Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1881-09-21

prints, and IN close proximity 10 tnese
an odd collection of boots and shoes.
The door which leads into the sit
ting-room is always open, and reveals
cosey interior The clean, yellow
painted floor is covered with the soft
est and brightest of homemade rugs.
The windows are pleasantly sbadowed
with morning-glory vines, and great
many Towering plants perfume the at
mosphere. Mis- Babson takes the
same pride in her 'plarnts' which a
great many women do in their blankets
and table-linen, and exhibits them with
great complacency, especially her
'geranium blows A restinviting
chintz covered lounge is usually occu-
pied by splendid black cat, and a
great, plump-cushioned, sleepy-hollow
rocking-chair has always been sacred
to husbands. When not occupied by
one of these happy invalids, it is usual
ly tied up in black Grape in memory of
one
Here they sat one after another, as
you have been informed, through long
terms of comparatively comfortable
consumption. How could one ask for
more peaceful ending to his days? !?
Here they rocked TRANQUILITY, read the
Falmouth County Herald, or dozed in
the dreamy light of the afternoon SUM-
shine. They could not have been
lonely, for there was the gossip Of
July AIMS customers to distract the
mind and all the life Of the household
sounding from the busy little kitchen
as well. If they coughed, there was
July Ann ready to rush in from the
shop with bottle of the Magic Drops
If they were afflicted with headache,
though she might have sometimes
been unable to spare time to apply the
Electric Relief herself, she detailed
Idelia Rosanna to act in her stead.
And through the quiet evenings she
always sat by her husbands side,
| busted either on dress or a wedding
bonnet or shroud, while the visitors
dropped in one after another with plen-
ty of news and chat. There was al
ways good stock of apple-pies in the
pantry, and all the hymD-singing the
most devout soul could possibly wish
for in the parlor of Sunday night
To be sure, the graves of the departed
were in sight from the sunny windows
and rather mournfulIy suggestive; but
still the scene must have been very
peaceful, with the grass ripping and
tossing in the breeze, and there were
no gravestones in the region more fine
and costly than those which July Ann
raised to the memory of her spouses
1t was now more than a year since
the last occupant of the chair had join
ed those sleepers, and that the fasci-
mating widow did not marry again was
circumstance which everybody won
dered at. 1t certainly could not be for
lack of opportunity, so tenderly did
she protect and cherish husbands, so
amply able was she toprovide for them,
so popular was she with old and Young
of both sexes.
noticed that Mr. Squirting, the rosy
and robust leader of the choir directed
decidedly tender glances toward the re-
glon OF her Grape veil over his hymn
book on Sundays, and that more than
one jolly captain made an errand to
the shop when the mackerel-schooners
were in during "spell of weather"
why ism t she married she has SO
many admirers | ventured to inquire
myself speaking my thoughts aloud
to Idelia Rosanna one day while wait
ing for this airy damsel to match
pattern of crimson worsted.
Lor', they're all too healthy. There
hain't no consumptiye or rheumatic
men round just now, nor but one with
the skakin palsy, that l know Of N
he's merried. Aunt she don't care
much about healthy folks, male or fe-
male Diseases is fascinatin' to her,
though if she ever has as much as
cold or crick in the neck herself she's
blue as MILESTONE
This was two years ago. Last sum-
mer the first news | heard after reach
ing the Harbor was that Mis- Babson
was about to be united in the holy
bonds of matrimony for the fourth
time saw at once that the chamber
maid who came to attend to my room
had something on her mind. Usually
extremely parsimonious in the matter
of towels, she hung seven one after an
other in an absent-minded way on my
rack, and forgot to inform me that she
was school-teacher in reality and had
only slipped from that loftier sphere of
usefulness for short time to accom-
modate Mis- White, the landlady.
What is it, Mary Jane p Inquired at
length.
You know Mis- Babson, the dress
maker?' l acknowledged my acquaint-
ance with this lady, and waited with
some curiosity to hear what she had
to say concerning her. We'll, don't
you think, she's been and found an in
valid man and is goin' to get merried
next Sunday! He's a-stoppn' at her
house now, with cough thet sounds
half as if he made it. He is ruther
poor m peaked, though, but harnsome
as peacock
But where did she find the invalid?'
l asked. Il thought the gentlemen of
Green Harbor were all hopelesly
healthy"
so they be- Mr.. Spurlin' he's done
everything to get hisself up a pale
look, he's eat slate-pencils m pickles
by the ton, they say, m KEEP awake
nights,-thet's dretful wearin' you
know,-but it didn't do no good. He
b'longs to an awful shiftless race, m
she's got a.good bit of property m not
chick nor child in the world. Cap'n
Loud he actually made a cough till he
begun to hev one in. reality, m thet
scarf him so thet he left off courtin' her
m went off on v'yage to the Banks
m haint been seen in these parts
sence. This man come from Plumfeld,
thirty or forty miles away. He heard
! tell of her over there, they say, m