The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1877-10-18
Marital Affection.

There can be no QOuDt tnsiI ueatH pIo-
duces great change in husbands.
Their love plainly survives the tomb,fo
they never trouble their widows by re-
visiting the glimpses OF the stove-lid.
Superficial persons might look upon
this discreet conduct as an evidence OF
indifference rather than affection, but 1T
is certainly unfair to term the most del
icate unobtrusiveness mere indifference.
That this delicacy of conduct is charac-
teristic of all dead husbands is shown by
the calm confidence with which the
hopeful widow orders flat tombstone
for the departed husband, and subse-
quently sits upon it with his destined
successor on those calm midsummer at
ternoons, when all nature seems to call
upon manageable people of different
sexes to come out and eat confidential
peanuts together. If the dead husband
could not be trusted, and was liable to
rise up and order his widow and her
manageable companion to get off
that tombstone and look smart about
| it, fiat tombstones would be almost I'M
known, and the husband, like the bach
elor, would be furnished with a neat
memorial shaft upon which no one
would dream of trying to sit. There
have even been deceased husbands who
have abstained from undertaking"
themselves in order to protest against
| the conversion of their abandoned
sleeve buttons into testimonials of affec-
ton which their widows bear toward
weak-eyed and irresolute young clergy
men. To call self-restraint in circum-
stances like these nothing but indiffer-
ence is gross mistake. No man can
feel Indifferent when his widow strolls
in his particular cemetery with another
and probably Objectionable man, and
calmly suggests that marble makes u
peculiarly pleasant seat in hot weather;
or when She brightens his sleeve-buttons
and timidly informs the young clergy
man to whom she gives them that she
ventured to buy this little trifle to
bered her dear PASTORS birthday" If
any further proof were needed that dead
husbands are capable of self-denying
affection of the purest type, the conduct
of the late Mr. Miller, of Merrittsyille,
Mo-, would be absolutely conclusive.
Mr.. Miller departed this life in con-
nection with a little difficulty be-
tween two railray trains that met on the
same track, some eighteen months ago,
leaving beautiful and inconsolable
widow and two vigorous though infan-
tile twins. 1t was the possession of these
two children which prolonged the incon-
solable condition of the widow. Many
an eligible man who looked longingly
, upon the fair Mrs. Miller remembered
the twins and paused while he had yet g
clear title to his own hair. 1t was not
until eighteen months had passed that
she finally found man bold enough tc
console her. This man was a. cool
: clear headed philosopher. He frankl J
admitted that he did not like ready
made children, but that Mrs. Miller's
two children were nearly equal to tn,
best custom work, and that as long a.
they and the widow were to be disposed
in the same lot he did not mind taking
them Mrs Miller was naturally de
: lighted at this noble resolution, and OF
the very evening when the brave maj
> finally committed himself she went t.
her room after his departure, singins
: blithely as a bird, got out her coloret
! dresses and spent a happy hour in de
Gliding how to have them made over
When she laid her head upon her pillow
5 that night the tears came into her beau
= tiful eyes as she mentally resolved tina
i if they troubled their new parent sh
5 would soon snow them that the rolling
T. pin, around which SO many sacret
memories of her first husband clustered
could be made an efficient instrumen
of juvenile education.
|. 1t was about midnight when Mrs. Mil
: Ter was awakened by bright light shin
:, ing in her room, and illuminating tn
: faces of the twins who slept in tina
/ choice piece of furniture, a trundle- bed
: While she was making up her mind tina
- the house was on fire and wishing tha
;. she had put on the one with point-lac
! trimming on the sleeves, the late MI
- Miller suddenly appeared before hel
:. clad all in white, at least so far as b
!, was clad at all. Strange to say she wa
:. not in the least frightened, but she hui
y. u riedly let down her back hair, and in
= winning voice said, "James, what doe
, this meanp'' James looked at her for
q moment in solemn silence, while the Al
% from the open window tluttered h
i noiseless garment, and then asked in
!, sepulchral tone: care you going to
=. married? ?" Mrs. Miller felt that in tt
@ presence of ghost a lie would be
i wicked thing, very certain to be foun
y out, and to involve the teller thereof
~ ~ difficulty, wherefore she gently answe
:; = ed, g L am,'' and added, +" but Jane
% he has promised to take such care
:, the children that felt it was my duty
. marry him. At this point James grin