Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1882-07-06

SO dry they never have half of the accI
dents that happens. There are some pa
pers, however, that has a great manI
every time. l do take great delight il
some of the spirited papers that alway;
has plenty of murders, accidents, rob
berries, suicides, and particularly the ma
rlne disasters. o how it blowed last
night! Whenever l hear it blow in the
night l always think of my peor dead
three husbands"
With great effort she managed tc
heave sigh, and one little tear crept
out of her eye, which, Notwithstanding
looked as cheerful as ever, and not q
sign of anguish exhibited itself in hel
face at all. She continued with renew,
ed animation.
i've just got two letters from home
Both sealed with black, which shows
that somebody's deadl o dear! ]
s'pose l must read ,em. i can hardly
dare to open em, though. o dearl il
seems as if everybody was dying. ]
shouldn't wonder if one was Polly
| Crockor. 1t is wonder she hadn't died
long ago, for the poor thing was always
ailing. She tried all the patent medi
cines, for she had most everything; but
there's no telling what was the matter
with her. for she never got cured. How
sickly some people bel WE'LL sdppose
l must read my letters"
With this she broke one seal, but very
reluctantly, for she hated to abbreviate
the pleasure of anticipation.
81 hope the news won't overcome you,
said one of the widows, winking to the
others, who were laughing behind gayly
embroidered handkerchiefs. "Can you
bear bad news well y
"Oh, no. I'm shocking bad hand at
that. Bad news always goes to my
stomach. Ever since my last husband
died I've been shocking bad hand to
bear bad news. Perhaps it is the climate
that makes it. The climate is very poor,
and growing worse and worse every day.
Once could stand the east wind, but
now l can't stand any wind at all. Some
times it seems to me as if there was
cholera or yellow fever or sickness of
some kind in all the air of this country,
and then think perhaps it will kill off
all the white folks just as it used to the
poor red Injuns. That's what old Mr.
Foresight used to think. Oh, dear.
He's dead, too He married Betsy Pail
She died within year, ana he had to mar
ry Mrs. Sally Snapper to get rid of his
grief and care of the child. He hadn't
been dead mOre'n a week afore married
-married-let me see; who did Sally
who did Mrs.-who did she marry? But,
good graciousl forgat my lettersi L
must read them. Excuse me Bit
With very faint "Oh, dear" she now
read the two missives, while the other
widows engaged in lively chat upon man
and matrimony, with many significant
mods and winks and giggles, general
and particular, from which they were
finally diverted by another ''Oh, dear!"
from Mrs. Doleful.
"Any very bad news ?" asked they.
"Not as bad as 1 expected sighed
she, with look of disappointment.
"Any relative dead ?"
"Only little one-Mrs. Bixby's baby
"a cousin of whooping cough,
and only four months old. The letter
is very affecting, but then l never saw
the child. think Mrs. Bixby's little
teched in the head, or else why did she
harry up my feelings by black-sealing
letter for only little baby for?"
This nice distinction and the lackhry-
NOSE look of chagrin which accompani-
ed it set all the other widows in litter.
The Widow Doleful looked grave at
first, but soon a sort of mOldy smile
stole across her features, like doubtful
cat over a strange shed.
81 don't wonder you smile at such
foolish piece of business myself, she
said. 81 know she must be teched. But
this here,' placing her hand on the 9th
er letter with look of respect, ais of
some Importance. 1t says that old Mrs.
is dead--Mrs. TamsOn Tim
wocks, aged ninety. 1t says:
L now take my pen in hand this time
to inform you that old Mrs. TamwOcks
is no more. MethiHks hear you say.
What on earth did she die of . Seeing
as she lived so long, some folks thought
she couldn't die. She died of bucket
of whitewash, which it fell upon her
head by accident by an Irishman, who
was washingthe corn barn. 1t is. pity;
but what can you expect, from foreign
ers? Poor Mrs. Timwocksl No more.
AS ever, s.d PRUDENCE ROGERS "
"Poor old critterp' continued Mrs
Doleful. "But 1 don't care much on ac-
count of her, she was old, and was no
relation, and she had no friends. Be
sides, she must have been pooty well
tired out. Prudence Rogers amt long
for this world herself. She's sickly and
worn out, though she's only twenty years
Some folks wear out very easily. |
wonder what she'd ha' done if she'd
been through what have. Three hus-
bands and nine and merry one alivel
o, dearl Oh, deary, dearl 1t is past all
account what suffer sometimes. There s
one thing I've forgotten to ask" she sud
lenly exclaimed, with extraordinary self
control, subduing her deep sorrOw-"ls
The new minister, Rev. Mr.. Pinkman,
married or not?"
The pen refuses to disclose anything |
further, save that all the widows were
heard to laugh loudly shortly after, and
that the Widow Doleful frightened up: |
from which it may be inferred that Mr..
Pinkman was sin the market"
Kill the Potato Bugs"