Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1875-09-23
THE WIDOWS STRATAG EN-.

THE WIDOWS STRATAG EN-.
Elder Boyd, though a very good man
in the main. and looked up to with re-
spect by all the inhabitants of the little
village Of Oldville, was rumorcd to have,
in Yankee parlance, pretty sharp look
out for the main chance--a peculiarly
from which elders are not always cx-
empt,
In worldly matters he was decidedly
wcILto-tlo, having inherited a farm from
his father, which was growing yearly
more and more valuable. 1t might be
supposed that under these circumstances,
the elder, who was fully able to do so,
would have found hclpma,e to share his
house and name. But the elder was wary.
Marimouy was to him, i'll some meas
ure, a matter Of money, and it was his
could thereby enhance his worldly pros
perity.
UnhapHily, tn he little village Of Ohlvillc
and the towns in the immediate vicinity
contained few who were qualified in tla;
important particular, and Of those there
were probably none with whom the Ed
cr's suit would have prosp"red. So il
laIpcnc cd that year after year passed away
until Elder Boyd wus in the prime Of life
III or thcreabouts-a still! unmarried
and in all human probability likely to re
main SO. But in all human calculations
OF this kind they rcckm ill who leave
! widows out.
Elder Boytl's nearest neighbor vas a
Widow.
The Widow Hayes, who had passed
through matrimonial cxperiencc,wa four
years younger than E's!2r Boyd. Sic was
sill q Guxon,, cnme]y women, as widows
arc apt to he.
Unfortunately, the late Mr.. Hayes had
not been able to leave her sufficient t.
make Ecr independent Of tic world. All
| that she possessed vas the small o!d-fash
ioncl house in whicl! she lived, and u
| small amount Of money which was insult
iicicnt to support her and d little son Of
six, likewise to be enumerated in the
schedule of her property, though hardly
to he classed as "produclive' OF anything
| but m !schcf.
The widow was therefore obliged tc
take care of three boardcrs to exc ou
!! her scanty income, which Of course i'm
posed upon her considerable labor and
! anxiety.
Is it surprising that under these circum
stances, she should now and then be
thought herself Of /. second marriage as &
method ,cf bcttering her condition? o.
again, need we esteem it a special wonder
If in her reflections upon this point, s}le
should have cast her eyes upon her mex
ncighbor, Elder Boyd? The elder, as We
have already said, was in hourishing cir
cums,ances. He would be able to main
tain a wife in great comfort, and being
one Of the chief personages in the village
could accord her a prominent social posi-
,ion. lie was not especially handsome, OF
calculated to make u profound impression
upon the female heart; this was true, but
he was of a good disposition, kind hearted
/ and would no doubt make a very good
sort Of husband. Widows are, take il
(if any shall do me the honor to read
this story, I trust they will forgive the
remark), less disposed to weigh senti
; ment in a second alliance than at first
and so, in the widows point Of view
Elder Boyd was very good, desirable
match.
Some sugacious persons however, ha:
! observed that 1t takes two to make :
match, i fact to be seriously considered
for in the present case it was exceedingly
doubtful whether the worldly Elder, ever
if he had know the favorable opinion O
! his next ncighbor, would have been in
clined to propose changing her name tc
! Boyd, unless, indeed, suitable motive
was brought to bear upon him. Here wa!
chance for little managing, wherein
widows are said, as a general thing, to be
expert.
One evening, ,after day of fatiguing
labor, Widow Hayes sat at the fire in the
sitting room, with her feet resting on tht
; fender.
"If am ever situated so as not to hav.
to work so hard" she mulmured, II shal
be happy. It's hard life, keeping hoard
ers. Ii was only as we'll off as Elder
Boyd!"
Still the widow kept up her thinking
and by and by her face frightened Sht
had an idea which she resolved to put int
execution at the earliest possible moment
What it WAS tho reader will discover il
the sequel.
"Fretl;o," said she to her son, the mex
morning, II want you to stop at Eide
Boyd's us you go to school, and ask him
he will call On me in the morning, or af
ternoon, Just a. he finds it the most con
ycnient."
Elder Boyd was little surprised a
this summons. However,, at about Il
o'clock he called in. The widow hat
got the dinner, and had leisure time to 81
down. She Appeared a. little embarrass
cd,