Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1880-12-15

ton. and guess it is. | say fort a
woman must be extry queer to marry
Ammasy Flint, eff she's got chance
al Bassett poor-house,"
Yet Israel was right in his prophe-
cy At that very moment Deacon
Flint WAS sitting boh-uprigbt in a
high-backed char in Sa - Pratt's keep
ing room, discoursing with the widow
Gold.
Two people more opposite in aspect
could hlrdly be found Mrs. Gold
was not yet Gfty, and retained much
of her soft lovliness. Her check was
still round and fair her pale brown
hair but slightly lined with gray, and
the mild light of her eyes shown ten
derly yet, though her figure was lit
tie bent, and her hands knotted with
work
She looked fair and young in COM
parison with the griZzled, stern, hard
favored man before her A far-off
Scotch ancesty had bequeathrd to h IN
the high cheekbones and deep SCI eyes
that gave him so severe an aspect. and
To these an aquiline nose, a cruel.
pinched mouth, low forehead and Il
sallow wrinkled skin added no charms
But the charm Of all association
brought him GWclcome here. Bassett
was the bome of Mrs Gold 's childhood
and she bad a great many questions
To ask. Her face gathered color and
light as she recalled old affections and
sympathies, and the deacon took GER
tain satisfaction in looking al her.
But this was mere ripple above his
serious intention He meant business,
as there came a little lull in Mrs.
| Colds fluent "reminiscences, he CURLY
began:
II came over to day on an arrand,
| Mrs Cold may say a serious ar
rand. | lost my companion, | sup
pose ye know, a year ago come Sep
tember the 10th. She was a good
woman, Miss Flint was, savin' and
reasonable as ever was"
81 always heard her well spoke Of"
modestly rejoined the widow.
Eyes, her children praise her in the
gates. or they would hev if she'd had
any. | feel her loss. And Scripter
says, at is not good for man to be
alone Scripture is right You are a
woman that's seen alfiiction to-, Mrs
Gold; you've passed under the rod
Well, folks must be resigned; profes-
sors like you and me have got to set
example We can't fault the Lord
| when He takes our companions away,
and say. why do We so? 2" as though
twas a man that done it, We've got
this treasure in earthcn vessels. Well
to come to the pint, come over to-
day to see if YOU wan'n't willin' to
consider the subject Of uniting vour-
self TO me in the bonds of marriage" J."
"Oh !" said the astonished widow.
Il don't want to hurry We none" he
went on take time ont should
like to get my answer right of. but |
can make allowance for bein' onexpect-
ed III come again next weeE-say
this day week | hope you'll make it
a subject Of prayer, and expect you'll
yet light on your duty by that time.
I've got good house. and good
| fam. and III do well by We. Ard
moreover and besides you know Mr..
Pratt's folks are pressed some for room
| expect. | guess they won't stand
in the way of your goin' to Bassett.
Good day-good-day."
And the widow received calm up
and down hand-shake, with which dee
orou- caress (O the deacon-for we can
not call him 10 er,drparted leaving Mrs.
Gold in a state Of pleased amazement,
widow, partly because il wa Deacon
Flint who bad asked her to marry
| him; for the deacon was a pillar in
Bassctt church, owned a large farm
and a goodly square house, and was
a power in the State, having twice
been sent to the General Assembly.
She could not be gratiIied by the pre-
ference and as she pondered on the
matter it grew more feasible. Her
girl was hers no longer, but II wife
ard mother herself, and she who ha |
been all in all TO Mindwell WIS now
little more than grandma" in the
house-a sort of suffered and ncces-
sary burden on Samuel's hinds; but
here a home Of her own was offered
her, n place Of dignity among other
women-a place where she sould ak
her children To come to her, and give
rather than receive.
There is nothing so attractive to n
woman who is no longer young rs the
idea Of Il home. The shadow of age
and its iniirmities allrights her Lone
illness is a terror in the future. and the
prospect Of drifting about here and
there, dependent, poor, proud, un-
welcome, when flesh aud heart fail,
and the ability To labor is gone, makes
any permanent shelter a blessed pros
pcct, and draws many woman into IA
far more dreadful fate than the work
house mcrcieS or the colder charity Of
relatives
This terror was strong in Mrs.
Colds feeble heart She was one oi
the thousands of women who can II
trust what they do not see, and -he
mi.judgcd her daughter cruelty
Mindwcll felt that to-day as her moth
or avowcd To her Deacon Flint's oIlcr
and her own perplexitics. When Mrs.
Gold asserted that her daughter could
never understand what il was To lose
n husband. Mlndwell felt "A sure but
unspokcn conviction that the terror oi
such n bereavement. whlcn confronted
her whenever her heart leaped up 10
meet Samuel was experience enough
for her To interpret thereby the long
ings Of "A real bereavement; bat she
only colorcd fainlly, aud answered:
"Wcll, mother, don't see my way
clear to offer you any advice. You
must use your own Judgment. You