Connecticut western news., 1880-11-24
WIDOW JONES'S COW.
Not New But Good Enough to be IIetold.


 Retold.
 Goodmall Jones died at the age of fifty, and was gathered to his fathers, leaving widow about his own age. About the same time Aunt Smith died, too; and her case was parallel to Good man Jones's in all except her sex we presume that she was gathered to her mothers. She left a disconsolate wid- over, over whose head just as many years had rolled, as the widow Jones had counted. This was allowed on all hands to be no astonishing coinci- dence.
 All the women pitied widower Smith, poor man, and all the men commisera- ted with widow Jones, poor woman. { Widow Jones had large farm; so had the widower Smith. Widow Jones had Q large dairy; so had the widower Smith. As to the acres of mooring, till age, and woodland, each had an equal share; and in children Providence had blessed both alike. "What upon airth " could either do with these vast posses sions alone, the old women declared they could not tell. This difficulty sug- gested ready remedy, and gossips did not let the defunct man and woman get cold in their graves before they made up their minds the relicts should be yoked together, and the estates, hereditaments and property, personal and real, be held in joint proprietorship. Matches, they said, were made in Heaven; and that this was there made, they considered the essential preparation of widowhood, in each case, positive proof.
 Widow Jones and neighbor Smith were not long in hearing what gossip was astlr; and it had even been in- sinuated that each had arrived at the conclusion above named before anybody thought of them. It is certain that when each requested the prayers of the congregation that the bereavement might be sanctifed widower Smith looked pretty steadily over the rail of his pew at the seat of widow Jones :; and then widow Jones moved her hand kerchief from her eyes just long enough to see how her companion in bereave- ment supported himself. After church they walked beside each other so far as the roads lay together, and once during the next week widower Smith paid wid- ow Jones Q short visit of condolence.
 So far so good-but visits of condo lence go out of date, like almanacs, and cannot be used as pretext after a cer- tain season. Some other arrangement must be trumped up, and widower Smith was not long in finding it. His wagon stopped one morning before widow Jones's door, and he gave the usual country signal that he wanted to see somebody in the house, by dropping the reins and sitting double, with his elbows on his knees.
 Out tripped the widow, lively as a cricket, with tremendous black ribbon on her snow-white cap. Good morning was said on both sides, and the widow waited for what was further to be said.
 "Well, Madam Jones, perhaps you don't want to sell one of your COWS, no. how, for nothing, anyway, do you?"
 "Well, there, Mister Smith, you couldn't have spoken my mind better A poor lone woman like me does not know what to do with so many creeturs, and I shall be glad to trade, if we car fix it."
 So they adjourn to the meadow Farmer Smith looked at Roan-then al the widow; at Brindle-then at the wid ow; at the Downing cow-and then al the widow again; and so on through the whole forty.
 The same call was made every day fol week, but Farmer Smith could not de- eide which COW he wanted. At length on Saturday, when widow Jones was ir hurry to get through her baking fol Sunday, and had ever so much to do ir the house-as all farmers wives and widows have on Saturday-she was 6 little impatient. Farmer Smith was as irresolute as ever.
 "That ere Downing COW is pretty fair creetur, but"
 He stopped to look at the widows ,, face, and then walked around her-not the widow, but the COW.
 "That 'ere shorthorn Durham is not 8 bad-looking beast, but dunno Another look at the widow. "The Downing COW I knew long before the late MT. Jones bought her. Here he sighed at the allusion to tho late MT. Jones; she sighed, and botl looked at each other. It was very in teresting moment.
 "Old Roan is faithful old milch, ant so is Brindle-bu I have known bet ter"
 A long stare succeeded this speech the pause was getting awkward, and 8 last widow Jones broke out: "Lord, MT. Smith! if I'm the GOV you want, do say sop
 The intentions of widower Smith ant r widow Jones were duly published thu next day, as is the law and custom il ) Massachusetts, and as soon as they l were "out published they were mar l ried.
 A Literary Woman.