News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1883-12-06
THE OLD LADY BEAT JOHN.
THE JUDGES STORY ABOUT THE
Will. THAT WASN'T FINISHED.
Aftera Fearful Drive OF Two Miles n
stormy Night to Minister to n Dying
Woman She Decides to Live to spite
John,


Woman She Decides to Live to Spit
john.
The Judge and had been driving on
some miles in the afternoon, and coming
home in the twilight, passed a substan
tiaI-looking, though very old farm house
with comfortable barns and out-build
ings, Indicating a well-to-d do householder
The rich bottom lands which stretched
away a half mile from the river to the
hill slopes, covered with abundant bircI
and maple were lu1uriant with grain
and corn.
That evening, when we were sitting il
the library, after fs,ts er, smoking and
chatting, L asked the 5udge:
''To whom does taat farm we passed
on the level belong"
When I asked him the question, the
Judge laughed outright, and after mo.
ments pause, said: 81 will tell you 6
story.
cone stormy, winter night, after mid.
night I was sitting here reading, the rest
of the family having gone to sleep long
before, when old Dir. Strong thundered
at the door. knocker, and made noise
enough to wake the Seven SIeepers. 1t
is way he has, and neither my wife
nor the girls, who were reused out of
sIumber, nor I myself, had any question
who was at the door. Ilet him in myself,
and tempest of wind and snow with
him. The blast that drove him into my
arms also put out the hall lights, whirled
into the library, and farcd the reading
lamp so that it broke the chimney, and
blazed up to a colored tissue-pape
affair which Susie had put over the
shade, set it on fire, and for a moment
threatened a general confagration of
papers and books on the table.
Shut the door yourself, I shouted,
and rushed back here to put out the
fire. That done, went back and found
the old doctor out of breath, in the
dark, trying to shut the door against
the wind. 1t took the strength of both
of us to do it. Then I told him to find
his way to the library, for he knew it,
and [ went off in search of another
lamp.
"When ] came back, he was just re-
covering his wind, and after a gasp or
two, told me his errand. old Mrs
Norton is dying. She can't live till
morning. She's alive now only on stimu-
lants. She wants to make will, and l
have come for you.
"'A nice night, [ said, for a two
mile drive to make will for n woman
who hasn't a cent in the world to leave.
Why didn't you tell her 50, and have
done with it?'
"'Now, look here said the doctor,
this is a case of an old woman, and an
old neighbor and a friend, and she
wants YOU TO 10 something for her, and
yo'. a. IA" -, 80 ~, - 49,. -->-
last hours. Get your things and come
with me. We shall not find her alive ii
yon don't hurry, and you'll be sorry ii
that happens
"The upshot of it was that [ went.
We had a fearful drive out to the farm
house on the fist, which you are asking
about. Mrs. Norton was the widow OF
John Norton, who died forty odd years
before this. John Norton, when he
married her, was a widower with one
son. John. He was man of considera,
bic property, and when he died left q
widow. that son John by his first wife,
and two sons by his second wife. The
older son, John, had never been on very
warm terms with his stepmother, and
for some years had had no intercourse
with the family.
81 found the old lady lying in the big
room, on a great bedstead on one side
of the room, opposite to the broad chin
ney, in which was a roaring fire, the
only light in the room. After the doc
tor had spoken to her and administered
something, a stimnlant, 1 suppose, he
came over to me and said in a whisper
Hurry up, she's very weak
81 had broaght paper and pen anC
ink with me, I found a stand and {
candle, placed them at the head of the
bed, and after saying few
words to her, told her [ was ready t.
prepare the will, if she would now go OIL
and tell me what she wanted me to do
| wrote the Introductory phrase rapidly
and leaning over toward her said
Now go on, Mrs. Norton Her voic'
was quite faint, and she seemed to speal
with an effort. She said: First Of al
want to give the farm to my sons
Harry and James; Just put that down.
But said I, you can't do that, Mrs
Norton; the farm isn't yours to Civ
away
"'The farm isn't mine!' she said i
a voice decidedly stronger than before.
No, the farm isn't yours. Yor
have only life interest in it,
"'This farm that I've run for gOin' o,
forty-three year next spring isn't min
to do what please with it ! Why not
Judge? I'd like to know what yo
mean?'
"'Why, Mr.. Norton, your husband
gave you life estate in all his property
and on your death the property goes
his son John, and your children get tn
village houses.
"'And when die John Norton is
have this house and farm whether L WI
or no.
"'Just so. 1t will be his.
"'Then I amt going to die, said til
old woman in a clear and decided
ringing. healthy voice. And so sayin
she threw her feet over the front OF tn
bed, sat up, gathered blanket an
coverlid about her, Strengthened up he
gaunt form, walked across the room an
sat down in a great chair before the fir
The doctor and l came home. Th'
was fifteen years ago. The Old lady
alive to-day. And she accomplished h'
intent.
s'She beat John after all. He die
four years ago in Boston, and L don
know what will be left. But whoev
comes into the farmhouse when ST
goes out, it will not be John. And SIM
Johns death the farm has been bett
kept, and everything about it is in vast
better condition for strangers than
would have been for John.
A KENTUCKY editor recently shot t7
,,,o,, ,vl,o ;ur,nad an him Now IS ii