Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1880-02-06

ole Mis- North she handled i'm like a
mother. l don't think no one about
the house rally slept. He looked as
perty as q child when he was layin' q
corpse, and there sot Phebe, kissin' his
hair and cooin' to him till we drawed
her away. She didn't make no loud
to-do like we lowed she would, but she
never left that corpse from the time It
was dressed till it was putunder ground.
IL was big funeral, so II was. Ole man
North he had the undertaken out from
Kokomo, and everything was done up
nice, and Phebe, she walked along
right next TO the coffin to the grave,
a.holdin' to ole man North's arm, and
lookin' like she was in trance, and l
b'lieve in my soul she didn't have her
right senses for many day.
Why, lawsl she'd walk two mile to
that graveyard and set there all the
afternoon by that grave, kind o. talkin'
to John. Me and Mary was comm
home from Kokomo one day--Pd ben
doin' some tradin'-and we see Phebe
layin' there with her arm over the
grave, agoin' on like John and her was
havin' good talk. l do low she
thought he could hear her, and mebbe
he could. Laws! how do zoe knowP
She tuck the money he left and had
big place fenced in all round bis
grave, and gate put to the fence, and
all sodded. The graveyard was open
like, and the cows they tromped it.
And she bought the pertiest monny-
ment you ever sot your seein' eyes on;
and his name and age, and time he
died'n all. and was put on to it, and a
verse of Scripter that says sumthin'
about Entreat me not to leave thee"
and forgit how the rest of it goes.
But all so perty.
Laws! how mad it did make them
Car'ls fer Phebe to use her mans money
that way. They called her all the
fools they could lay their tongues to;
and Abe said, after he'd KEEP her as
long as he had, he did low she might
give him sumthin'; and Jake and his
woman they cut up, and said now she
was widder woman she needn't come
onto him fer support, and the ole man
he didn't do nor say much of nothin'
but jes' let her alone.
But, laws! how they have changed
bhOiA buhOs LOu huOh OOuu u6 l6ll
everything, and not long after his death
there comes news that some kinsfolks
of his'n in the old country had left him
a big fortune of ten thousand dollars,
and Phebe she got it, every cent. There
wasn't no lawn nor nothin' about it.
And there was Phebe rich woman for
marryin' Irish John.
The Car'ls they didn't never say an
other word agin him. And they'd ies'
lick Phebe's shoes now, so they would,
fer they know she won't never marry
agin, and they think their young uns'l 4
come in fer the property. Phebe she's
good to 'em, but they're done drivin'
her and tellin' her what she's got to do.
And think it always sticks in her craw
the way they talked about John. She
lives at Mis- North's jes' like an own
daughter, and has her money in a nice
farm, and gifts the rent, and sees to
things herself, and comes and goes as
she pleases. Many's the feller that
would like to git her, but she won't
change the name O. Cragin as long as
she lives. Mis- North says she has
Johns ole room, and keeps his clothes
and things a hangin' there, and she's
picter of him on the wall. And every
Sunday of her life she's out by his
grave, so she is. There never was q
lovin'er soul drawed breath.
Well, this amt gittin' my work done,
settin' here and talkin' about Phebe
Car l.-LeSLie'S Weekly.