The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1881-09-08


blankets and table-linen, aud exhibits
them with great complacency, especially
her ''geranium blows" A rest inviting
ehintz-covered lounge is usually occupied
by a splendid black cat, and a great,
plump-cushioned, sleepy-hollow rocking
chair has always been sacred to hus-
bands. When not occupied by one of
these happy invalids, it is usually tied up
in black Grape in memory of one.
Heare they sat one after another, as
you have been informed, through long
terms of comparatively comfortable con-
sumption. How could one ask for a
more peaceful ending to his days2 Here
they rocked TRANQUILITY, read the Fal-
mouth County Herald, or dozed in the
dreamy light of the afternoon sunshine.
They could not have been lonely. for
there was the gossip of July AIMS Gus
toners to distract the mind, and all the
life of the household sounding from the
busy little kitchen as WELL If they
cou8hed, there was July Ann ready to
rush ig from the shop with bottle of
the ''Magic Drops" If they were afiiict-
ed 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 wedding
bonnet or a shroud, while the visitors
dropped in one after another with plenty
of news and chat. There was always a
good stock of apple-pies in the pantry,
and all the hymn-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 mournful-
ly 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 no more than a year
since the last occupant of the chair had
joined those sleepers, and that..the fascina.
ting widow did not marry again was
which everybody wondered
at. It certainly could not be for lack of
opportunity, SO tenderly did she protect
and cherish husbands, so amply able was
she to provide 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
region of her craro voiI ovor his hynu-
book on Sundays, and that moro than
one Jolly captain made an errand to the
shop when the mackerel schooners were
in during ''spell of weather."
"Why isn't she married? she has so
many admirers?" [ ventured TO inquire
myself, speaking my thoughts aloud to
Idelia Rosanna one day while waiting
for this airy damsel to match a 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 I know of, n he's
merried. Aunt she don't care much
about healthy folks, male or female.
Diseases is facinatin' to her, though if
she ever has as much as a cold or a crick
in the mock herself she's as blue as O
This was two years ago. Last sum-
mer the first news / heard after reaching
the Harhor was that Mis- Babson was
about to be united in the holy bonds of
matrimony for the fourth time. I saw
at once that the chambermaid who came
to attend to my room had something on
her mind. Usually extremely parsimon-
ions in the matter of towels, she hung
seven, one after another, 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 a short
time to accommodate Mis- White, the
landlady. "What is it, Mary janet" 1 !
inquired at length.
"You know Mis- Babson, the dress.
maker2" I acknowledged my acquaint-
ance with the lady, and waited with some
to hear what she had to say
her. "Well, don't you think,
she's been and found an invalid man and
is goin' 80 get married next Sundal He's |
a stoppin' at her house now, with a cough |
that sounds half as if he made it. He is |
rnther poor n peaked though, but |
as peacock"
''But where did she find the invalid?" |
[ asked. II thought the gentlemen of
Green Harbor were all hopelessly |
healthy"
$50 they be. Mr.. Spurlin' he's done |
everything to get himself up pale look,
he's eat slate pencils n pickles by the
ton, they say, n KEEP awake nights
thet dretful wearin', You know,-but it
didn't do no good. He b'longs to an
awful shiftless race, n she's got q good |
bit of property n not chick nor a child |
in the world. Cap'n Loud he actually
made cough till he begun to hev one in |
reality, n tibet scarf him so thet he left |
off courtin' her n went off on a wage
to the Banks n hain't been seen in those
parts sence. This man come from Plum
field, thirty or forty miles away. He
heard tell of her over there, they say, n
come over here a-purpose to merry her,
though she's old enough to be his mother.
Idely she sticks to it that he hain't got
no more lung trouble than she hes; but
there he sits in the rocking-chair a-Iook-