The Republican journal., 1882-03-09
Judged.

"She had real good Judgement" said
Widow Brooks to Miss Eunce Pell, as
they sat together at a funeral in the
pause that followed the religious services,
and allowed the neighbOrs to file silently
by the coffin and look at the stern fea
I lures of the dead, settled now into that
dumb and wonderful repOSe unknown to
life or sleep.
"Well, | expect she he'd" said Miss
Eunice, nodding her rusty black bonnet
at the widows.
"She was a master hand to tell her
Judgements all abroad, too; she didn't
make no bones about sayin' what she
thought of folks, be they who they may"
"Well, dono as that's what meant
was thinkin about her faculty for house
work and sech. You never see no poor
bread, nor no soft pickles, nor no worked
preserves to her house seemed as though
she knew lest the identical minute cream
had riZ all it would, or bread had rose
Jest right"
There would have been more than one
echo to Miss Eunces characterization of
the departed Mrs. Weeks, if the unspoken
had been the spoken thoughts of several
who had "vewed the corpse as country
phrase had it, and wondered in them
selves what sort of atmosphere in the ac-
cepted idea of Heaven would suit the out
gone soul, or which Of the "many man
sions' be a congenial home for the rigid
spirit earthly companions had never suit
ed. Let us record one of her '.judg-
ments" When Mary Prince married
Augustus Barber and settled down to her
fo l,o l. hot clo,
coming to: her husband Was a poor man,
beginning life as dealer in a small way
in flour and feed. Her preparations had
been simple and inexpensive, for she was
| not able TO spend money freely, being a
| poor minister's daughter Augustus had
meant to study for the ministry, but his
health failed; active life was peremptorily
ordered for him. and in the clear air of
| Barton he had become we'll again and
comparatively strong. Both he and Mary
| took an active part in the Sunday school,
and made friends as naturally and easily
as two bright, kindly young people will
in an ordinary New England village.
Mrs. Deacon Weeks was widow, her
| patient, excellent husband had been dead
| five years. But she was a woman of
dominant temper and critical disposition,
| and magnitied her husbands office, even
after he laid it down, into a needful super
vision Of her neighbOrs and their affairs,
particularly if they were members Of the
church
Now Mary Barber had relations who
were wealthy and generous, and often
gave her presents of articles they knew
very we'll she could not buy, and she ac-
Cepted them with the meekness and graf
itude necessarily educated into the chill
dren of those laborers in the ministry
who are never paid their due hire, and
50 have to take gifts of charity. But Mrs.
Weeks knew nothing about Mr.. or Mrs.
Barber except that they were poor.
| When a cousin, just going into mourning
for her father, sent to Mary the pretty
silks, soft cashmeres and black lace hat
wreathed with velvet pansies, for which
she had no further use, they came to the
! little woman as a real GOdsend. "Oh,
Gus" said she. ''Look here see what
Georgy has sent me! Now | shall not
have to buy dress for two years at the
very least. | can just shorten all the
dresses, for we could always wear each
others things but for their length, and |
have not even summer bonnet to buy,
my last years straw will do nicely for
| common wear"
Mr. Barber, like most men, liked to
see his pretty wife well dressed they had
| been married two years now the trous-
seau was getting worn and little dingy
the black silk needed trimming again, for
its cheap fringe was already rusty, and
Mary knew very we'll that there was no
spare money torenew even the ornaments
of her scantg wardrobe, much less the
gowns themselves; but here, on a quiet
gray silk, was black lace enough laid over
The knife plaitiDgs to trim all her old silk
afIesh, and the plaitings satisfied her
taste without lace above them; and very
fair and elegant she looked in that gray
dress, fitting her perfectly, as it did, with
gloves and parasol to match it, and the
little French bonnet set on her waves of
gold brown hair
But Mrs. Weeks glared at her across
the old Westinghouse with indignant
eyes, and at the "noon- spell' prayer
meeting made long and loud petition
that the young members" might be re-
buked and convinced Of the sin of pam
pering the lust of the eyes and the pride
of life: that they might deny themselves
of such eXtravagance and finery in regard
to the poor, perishing body as made scan
dial in the church, and come out and be
separate from a sinful world. Mary
Barber, just invited to join this select as
sembly which always met during inter
mission at Widow Brooks house, wonder
ed who Mrs. Weeks was praying at, for
that her petition had a personal applica-
ton was only too evident; after her first
serene satisfaction in being well-dressed
once more, and her shy joy in her hus
bands admiration, Mary had not thought
again Of her dress To tell the truth, it
was far less in her mind than the frayed
fringe of her black silk would have been,
Or the faded aspect of her lilac muslin.
But she asked no question, of course, and
went her way home to get her husband
his piece Of pie, the substitute for a
twelve o'clock dinner that made Sunday
day of res Mrs. Brooks, however, was
not so incurious, and while three or four
women fingered to eat their lunch in her
kitchen, one of them also OBTAINING Mrs.
Weeks to ask some questions about a
mutual relative, the widow came forward
with smirk, and said, "You seemed to
be real reused up in prayer to-day, Mis-
Weeks; as though there was a concern
on your mind, now didn't yeg"
"Well, | did," answered Mrs. Weeks
with solemn brevity.
~ thought So" sighed Mrs. Brooks, but
with instructive tact asked no more.
There was a sort of eXpectant pause,
curious eyes regarded her. Mrs. Weeks
felt that she was expected to explain /;
that she ought also to point moral, SO
| she continued, ~ had Mis- 'Gustus Bar