Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1876-05-16
StlttttN Storp.
The WIDOW IN THE [.

THE WIDOW IN THE L.
L, bad been Mrs. Buuerkin's doings.
letting the l.. Mr. Blt,erkin had objected
to the proceeding. bat mildly. a. was
becoming ir the good.humcyed husband
Of a "whimmy' wife, so prone 10 teals
that there seemed some foundation Tor
her pet apprehension that her blood was
turning TO water" G'ieyously ;ormcn,cd
by nerves, she ionget tor womanly SYM
pa,ly, and On Mr. E55eson's decease,
nothing would DO bui his widow should
sell her farm and occupy ,he Baiterkin
l.; !or had not Ruth aud she been dear
friends iron girhood? After due deit-
GRAFTON, Mrs. EJocson came, having iIs.
secured life lease Of the building.
\ busy little body was Ruth Eobeson,
as she had need to De. her incorporate,
worthless husband having left her barely
enough to make both ends meet Ii she
would zap them comfortably, it must be
by her own exert,ons with the needle
And as she sat checrily stitching by her
invalid mothers couch. Mrs. Butterkin
would often ruu IN with beans TO pick
over or apples to pare, while OF
RAINY DAYS. o5etieut 20 his wiie's sug-
ges'ioas, MI Bluerhin did many neigh.
borly turn in The Way OF carpentry. The
Two lami.ieS were almost as one. Indeed,
The letting ot the L. seemed \ provi;lent
arrangement tor all parties. Il was a
r,liei to Mrs. Eobeson to 90 lid Of her
farm; It was well that her mother should
he within easy access Of physician -
Especially was il of advantage TO Mrs.
Bu,,ersin to enjoy cheerful companion
ship. and whatever was OF advantage to
Mrs. Bu.terkin necessarily sfec,ed Dir.
Bu;;eTkin.
Thus years g.ided on. bringing mental
vigor 90 the nerve diseased Mrs. Butter
Kin. She had never seemed in better
hesl,h than in that fatal spring when she
was prc.tra,ed by pneumonia, death
stricken from The first.
The Lord wills it, Ruth, and don't
Zee. TO murmur,r she whispered with
diving grace but husband II miss me-
nov You'll keep an eve on him, won't
YOU. dear, when an gone. and make
him comlor,ab.e?' -
Mrs. EobesOn Sob0ed promise; ou'
alter Mr.. Butterkin's bereavement she
,oupd the covenant embarrassing, Tor IN
mi, sublunary world Of ours wido"
who keeps her eye" on a wido"er cna!'
leuges unpleasant comment and il''lS
Mr.. Ebbesou deprecated the speech o.
peop,e. Couseq quently, though she min
istered 10 Mr. Bu;ierhin's comfort, II VS.
10 uuob,rusiye ways not suspected oy
him and hardly realized by the niece
,,to kent his house. The door between
the two siIting-rooms 10 longer as iot
merIy stood iuyilingly ajAr. but Wa
hasped upon the widows side. She ne'e'
passed through it now, save IN the genue
,,s,,. absence. when she occasionally
ossi.,ed the inexperienced Esther IN com
rop,dipg his fayoriIe dishes, or surrepu
,;o,slv possessed herself OF his mt
mspsipg. With his wi!e's demise the OK
frse-snd easy life had ended They "er'
two distipc. households, growing iafIhe
and farther apart, as the weed upon th'
,yidover's ha, waxed rusty beneath In
.oc,mpla.ed months of mourning.
oonld .c,roely have been otherwise. In
olo.s5 Joor was but 3 symbol oil Int
barrier which, in the very nature 0
,bings. mus, exist between the beresVe'
AZ Bu,tsrkin and the similarly oerea'e'
urs Ebbeson. When right hand gov.
has los, his mate. and lett has met VIII
ike calamity, one naturally desires !.
5, the remaining two together IL naPi-
-. NAV make a pair, and the Wido'
- sepsitively at the though OF IN
nsigbbors thus matching herself and Mf
p',o..;n AS lar as in her las she Irie'
msEsitau apparent to them that the t~ all
- y ,wo odd ones. which could oy N
possibility be mated ,o.,ioo
R.,,ot % The gentleman 10 4''S''''
.,.,...or,s should gossip never en'ere
ri. head. Ii in X Iaoa's ''',''~1,
n''..~ o. her. he nad done her dear K0l
,rsouent neighbOrly favOrs' all u the mo, y,
would he do them no" 'hal aaar do "a
00,u %sD, = by. and he felt more and mo-, mo.
wen ,. dawn 70 the cheerful, bright