Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1876-03-15

A good story was told me by 0e
man lady who attributes It to q
"Grimm Brothers." but it certainly !
not among their translated stories. u
translator doubtless possessed too mud
delieacy TO present 1t In Engiish. How
ever. the best part of the incidoQ6
ssid to have taken place In heeven. Snd
certainly st. Peter would not allow any
indecent conduct up there; hence, Il
encouraged to repeat it, rs near as can
remember the case.
Once upon a time there was q very
stingy woman, the wife of an honest
peasant in good circumstances. They
lived together and labored necessarily
to lay up earthly stores, so that
when they were old and feeble and
could work no longer they would have
enough to keep them from consuming
the grudgingly bestowed crust gener-
ally offered to poor relations. But about
the time they had nearly enough, the
good old man closed his eyes in this
weary world and gave up the ghost.
Now the old woman had an extended
reputation, founded upon an avaricious
disposition, and knowing this the sis
ter of decreased, fearing the man would
be sent to eternal rest destitute of good
clothes, especially that most desirable
article, shirt, took it upon herself to
provide and robe her Dear brother with
one at her own expense.
This was accordingly done, much to
the qualification of the mourning Wild
ow, who, after she was left alone with
the dead, became possessed of greed
unconquerable, and began to reason
thus:
'.There lies my poor old man, with a
couple of yards of fine linen under him !;
now he is not used TO that sort of thing,
and doubt if he will rest well on such
a piece of extravaganza think 1t Is
my duty to make his last bed as natural
and comfortable as possible"
Forthwith she takes the shears, turns
the resistless husband over in his cof-
fin and cuts off about yard of his shirt
where it had no gathers and seems.
''This," said she, twill come handy
some day, and nobody will ever be the
wiser. 1t would be sin and shame
to bury so much fine linen"
However, the sister did not quite trust
this sister-in-law, and just before the
funeral Investigated matters, and dis
covered the robbery-but held her peace,
and as soon as the burial was over, re-
lated the deed to the priest, and asked
him TO punish the wicked creature when
she came to confession. But the widow
had no intention of confessing anything
about the linen and time passed on un-
til the sister became impatient, but the
clever priest told her to wait, he would
farea tho fa--tn,, from har hu-an6
bye.
When the widow next came to him
he looked very sad, and she asked him
if he was sick.
"No," said he, ''but l had vision
last night that troubles me greatly. l
thought was in heaven and the angels
were all having such a glorious time
dancing and singing, and L looked
around for your husband, but he was
not amongst the joyous ones"
"You see, holy father" the woman
exclaimed, she never was much Of a
hand to dance, and was good deal out
of practice"
"No, Ii was not that; for saw him
away over "a. q oSraeE, keepiirg time to
the music with hands and feet, and
wriggling with his body from right to
lett, but his back was pressed as chose
to the wall as if ne had been glued there
for punishment. 1 am sorely puzzled" !"
This frightened the woman so terri
bly, that she fell on her knees and con-
fessed having curtailed her husbands
shroud.
Then the briest forced her to disgorge
her ill-gotten linen and do penance by
paying so much week of her boarded
earnings until her husbands shirt
should grow to decent length to per-
nit him to join. other angels in the
dance.
As this took a very long while, the
stingy old thing became justly poor be-
fore her death, and then she was sent
to her doom wrapped in sheet.