Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1877-09-27
HrrGGINGs AND THE WIDOW

One Sunday Higgins came into my Office
aud sat down without word. Fur some
minutes ho sat still, watching mo intcutlJ
rs if he was trying to make out by tho sound
ofm pen what was writing. a.
esquire" said he at lcugth, "did I cvc1
tell you about my scrapo with tho widow
Horny, up here on the rivor2"
"Never did," said I laying down my pen
diets hear it,"
"Thcy're curious creatures, widows is,'
said he in mcditativo tone, "and the more
you study about 'cm tho moro you DOM
know about 'cm What was this thing i'vt
read about in Egypt, or somo other country
that nobody could unriddle?"
"Thc Sphinx, probably" 1 replied.
"Well," he continued, "that was widow
as sure as you ever had granny. livery
thing else in the earth has been found oul
but them, and they're as much mystery
to-day MS tho length Of the North Polo.
You may read the history of tho world
from Genesis to Revelations, and you'll find
that widows has been at the bottom or tor
of five quarters Of oil tho dcvilmcut that's
bccn cut up. Was you ever in lovo with
onc?'
'I.ots of thcm," said I.
"You'ro great gandcr--thats what you
arc" said no. "A man that loves ono and
gets over it won't never get bit by another,
1t he's got as much sense as ground hog.
don't consider I've got any sense at all,
but Im little grain too smart to lctanothcr
Of thcm get all the trumps on me. tho
widow llorry that was speaking of is q
little the haDdsomcst woman | reckon that
ever looked man into fits, and l ought to
bo judge, for I've seen lots Of pretty
women in my day. She was about twenty
iivo years old when went up there to work,
just in tho bloom of her beauty and as full
ofdevitry as threo year old mule colt
There was ball over at Jenkins' and Of
course went, for I always 60 where there's
any fun going on, and generally act tho fool
before get away, Of course.
The widow was there, dressed as Gno as
Soloman's lilies, and flying around as frisky
asa young lamb in ryo patch. l got
introduced to her and ask her to danco with
me and when sho flashed her eyes at mo
and said eyes" jumped up like l had set
down on hot griddlo. You may talk
about sensation, but when she took hold of
my hand and sortcr squeezed it, I felt
sensation as big as load of wood, and it kept
running up and down my back like squir.
rel with hawk after him. Fm very fond
of dancing; but III be hanged if | know
whether enjoyed it that night or not for
every timo sho took hold of my hand Id
commence fcoling curious behind my ears
ond up and down my back again, and then
l wouldn't know whether vas Oil oarti,
Or in balloon, or on comet, or anything
about it, 1t was undoubtedly case of lovo
OF first sight, and q powerful bad caso at
that. For wonder got through the rrolic
without making myself conspicuous or cut
ting up any extras, as I'm in tho habit of
doing whom 20 into public. I'd set nv
pegs to 60 homo with tho widow after the
ball, but just as I was fixing mouth to ask
her, up steps big, long, leather faced
doctor, named h1abry and walked her right
of before my eyes. That riled mo little,
but kept my tongue still, inwardly swear.
ing to break his bones the very first oppor--
tunity that presented itself. I saw there
was no use in saying anything, so 1 went
home and went to bed, and all the rest of the
night | was dreaming about rainbows, angels
butterflies, fiddles, widows and doctors,
mixed up worse than Dutohman's diupcr.
"Wcll, Squire, to mako short story of
it, | made up my mind to havo tho widow,
or kill myself, or somebody else"
$50 mado it convenient to bo on hand
where shc was, upon all occasions. T
couldn't cat nor sleep nor work, and if tho
thing had held on, wouldn't have had
sense enough left to skin rabbit. But I
was determined it shouldn't last long, for
ia been fooled so often by women that I
thought I wouldn't give her timo to think
of anything but mo. She appeared to take
to merght sharply and the Doctor seemed
inclined to mix in with me, but didn't
consider him no moro than brush fonoe,
tor | was so far gono thought sho could
SEQ nobody on earth but mo. Well, 'Souiro
things won't on so for bout month, and
ono Sunday ksorowod up my spuuok aud
put tho question to l,or. She sorter laughed
and sortor looked ono sidod and finally told
moHsho could't givo mo an answer Just then.
but if Id call at her house next Thursday
evening, she'd givo mo final answer.
Thinks you are mno just as sure thoro's
a fddlor below. Whenever womon takes
time to study she'll say yes. Squire, done
the poets say something about tho calcuIa--
tion Of men and going orooked?"
"Mico and men, Burns says,"I answered.
"Well, mioo and rats is all one, and so is
men and fools sometimes, MS l have found
out in my travels. I.was SO sure sho would
have mo went off end spent all my money