Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1880-05-01
THE TWO WIDOWS.

Hi n W. NADONSs
Some months ago there died in San
Francisco respected citizen-say Smith
though that was not his name-leav-
ing two inconsolable widows to mourn
his loss. HIS earlier widow, who
had left him in consequence of q decree
Of divorce, had resumed her maiden
name, and called herself Mrs. Brown,
and the last widow monopolized the
name of"Widow Smith" Between these
two there existed a fierce hatred, in
view of which Widow Brown felt it her
duty to forgive her dead husband, and
to concentrate all her energies to the
task of getting square-as the Tribune
would say-with widow Smith.
The departed Mr.. Smith was buried
in the cemetery one Tuesday afternoon,
and on the next Monday morning the
disconsolate Widow Smith presented
herself at the superintendent office and
asked permission to weep at her hus-
bands grave and to decorate it with
flowers. Permission was duly given,
and the grave was promptly planted
with roses, pinAs, and other attractive
flowers. The Widow Smith, having
finished her task, went away, and in the
afternoon, the Widow Brown appeared
and told the superintendent that the
late Mr.. Smith had been her husband,
and that she wished to relieve her
breaking heart by decorating his grave.
The superintendent explained that ri
val widow had just left the cemetery
and that he rather thought there was
no room for further decorations. Still
irasmuch as the Widow Brown was
very pretty woman, he had no
objections to letting her try TO work IN
a few flowers edgcwise. The Widow
Brown, however, was not content TO act
as a second class mourner and flower
planter. She dug up the Widow Smiths
flowers and planted the grave with peo-
nies and tulips, and, at her departure,
informed the superintendent that she
should come to the cemetery Gaily TO
watch over her work.
The next day w dow Smith visited
the cemetery to water her flowers, and
was filled with Indignation at the work
of Widow Brown. In her turn she tore
up the peonies and planted fresh roses,
and, as she went away she warned the
Superintendent not to let that shameless
! Brown woman interfere with her hus-
bands grave. But the superintendent
was peaceful and kind hearted man,
and the Widow Brown was, as has beer
said, a pretty woman. He feared to eX-
asperate Mrs. Smith, and he could not
bring himself TO displease Mrs. Brown.
The result was that for the next ten
DAYS the rival widows worked on that
cemetery every day with horticultural
ardor that has never been surpassed.
Every morning the Widow Smith set
out fresh roses and pinks, and every at
ternoon the Widow Brown tore them
up and set out new peonies and tulips.
Betting was even on each widow, but
the sympathies OF San francisco we're
on the whole with Widow Brown.
At the end OF the ten days the super
intendent, who by this time was the
helpless slave of the pretty Widow
Brown, at her instigation secretly dug
up the late Mr. Smith, and buried him
in sunny and remote corner Of the
cemetery. Mrs. Smith was, of course,
unaware of the removal of her husband,
and when she found that the widow
Brown no longer tore up her roses she
felt that victory was hers. Mrs. Brown
having planted the new grave with a
spendid assortment of peonies, employ
ed her leisure in watching the futile aud
misdirected manner in which Mrs.
Smith mourned at the empty grave.
! Whenever Mrs. Smith appeared at the
cemetery she was sure to meet Mrs.
Brown, who never failed to address her
in words thai were osteuslbly sympa-
thetic, but which had hollow and heart
less sound. She would say for example,
$50 you're going to decorate his grave
again ? Tn do him so much good, you
know. He'll feel all them flowers grow
in over him. Go on my dear. ] love
to see you MOURN at his grave" While
Mrs Smith wept and watered her flow
els, Mrs Brown would sit on q neigh
! boring tomb stone and continue her
pleasing remarks, occasionally ending
with burst of laughter The widow
Smith imagined that this was only the
conduct of defeated widow whose TEN
per had been soured by her failure, and
she was too much pleased with her own
victory 10 be disturbed by her rivals
remarks.
The public believed that Mrs Smith
had beaten Mrs. Brown in the matter
of flower planting and bets on the latter
lady were duly paid. The affair would
have been at an end, bad not Mrs.
Browns delight in the wasted efforts Of
Mrs. Smith been too great to be con
tanned. She told the whole story of
the removal of Mr.. smith to an intimate
female friend, under q solemn promise
of secrecy, and the story being thus
published came promptly 10 the ears of
the widow Smith. That energetic wo-
man armed herself with a revolver and,
calling on the superintendent, upbraid-
ed him for his yillainous conduct, and
demanded that he "should pat back
them remains where they belonged"
without moments delay. Now it so
happened that the Superintendent had
already repented, and had, unknown to
Mrs. Brown, replaced Mr.. Smiths re-
mains in their original grave. Accord
ingly, he assumed an air of astonish-
ment and grief, and requested Mrs.
Smith tu aecompanv him TO tho