The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1881-09-15


be sure, the graves of the departed were
in sight from the sunny windows, and
rather mournfully suggestive; but still
the scene must have been very peace.
full, with the grass rippling and tossing
in the breeze. and there were no grave
stones in the region more line and cost.
ly than those which July Ann raised to
the memory of her spouse,. 1t was
now more than year since the last Oc.
cupant of the chair had joined those
sleepers, and that the fascinating wild
ow did not marry again was circum'
stance which everybody wondered at.
1t certan My could not be for lack Of
opportunity. so tenderly did she protect
and cherish husbands. So amply able
was she 20 provide for them, so pOpu
lar was she with old and young of botl
sexes.
noticed that Mr.. Squirting, the rosy
and robust leader of the choir, directed
decidedly tender glances toward the
region OF her Grape veil over his hymn
book on SUNDAYS, and that more than
on e jolly Captain made an errand to
the shop when the mackerel schooners
were in during "spell OF weather"
"Whv ism she married? she has so
many adm,rers?" l ventured to inquire
myself, speaking my thoughts aloud to
Idelia Rosanna one day while waiting
for this airy damsel to match 4 pattern
OF crimson worsted.
"Lor', they're all too healthy. There
hain't no consumptive or rheumatic
men round just now, nor but one with
the shakin' palsy, that know of, m
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 a
cold or crick in the neck herself She 8
blue as a 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 chambermaid
who came to attend to my room had
something on her mind. Usually ex-
tremely parsimonious in the matter of
towels, she hung seven one after anOth-
err in an absent minded way on my
rack, and forgot to inform me that she
was a school-teacher in reality, and
had only slipped from that loftier
sphere of usefulness for short time to
accommodate Mis- White. the landlady.
"What is it, Mary Jane?" I inquired.
at length.
"You know Mis- Babson, the dress
maker p acknowledged my acguaint-
ance with this iadv, and waited with
some curiosity to hear what she had to
say concerning her. "Well. don't YOU
think, she's been and found an inva-
lid man and is goin' to get merried next
Sunday! He's a. stoppin' at her house
now, with a cough tibet sounds half as
if he made it. He is ruther poor m
peaked, though, but harnsome as a pea
cock"
But where did she find the inva.
lid?" asked. IL thought the gentle.
men of Green Harbor were all hopeless
ly healthy"
$50 they be. MIR. Spurlin' he's done
everything to get hisself up 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 good
bit of property m not a chick nor a
child in the world. Cap'n Loud he
a .tualIy made a cough till he began to
hey one in reality, n tibet scarf him
so tibet he left off courtin' her m went
Oft on yage to the Banks m hain't
been seen in these parts sense. This
man comes from Plumield, thirty or
forty miles away. He heard tell of her
over there, they say, N come over
here a-purpose to marry her, though
she's old enough to be his mother.
1dely she sticks to it tibet he hain't got
no more lung trouble then she hes; but
there he sets in the rockin' chair a.
lookin' at his finger-nails, m she waits
upon him by inches, m doses him with
enough of tibet pizen relief to kill a
common man. She's a wonderful
woman, Mis- Babson is, 'tendin' to all
the business she hes on her hands m
sick husban's besides"
The next morning went over to the
shop to make congratulatory call.
There was no change around the house.
The small dog awoke from his slum.
bers and threatened my ankles until
trembled withfe The gate, as usual,
resisted all my efforts to open it, and
Idelia Rosanna, as usual, appeared to
my relief.
II s'pose you've heard the news
about aunt's gittin' merried?" said she.
The hull county's a-talkin' about it,
m l declare l don't blame 'em. Walk
in m take seat
The little shop was as bright as ever,
and everything just as it had been the
year before, but that the big chair,
which had been decorated with black
Grape in memory of the departed hus-
bands. was now radiant with a new
chintz covering and was occupied bv q
decidedly rustic but rather handsome
young man with hectic cheeks.
stole good look at him. and he
dropped his eyes with q somewhat
sheepish expression. The window
was open, and the three white
headstones of the three departed hus-
bands glittered brightly in the little
family burying-gr0und not far away.
invOluntarilv glanced in that direction.
Mrs. Babson made her appearance
before very long with her usual mourn
fully beaming countenance and the
usual apologies for her ,seglige appear
ance. You always do ketch me look
in jest so, Mis- Smith; but hev 50
many things to tend to that hev TO
hurry through my homework the best
way kin n not stop to fix up much.
I've been maxim apple pies this morn
in. m it always breaks me down to
make apple pies; for there was my fust
husban', there warn NO trouble in the
world to him it he could only hev plen-
" OF apple pies to eat. Many time
In his last sickness I've got up in the