The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1882-05-19
WIDOW APPLEDORE'S RO-
NANCE.

pep mIHJ Oh al price Oh Wl6dLI NO
Emma Jane, my life has been humdrum
enough, without my ending it with Dea-
con Bliss. shan't have him /"
Well, well, Rosetta, ii you won't i
don't knows anybody's goin' ter try an
make YOU" chirped plump, rosy Mrs.
Phlox, looking up from the stout blue
WOODEN sock she was knitting. dispose
the deacon thought he'd right to ask
sou, bein' it's free country. Caleb
Appledole was awful nice man, but
Eo's the deacon. Lone wimmen are put
on. Job Whittamore neglects your gar
ding, an just see what work you have
with your fires winters an keepin' roads
broke out.
"Pm not going to marry just to have
some one tend to the garden and do the
chores" said Mrs. Appledore. "I've
never found fault with them that's dead
and gone but l krow what it is to live
with person who does not care two
pins for the things do, and if / ever do
marry again it will be some one who can
sympathize with me. | can't say /
swallow all 'Lias Bradshaw says about
the margin of souls and affinities, but
there's some truth in it youmay depend.
Besides, Id like little romance to my
life before die.
" Romance is all well 'nuff," said
Mrs. Phlox; "but you're 80 next March,
Rosetta, an sech mar as Deacon Bliss
don't grow on every bush. Bein' .agood
proyider, an splendid farmer, an
deacon, an pillar in the church may
not be romantic, but they're good re-
concentrations in man you're thinkin'
OF marryin'. l hope you'll think
twice. !"
g [ have thought, and [ shan't marry
the deacon" said Mrs. Appledore deci-
siVely; ian If tina s being romantic,
I'm not ashamed OF it.
The little widow did not look roman
tic. Her complexion was a dull white.
and her hair was a dull brown. Dull.
too, We're her large gray eyes that blinked
behind short-sighted glasses, but her
form, though meager and devoid OF
curve, was not without grace, and she
had clear, sweet soprano voice, which,
though 1t was unframed, she could use
with taste and feeling. The Harmoni-
cum, the Dixville musical association.
made her the head of all their commit
tees, and relied upon her to sing all the
solos. Indeed, without her it could not
have existed. The wheezy melodeon,
which was dozen years old before it
became the property of the society, had
at last collapsed under the energetic
timers OF Prof. Jackson Jones.
who did the accompanying, and
they were trying to buy
piano. They had given concerts and
had oyster suppers till Dixville was
tired, when DR.. Ollapod suggested a
lecture. 1t was whispered that the doc
tor had expected the committee to invite
HIM to read one of his papers on the
Semitic tongues; but if he did he was
disappointed. They correspondent with
many popular lecturers, who all declined
to visit Dixville on the plea of engage
ments, and the committee at last invited
certain Prof. st. Clair Smith. about
whom they knew nothing save that he
had lectured in the neighboring villages,
to address them. The professor had
suddenly appeared in Dixville mounted
on fine gray horse. The next day he
was seen to enter the postofice with q
green bag on his arm, and the gossips
Immediately reported that he was
wealthy and had come from Boston. He
at once accepted the invitation of the
HGrmonicum committee, and announced
that his lecture would be on the "Phi-
losephy of Art" The meeting house
was hired, and Mrs. Appledore with a
select few, began practicing some music
for the occasion.
1t was the afternoon before the lect-
ure, and Mrs. Appledore had invited her
sister to spend the day with her. Do
mostio duties seemed to be just what
Mrs. Phlox was made for. Her husband
and sister usually did all her thinking.
In return she served them with her
hands; but the few notions that did
creep into her round head she chung to
pertinaoiously.
= The worst kind of fool is beetle.
headed one," she said, after long
pause "an' putin this and that to-
gether, Rosetta, think you're preparin'
with your romancin' to be Just that
kind Af a are Z" E
Z" don't see how sisters can be so un.
like and Mrs. Appledore drummed a
harsh accolnpaniment to her words on
the middle @ of her piano. "To be
sure, You are the oldest; but age need
not make ones soul a clod."
:" 1t wonld be well for you to remem
Der that all the advantages are not on
your side" cried Mrs. Phlox, rising
with dignity. "There are bodies, yes,
and dispositions, that are. clods," and
Mrs, Phlox jerked on her calash and
vent home.
The meeting house was full, and the
next day the Dixville Times declared
the lecture to have been most soulful
and eloquent dissertation; but Mrs. APP
pledore's attention wandered, and she
only knew that the entertainment was
to be concluded by DR.. Olapod's sonor-
GUS call for 'moosie."
am delighted, said Prof. st. Clair
Smith, bowling low before her, as soon as
possible after the moosio." "I never
heard such delicious voice."
Mrs. Appledore coughed behind her
hand to conceal her fattered erobarrass-
ment, and turned questioning look on
Prof Jackson Jones, who stood near.
lyon always sing splendid, said that
gentleman, drawing himself up. Il
dare say put You ont That flute OBJ
ligato is a deuced hard thing to do. I
didn't do myself justice tonight"
:" You've always dragged" said Karl
Leopold, who took every opportunity to
criticise the Harmonioum doings.
Prof. jackson Jones pulled at his era
vat, and Mrs. Appledore's face was full
of resentment.
never heard anything finer in Bos-
ton. said Prof. ST. Clair Smith. coming
TO the rescue, and suppose you know
what that implies"
The night after the lecture was very
stormy one, and Mrs. Appledore was
slowly twisting her hair in crimping-
pins, when the door-bell rang. II
could not endure the loneliness Of the
hotel, dear Mrs. Appledore," said Prof,