The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-02-07
the WIDOW MAGENTA.

1 y
your lite in fading away in q darkened
sick-roUm, having, for all amusement,
the making of gruels and the compost
ltion Oi soothing lies OF all sorts TO keep
the Invalid in lolerably decent humor;
but, to be lett. alter some half-lozen
years thus spent, widow, with no for
tune but black eyes, rosy cheeks, and, u
large supply OK mother wit, is worse
| yes, 1t is TOO aggraydting even to think
about; and that was just what little
widow Magenta said wnen the lawyers
/ told her that old Magenta had left her
nothing--but the privilege OF paying his
debts. .f...
II think they are very sensible people
| in India, or Turkey, or whatever the
name OF the place is, where The widows
bum themselves on their husbands
| funerdl piles" declared Mrs. Magenta,
ripping away energeticaliy at a seam she
had sewed wrong side out in her veXa-
ton; ITO think of makingfemarkSa about
my vail, as if one's affection Was to be
measured by the depLn OF hem. Mrs.
Jones may be q widow herself one of
these days"
Aunt Keziah looked doubtful, but hay-
| ing nothing definite TO urge against prob
ability, held her peace, and went on
stitching.
"Country places are little the mean
est in the gossiping way" went on The
widow. al suppose ii l should wear u.
scalloped skirt it would have to be
talked over in the sewing circle. There,
now does that look, aunLyp
AunV held up both hands in admira-
| ton.
"WeH, l declare, Susie, il you amt
the beater OF all that ever seen. Why,
you'll set all the old maids crazy. You'll
| be well pulled to pieces, after YOU'RE
seen out III that ere dress, L can tell
YOU"
The widow laughed "a little oily
chuckle, as she looked in the glass, for
| it showed round, rosy face-roguish
eyes that said nothing about the long
nights of watching and weeping by the
| bedside OF old Magenta-a smooth, low
torehead--superb back hair, and trim
| little figure, wonderfully set of by grand
mother Martins old dress remodeled,
and looking 50 bright and new that
Aunt k9zlah almost doubted the EVIL
dence OF her senses.
"LeU them talk" said the widow, CON-
placently, smoothing down her skirt.
II shan'L tel them that you and tished
1T out OF that musty old chest i'll tue
attic, and that you turned, and sponged,
and Iroued il, and | made 1T myself, and
mad put on flounces TO hide where the
skirt IL piecel. And now, aunt, where
is your old bachelorW
only OLD bachelorW
"Certainly; yours. since you first dis
covered him by the law OF nations.
mean that fossil that lives on hill
somewhere near, and has gone through
sixty years of his life with half a mill
ion, and no wife to help him spend it.
Mr.. Pettifogger, or Petit"
10, Mr.. PettiDones! Why, Susie, what
ails you? What are you going to do TO
him?"
"Marry him, if you will tell me where
to find him."
"Mercy, chiIdl Why, your head is
turned. He can scarcely be civil to a
woman; and widow, he says, is worse
than all the Egyptian plaques put to-
gether."
"Civll thatl shall have to teach him
manners. And now, for the last time,
where uoes he liyeW
con the hill, just at the end of Dar-
cy's lane; but you ain't goin' there in
earnest"
Yes, am; I'll bring him home to
tea"
"Susan Ma"
But the widow was out Of the gate.
laughing saucily, and swinging her gar
den hat as she went, in a way that
made the birds stop singing to peer out
at her.
"Look away" she said, merrily. "You
are terrible gossips, but l don't care
What any one says OF me in Dutch, and
your language is not much betCer"-and
just then, spying a vine trailing over
nuge rock, she began clambering up 1t, to
get a wreath for her garden hat.
"Better let that alone, young Woman,n
said a gruf voice behind her, "Tnat
'ere's the poison ivy."
Widow Magenta turned quickly
around, and confronted tall, stIongly-
built man, dark, and not ugly in the
face, but with an irasoible pucker about
the mouth, and a certain twitcning of the
eyelids, that said to the sharp. little
woman as plainly as they could speak,
Up ettibones."
"rhank you, SIR" she answered,
promptly. 81 am glad didn't touch it.
though there is a kind Of ivy that 1 fear
more than this"
"Whaps that" Inquired the gruf
man, evidently curious.
''Ihe ivy OF seltishness. 1t springs out
of wounds in some natures; and, if fos-
tered, grows till it warps them all
aEOubu anu VI GuCul Ouly
Ding RUINS. There's an example, Pm
told, living on the hill just beyond. One
MIR. PetLi-Petli-well, l don't know
what, only it can't be petticoat, because
ne hates them as you and do the poi
son ivy."
"Ol umn grunted the stranger. ''Do
YOU know this, Pm-an, now-this Petit
"Mercy! hope not" responded the
widow, vlvaciously; "Dut l am on my
way to see him. l always make it
point, at every place where visit, to see
all the natural curlosItles."
"Ol UNI! You do, ehp But If it's the
man th NIX it is, you can't see him. No
women are allowed to enter his gates"
II shan't ask his permission, but walk
straight in."
GYOu would"
eyes; why notw
"Ihere's large dog"
20, all dogs like me-"
"But you might meet Pettibones him
SELF"
"Well, that wouldn't alarm me. He
must be wretched coward. No doubt
he's done something to be ashamed Of"
"Ma'amW
"Certainly; why else should he affect