Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-11-07
THE WIDOWS TEAR.
Difficulty With Which 1t Is Dropped
Over the Remains of the Late Lament.
ed Brigham Young.
Rochester Democrat.

doing as well as could be expected, per-
hops, but that is not very we'll 1t is
customary in civilized nations for the
widow to go to the grave of the depart
ed one at the hour of sunset, and, she'd
ding Il few tears and arranging the in
evitable flowers, to so away with her
handkerchief to her eyes. The widows
of Mr. Young adopted this beautiful
custom rs one woman, and, owing to
absence of the police and lack of the
regulations imperatively necessary in
the premises, there arose much confll-
sion. The first to visit the grave, oddly
enough, was the last that was welded
to the excessive husband. She had
hardly settled herself and begun to
ooze when there appeared on the melan
choly scene two others, each armed with
a watering-pot.
"What do YOU want here?' she said
to the intruders in low voice much
INSTRUCTED by tears Is not my grief
sacred from the intrusion of the hollow
world? Depart and leave me with my
deadr'
The invaders had been weeping like
wise: but the surprise they experienced
drove back the unbidden tear "Well,
here's impudencer they said one to
another. Your dead, indeed How
long. pray, had you been married to
our dear husband ?"
Two happy, happy years. said the
kneeling widow, sobbing violently. "And
he was always good to me. My heart
is breakingl [ wish you would go
away"
Did you ever hear the like of this ?"
said the intruders one to another. Only
two years; and our dear husband was
welded to us nearly quarter of a cen
tury And yet this upstart would drive
us away from this sacred spot this APP
prentice would say that we, who passed
the larger part of our lives with the
sweet one who has passed away, have
naught which memory is bound to re
spect.'
He was more mine than yours" said
the hollow voice of a woman a little
distance off. :" He was more mine than
any other persons in the world, [ tell
youl Thirty years ago we pllghted our
troth, and there was uninterrupted hap
piness between us up to the hour of his
death put the last plaster on that
noble breast, and it was this hand that
gave him his last spoonful of paregoric.
Stand aside and let me weep upon his
grave
Not so fast" exclaimed a lady of
much age and fairness, who had just
appeared, barring the onward move
ment of the last speaker with her ,emb-
ling hand eff there is any question as
to rights here, let my white hairs speak
for me- Bear in mind, you sinful
things. the old remark that age should
be permitted to go before beauty. He
was my husband in his youth, and l
cannot forego my rights now that he
has gone. Let me weep first upon his
grave, even if you forbid me the sacred
privilege of remaining there for con-
tinuous gush.
That fat thing exclaimed a still
older and very thin lady, pushing her
way to the front "That odious person :?
Never, never My dear husband always
hated her He has told me so repeat
eddy
4 pray that this disgusting argument
may ceaser.' said firm but fine voice.
Nv dear husband would not like it. It
is not respectful. Whenever other az
fections my dear husband may have
had, it is we'll known that | was his ia
yorite. As such. he told me ali his Sc
crets. Many is the time he has said to
me, Amelia, would that they were all
gone but you. Surely no lady will have
the hardihood to defle his grave with
her tears after this. Neither age nor
youth, as such, can have a place at my
dear husbands tomb. Stand back, all
of you! / know my rights"
We draw veil over the scene that
followed Suffice it to say that tears,
watering-po bits of hair, and shrleks
were painfully conspicuous. The sacred
spot was profaned. with actions which
would shame the contending armies Of
the east, and peace was restored only
through the vigorous intercessiOn of sew
eral of the brethren of the church A
compromise was effected after few
DAYS, but thus far even that does not
work satisfactorily The grave was di-
vided into nineteen imaginary sections,
each distinguished by white post a
little distance off, marked respectively,
Number l y" Number 90 etc. These
sections were sold to the widows at auc-
ton, the receipts to be given to the
church. Of course, the richest widow
got the best section, and SO on down
through the list, and it may well be inn
agined that the best feelings of the hui
man heart are thereby trifed with,
though it is impossible to see how it is
to be avoided The mourning goes on
at sunset, but it is not regular and easy,
and the properties are often vio-
lated
Get off my dress, says number
three, poking her elbows spitefully into
the side of number five.
Stop stopping your tears over on my
sectionn exclaims number seven to
number ten.
Cant you cry without mussing my
new silk all over?' asks number thir-
teen to number eleven.
Don't make SO much noise with your
beastly sobbing! 1t sounds like horse
at watering trough! viciously says
another number
Good heavens! You've smashed my
bo,,,ot - cl,riolrc another cJ1ttipo her