think of marrying any other
kind of a man. I'd sooner take in
washing.
am a bachelor. l haven't mentioned
the subject of matrimony since. made
up my mind, that in her regard, | was
not unlike many Of the manuscripts my
publishers return to me marked, mot
exactly available" "
So it is with the widowers everywhere.
No matter how homely they seem, they
have the very best of everything, and all
they want Of it. They can sleep serenely
while some tender woman mends their
torn garments aud darns their tattered
socks, and the lone bachelor transfixes
his thumbs (his fingers are all thumbs)
in futile endeavors to make his wardrobe
presentable. A widower has on y to
| look at a woman and hint a proposal,
and he is accepted without word of
protest, a murmur, or a sign.
| know an old widower who is now
living with his fosrth wife, most lovely
aud estimable woman, who is nearly
gone with the quick consumption; and
/ know of dozen fascinating females
who are alarmingly profuse in their ex-
pressions of sympathy for him, in the
matter of prospective bereavement. |
trust that they are prompted in their
words of pity by motives of pure phi
lanthropy. These disinterested women
will be great comfert to him, poor man,
when she is gone.