The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1878-02-01
THAT LITTLE WIDOW.

She was just the neatest little woman
ln the world-always smiling, always
fresh, plump and deep III her forties-
enc of the kind who smooth theiraprons
down while they talk to you. Then the
little cigar shop ut the corner, which she
kept, and where she ratified on about
fifty different brands of tobacco, and
talked of the weather to her customers.
and the kindness which any tale of sor-
row told by Migrants called forth from
her--the many times her fat little hand
went into the drawer for change to be
bestowed on some charitable plea-all
went to make up the best-tempered, the
most motherly and the incest little
woman you would ever chance to meet.
So thought Dr. Ash, who lived next
door, and VINO often went in for little
snuff, you know, but who invariably
settled his wig more rakishly before pop
ping into the shop. He used to say to
her, My! you must be lonely here,
Widow Thornl"
30, not at all, sir, thanking you p
she would reply.
. wonder you never married sec
ond time, Widow Thorn p
"Well, it is a wonder, isn't it, doc
tor ? But you see I'm such queer old
bodythat / guess not many could fancy
me-"
Madam, there you must stop! L
cannot hear the divine sex disparaged, :"
returned the doctor. He was, as they
say. Of the old school. She laughed.
Can't woman speak against her
self?" she asked.
No! She never speaks against her
solt unless she means to fatter herself
10y contradictory Encouragement when
some one is by"
Sir, you are too plain"
Widow Thorn, was always called
Epian, and the wigs too big for me-"
Then she laughed at him; and what
promised to be a quarrel ended in a mer-
ry "Good-by."
Then there was the baker at the cor
ner. He WIS widower, and he used to
come In OF an evening for chat and a
cheap cigar.
Said he, This lonely state is misera-
bic. isn't it?'
Do you speak from experience ?"
asked sfe.
eyes; my Maria's been dead fourteen
years, 5elu ne.
shouldn't think it would take so
long time for you men to forget any
thing" she said.
All, ma'am man is a wonderful
ising-the most wonderful of Gods
creatures"
&c Except woman" said she.
|" You're right, widow! And that's
Che reason the Lord meant that every
man should have wife and every
woman husband, just to make them
equal. SO think you and 1 must have
new partners.
io" Now, look here, Mr.. Johns You've
had your partner, and I've had mine, and
death has dissolved the partnerships.
Now, we're both bankrupt, and we can't
carry on joint business; so we must go
on pleasantly" she said, and laughingly
bade him Good night II He had to
laugh, too, because she seemed to expect
him to do nothing else.
the way, who was learning the bassoon.
He used to come to his window of sum-
mer evenings, when the widow was stand
ing at her door for breath OF fresh air,
and he would blow away at THE Last
Link is Broken" till it was wonder he
did not rupture something and die. He
did not smoke, nor drink, nor chew. But
q brilliant idea struck him one day, and
over he went. ..
"Do you keep paper collars, ma'am ?"
he asked, tremblingly.
eyes, SIR" she answered, smoothing
her apron down.
"Give me some," he said, vaguely.
"What size ?"
"Oh, any size Idont care"
She looked at him.
"Don't you know your numberG" she
asked. 100,
Ono, ma'am But 1 don't care
much"
"Lud I" she calculated. Here, sir.
just you take your COLLAR of and let me
measure it
So che did, and she handed him an
other.
"That'll fl you, SIR she said.
Then he tried TO put it on. and his