The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1877-05-16
BARBARA'S DIFFICULTY.

! That Barbara Hawkins owed
, good deal to her step-mother was /
fact that she could not have con
cealed from herself if she had tried
Her fathers house had been a very
} home of discomfort during the dul
interim between her own mother
death and the arrival of the youth
ful and winning stranger who had
been somehow persuaded by Squire
Hawkins to ''come and take keer of
his little darter."
The history of the next five years,
in which she herself had grown from
girlhood to womanheod, included all
the genuine sunshine of Barbara s
life, and she knew to whom that
change and good many other ex-
cellent things were due.
Then, since the Squire had been
| gathered to his fathers, what q not
able manager had widow Hawkins
proved herself for the very moderate
property he had left behind him!
1t was just there that the difficult
ty was now coming in, for that which,
Il |
kept the two women very nicely SO
long as they lived together, could
continue to do so only under just
that state of affairs. The widows S
share, if set apart by itself. would
be only another name for poverty.
True, and yet what suitor, or at least
which one of the two now nearest to
a proper condition, for consideration,
would care to '' marry mother-iu-
law" and a step.mother at that, as
well as a wife?
And she understands it" said
Barbara to herself that September
afternoon, as we'll as [ do. She's
as polite to both of them as if they
were courting her instead of me. l
must say it's been very convenient
once or twice, for they both like her.
In fact, every body likes her, and
that's what makes my position so
very peculiar
A very pretty girl was Barbara
Hawkins even prettier than her
step-mother. and that was saying
something, in spite of the widows
thirty years.
A bit of belle, too. was the
Squire's 8 heiress in the unambi-
tious rural community, and by no
means without some characteristics
which put the village gossips at
times in mind Of esquire Hawkins
I fust wife"
At the present juncture, however,
the public opinion of the Dorcas So
ciety was more than usually perpIex-
I ed. The best judges of such matters
were inclined to guess Bill En-
mons is a leetle ahead" although
this was sure to be followed by the
remark, " But then, you know, Dan
Growers got ten dollars to Bills
one, and he he's a mighty sight stid-
der
And Barbara was in worse guam
Diary about it than the Dorcas Socie-
ty knew how to be, for at times she
almost suspected her heart Of
threatening an impertineut interfer-
ence before her head could have a
fair chance.
"She'd be entitled to a third, 7
supposeg soliIoquized the fair maiden,
" and she's q wonderful hand with
her needle. There's no danger of
her starving. There lot Of folks Il
be glad enough to have her come and
live with them
And Barbara did not know it, bat
traia Of thought very nearly reiat-
ed to her own was at that moment
passing through the mind OF the
widow, as she stepped lightly to and
fro among The household duties. Of
(which she SO kindly re jeve1 her
step daughter.
"I don't hear the piano, lnurnur-
ed the soft, low voice OF the widow.
'.and yet | know she wanted to
practice that new pieu%- Young
Emmons II be here this evening -
| Il ought not 10 say word IA such o
matter. She's OH enough 20 decide
| for her5elf, bat why ca1t She see that
! Dan Growers worth five hundred OF
him?-not 10 mention his big farm.
and that's something nowadays. 1
/ wouldn't put that in her lead. how
e1er-uot for the world. I've paid
dearly enough for making just that
sort OF a suiS AXE Be ter have g2ue
out to service or takea in sewing. -
That's wha- 1 may have TO do uAe3.
Barbara's married.
The neat, tidy figure paused in the
lkitchea doorway rs she said that, and
a shade Of sadness swept across hes
face.
Live ia The house, with Dill Em,
mons for the master of itF' she e&-
claimed. after pause. Not I, in
deedl She won't have seRSe eaongh
10 settle on Dan Grover, ~ afraid.
/ Would / stay, then, ii she did? Not
so long as / could earn or beg any
other sheItsr.' =
The last exclamation came ouC
with unnecessary energy. aad the
widow caught up broom and made
an immediate assault on tue kitchen
floor.
The sweeping was very unnecss-
sary indeed.
Barbara had clearly misunderstood
her step-m 3ther, AMI the widow had
also fai,el 10 pcaetrate the mud Of
the Squire pretty and sensible re
prese }atiYe.
There was only 900 good q reason
why The sheet of music for1Sarded
by Blr. kminons had received Sc
little attention that afternoon.
Barbara 5 morning walk had car
ried her past the fne old homestead
of the Growers. now the sole prop
erty Of the present family represen-
tative, and she had noted only too
precisely the renovating ID beauti-
flying process on which Dan was ex-