Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1878-11-21
Mrs. Browns Husbands.

mhA Au6ieT III Now 1Crk w coAly.
MIR. Mills, the minister, was stranger
in the town, and when he was called up
on to visit Mrs, Brown, who had just lost
her husband, and to console her, he went
around t , see Deacon Wilt, SO that he
could post himself about the situation,
Il understand you to say" said Mr.,
Mills, "that Mrs. Brown has been married
three times2-or was it four?''
81 say" replied the deacon, "that she
was Mr.. Browns third wife, while he
was her fifth husband. But she was the
fourth wife of her second husband and
the second wife Of her fast, SO that
She"
'Let me see," said the parson, ''the
second wife of her first and the-well,
then, three and five are eight, and four
are twelve, and two are fourteenth l
get the hang OF the thing, Mrs. Brown
has been married fourteen times, and
Mr.. Brown was her"
"No you don't understand. Brown
was only her fifth husband"
"Ah, her fifth. But you said she was
the fourth wife of her second husband,
and she had three more, 80 that--four
and three are seven-she must have had
seven husbands, and where are the other
two?'
"Why, don't you sea- Her second
husband was married three times before
he met her. She had been married
"How could she be married only once
before she met him, and vixen she mar
RED him she was his fourth wife, so that
while he had had four wives, she had
only"
SIS this Brown you are speaking of"
mo, no! Brown IVES her fifth. He had
been married twice before.
"Her second husband had7"
Il mean Brown, of course. Let me ex-
plain. Mrs. Brown, say, married John,
Thomas, Jacob, William, and Henry,
Thomas married Lulu, Mary Hannah and
Susan-'
before he married Mrs. Brown OF
after?"
"Before. Well, then, Brown married
Emma and Matilda, and John married
Agnes. Agnes died and John married
Mrs. Brown. Then John died and Lula,
Mary, Hannah, and Susan died, and then
Thomas married Mrs. Brown. Then
Jacob died and Williams wife died, and
William annexed Mrs. Brown. When
William died Emma and Matilda died,
and then Brown married Mrs. Brown,
Everybody came to Mrs. Brown, you
see!" 49,
II see," said Mrs. Mills. II think I
grasp the facts. I'll go right around to
see her."
/ Mrs. Brown was at home. And after
abiding to the weather and one or two
other topics, Mr.. Mills said:
II deeply gTieyed, Mrs: Brown, to hear
of your bereavemn.. It must be very,
very terrible, even for person who is so
used to it,"
$50 used to it! Whist do you mean,
sir?" y.
"Wfy, merely meant to suggest that
experience cannot reconcile us to these
affections. But there is this consolation,
dear madam-time dulls the edge Of our
bitterest grief. You wept for John as +
you could not be comforted; but you see
you-"
"John! do not understand you, SIR
''You wept for John, out Thomas came
When Thomas was taken. you thought
yourself utterly lncopsolable; but there
was Jacob-hc brought new JOY,
When Jacob was waited to q better land
your heart was nearly broken, but Will
liam healed its wounds: and when Will
liam dritted of. into the unknown, Henry
assuaged your grief. Perhaps there are
other Henrys, Williams, and Thomases
to whom this blessed duty will fall again,
Parhapa ---. - .rgr+>..$: 80 r-~tTv3= ~ =
.You are talking very strangely, sir, :
said Mrs. Brown. >s@ *E>S = ~ -. -.
"Oh, no; merely say that now that
John, and Thomas. and Jacob, and vii
liam, and Henry have been called away
to join Susan, and Hannah, and Agnes
and Matilda, and Emma, and Lulu, and
Mary, and the rest, there is some hope
that that Why. Mrs. Brown, what or
earth is thematter2' #
M Mrs. Brown flew out Of the room with.
out replying, and Mr.. Mills, filed with
amazement, went around to ask Deacon
Wilt to explain the MYSTERY.
81 was merely telling her" he said
s'that Brown had followed John, anc
Thomas, and Matilda, and the others in