The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1875-07-23
Miscellaneous.
THE WIDOWS STRATAGEM.

ED. BOYD'S MATRIMONIAL EXPERIENCE.
Elder Boyd, though very good man in
the main, and looked up to with re spcct by
all the inhabitants of the little village of
Oldville, was rumored to have, in Yankee
parance, pretty sharp lookout for the main
chance popularity from which elders are
not always exempt
In worldly matters he was decidedly we'll
to-do, having inherited fine 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 a
helpmate to share his house and name. But
the elder was wary. Matrmony was to him,
i'll some measure, matter of money, and it
was his firm resolve not to marry unless he
could thereby enhance his worldly pros
pef,y.
Unhappily, the little village of Oldville
and the towns in the immediate vicinity
conCained few who were qualified in the i'm
porant particular, and of those there were
probably nohc with whom the elders suit
would have prospered. So it happened that
year alter year passed away, until Lder
Boyd was in The PRIME of life-44 or there
abouts-and still unmarried and in all hu-
man probability likely to remain so, But
in all human calculations of this kind they
reckon i'll who leave widows out,
Elder Boyd's nearest neighbor was a
widow.
The Widow Hayes, who had passed
through matrimonial experience, was some
fCu~ years younger than Elder Boyd. She
was still n buXom, comely woman, as wild
ows are apt to be.
Unfortunately, the late Mr.. Hayes had
not been able to leave her sufficient to make
her independent of the world. All that she
possessed was the small, old-fashioncd house
in which she lived, and small amount of
money, was insufficient to support her and a
little son of 6, likewise to be enumerated in
the schedule Of her property, though hardly
to be cassed rs productive Of anything
but mischief.
The widow was, therefore, obliged to take
care of three boarders to exc out her scanty
income, which, of course imposed upon her
considerable labor and anxiety
1t is not surprising that under these cir
cumstances she should now and then have
bethought herself Of Il second marriage as a
method of bettering her condition? Or
again, need we esteem it special wonder
| if, in her reflections upon this point, she
should have cast her eyes upon her next
neghbor, Elder Boyd? The Elder, as we
have already said, was in ilourishing cir
cumstances. lie would be able to maintain
a wife in great comfort, ndbeing one the
chief personages in the village, could accord
her prominent social position. lie was
not especially handsome, or calculated to
make a profound impression upon the fe-
male hemt this was true, but he was Of a
good disposition, kind hearted, and would
no doubt make good sort of a husband.
| Widows are, take it (if any shall do me
the honor to read this story, | trust they
will forgive me the remark less disposed to
weigh sentiment in a second alliance than 1,
FIRST, and so, in the widows point of view,
Elder Boyd was a very desirable match.
| Some sagacous person, however, has OBJ
| served that it takes two to make match, a
fact to be seriously considered for in the
present case it was exceedingly doubtful
whether the worldly elder, even if he had