The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1875-05-08
BUDGET OF FUN.
She Wanted an Fpitapn.

She came in from the country few day
ago and ordered headStone for the grave o
her departed husband. The marble-cutte
was to have it all ready yesterday, when sh
was to come il with the inscription, have tn
letters carved, and take the stone away.
She was on time. but she wore an anxious
troubled look, having failed to write up sucl
anoticc rs she thought the stone ought L
bear,
Il wan! suthin' tlat'll do my poor deat
Homer justisS," she explained to the marble
cutter. II think ought to have one or two
verses Of poetry, and then aline or two at the
bottom-sunthin' ike Meet me or the Other
shore you know
The cutter said ne thought he could get up
something, and she entered the office, and he
took out twenty three sheets OF ioolscap ana
three pen holders and Sc. TO work, while she
Aeld her breath for lear Of disturbing his
thoughts, He ground away for awhile,
scratched out and wrote in, and hnally SAID
he had got the neatest thing that ever went
upon white marble. 1t road
IN MEMORY
HOMER CLINK,
who died
Oct 10, 1873,
Aged IL yrs, mo-, q dys,
Nv husband was noble man,
Of me he lots did think;
and I'll never see another nan
Like my dear Homer Clnk.
Isn't that bully?" asked the man as he
finished reading the inscription
It's purity far, but replied the widow.
But what, madame
Why, you see, he was good and kind, and
was allus to hum nights, and all that, but |
nay find another man just rs good, you
know, have said that ! wouldn't marry
again, but ] may change my mind, ana l
guess we'd better tinker up that verse a lit
lie. And besides, you didn't get anything on
the bottom"
She went out and ramblcd among the
!ombstones while the cutter ground away
again, and Just as she had become interested
ii dog fight lie called her in and read the
new inscription. TAc first part was as be-
Ny husband is dead
My poor Homer Clinh,
And in the cold ground they have laid lim:
lie was always home nights,
Never got into fights,
But death came along and betrayed HIM
II shall meet him on the other shore, where all
is lovely, and where sickness never comes
There, hows that" inquired the poet, a
bland smile covering his face Seems toi
rne as if that went right to the heart"
The woman took the paper, read The notice
over four or five times, and finally said:
II don't want to seem particular about this,
and | know I'm maxim Il good deal Of trou-
Die That would do for most anything else
It's the real poetry, but I'd like sunthin'
kinder different, somehow. He was noble
man. He never gave me cross word in his
lIfe-not one. He'd be out of bed at daylight,
start the fire, and l never got Up till | heard
him grinding the coffee. lie was q good
pyovider, he was He never bought any dam.
aged goods because he could get EN- cheap,
and he never scrimpcd me on sugar and tea,
as folks do. can't help bat weep when |
think of him"
She sobbed away for awhile, and .henI
frightened up and said"
"Of course I'll meet him in heaven. It's
ell right. AS | told you, may never marry
again though can't tell what III be driven
To- Just try once more"
She sat down to an old almanac, and thcs
cutter resumed his pen. lie seemed to get,
the right at once and it wasn't fifteen min.
Gtes before he had the third notice ground
out 1t read
IN MEMORY