Morning journal and courier., 1881-04-12

sex. She has been twice married, but is now
 a widow. She has one child Of her first hus-
 band and two of her second husband to sup
 port. When the latter gentleman died he
 was in debt by an indorsement for $1, ,O0O,
 and among his assets was second mortgage
 on small farm which it would not pay to
 take owing to the size of the first mortgage
 How the wife managed to work things when
 thrown upon her own resources makes quite
 story of feminine New England enterprise.
 Take for example, the case of the worthless
 second mortgage. The owner of the farm
 had abandoned the property, and the holder
 of the first mortgage, realizing that some day
 he would get it, thought it wise to begin
 early, and so planted crop on the land in
 the spring. The plueky widow, however,
 finding that it would take several months to
 foreclose, got from the owner deed of the
 land. Then she went and ploughed under
 the first mortgage mans crop and set the
 fields herself to tobacco. The other party
 was powerless until the machinery of the law
 foreclosed the bond, and before that time the
 widow had cut and removed her tobacco and
 was just so much in. By pluck and activity,
 working hard herself she got along, support
 ed herself and family, and little by little re- duced the face of the $1 900 debt, which was in the form of 8 mortgage on her farm, and was held by trustee, and so could not nor ally be compromised by him. Finally by her own labors she cleared the whole farm of debt and wiped the mortgage all off. To fin ish the story it may be added that the bus band left no will, and consequently the farm, now that she has paid for it, does not belong to her, but his children, and for all her labor she has no ownership.
 Many people in this country really believe,
 we suppose, that Benjamin F. Butler stole silver spoons when he was in the South. An interesting explanation of the affair which served as a foundation for the charge is given in a western paper. A lady went to General Garfield some months ago, and in- troduced herself as the daughter of General David E. Twiggs, who left our army, where he had gained the rank of Major General, to join the secessionists at the opening of the rebellion. She stated her object to be the recovery of her fathers two swords captured by Butler whom he entered New Orleans in the spring of 1862. Garfield referred her to Butler, whom she feared to meet on account of the terrible reputation he had gained in the South. Having been assured that he was not nearly so black as he had been painted, she sought him out, and, to her surprise, was very politely received. He informed her that he had sent the swords to Washington, with the request that one be given to the Annapolis Academy and the other to West Point, as trophies of the civil war. His re- quest was not complied with. They were, instead, locked up in the vaults of the Treas ury for safe keeping and one of the duplicate keys was delivered to him. He then added <: "You have not, my dear madam, asked me about your family plate, which have so often been accused of stealing to decorate my own table with. You no doubt, in con- mon with many Southerners, think the charge true. will enlghten you on the sub ject. As soon as had occupied your fathers deserted house, one of your colored servants came to me with load of silver, saying that your father had buried it in the garden to keep t from the hated Yankees; but that as now he had gone, the servant, having seen the act, dug it up, and was desirous to hand 1t over to the proper authorities. I used the silver while I had my headquarters at your fathers place; but afterward turned every | forks, salvers and dishes over to the Quartermaster's department. i Here, madam, are the vouchers for every ar .icle brought me by your colored servant" :" | And Butler opened his desk and took out | neatly arranged packet of papers, each of whichswas regularly and formally signed and | credited Notwithstanding this most of l hose who have believed that Butler stole | spoons will continue to believe 1t.