Daily Republican., 1883-07-03
The Widows Grief.

She was handsome and wealthy
young widow and had just lost her hus.
band. Full of grief over tho loss of her
beloved one, abe sought dealer in
monuments, a friend of the dear de.
parted.
Seeing the sympathetic face OF her
husband friend, the tears burst atresh
from her eyes as she greeted him, sob
bing.
"You have heard it then? George is
gone"
Yes, he had heard it.
"And now," said she, 81 want to
get a monument, IL e finest and most
imposing monument that you can
make. don't care for the EXPENSE
You have them costing as much az ten
thousand dollars, don't you?
Oh, yes, he could build a splendid
monument for that He would pre-
pare a design and submit it to her.
"You will have it ready soon, will
you not? she pleaded. "This even
ing"
"No, not this evening, - he "eplied !;
but he would hurry it up, and bring it
to her residence. So it was settled, and
she went away to wait anxiously for
the design.
Then the monument man got out an
old design, had it transferred to clean
piece of paper, and in fifteen minutes
was ready for the widow. In IA week
or 80 he submitted his work. He found
her more reconci ed to her loss and in
clined TO be critical, but on the whole
she was pleased with the design.
"But,' she said, " have been talk
ing over the matter with my sister, and
she thinks five thousand dollars ought
to buy a very nice monument. Couldn't
you make one like that for five thou
sand 9"
"No," responded he : but / can
build handsome monument for five
thousand. Shall I make a design ofone
for that figure ?"
eyes, / wish you would, please, and
l will call at your office in week or
two and examine it.
81 can make some alterations in
this plan and have it ready very soon,"
he urged. could bring it around
tomorrow, just as well as not.
"Oh no ; / won't trouble you to do
80. There is no particular hurry about
it, and ! will call upon you it's my
turn, YOU know" And she smi led gra-
ciously upon him as she bowed him out.
Well, what was poor monument
man to do? He could only wait, and
he did wait, busying himself mean
while, in getting up elaborate and real
ly beautiful designs One day he met
the lady on the street, dressed in the
merest apology for half mourning. He
bowed obsequiously and informed her
that the design was finished, and he
thought it would not fail to be perfectly
satisfactory.
"Oh," she said, 81 have been so busy
don't you know, with one thing and
another, that Ii d forgotten all about
it. Let me see, how much was that to
cost %
"Five thousand dollars"
"Oh, dear, l really can't afford to
pay that much. Now couldn't you? y
this very bewitchingly. "make real
nice monument for about five hundred
dollars? l know you can, and | will
come around and see you about it real
soon good-by. .
Then the monument man went to his
office and told his grief to three.legged
lamb and stOne angel.
Some time after this the charming
widow with male friend, whom she
called "Charley," dropped in again.
"Do you know" she said, :" feel
so ashamed to think that never came
around to look at your pretty desi gns.
Charlie and have concluded that those
great costly ornaments are so foolish,
after ones dead. you know. We think
it's wicked, don't we, Charley %
Charley allowed that it was.
But" she continued, "those lit le
white boards, such as they put at SOL
diers graves. Charley and think they
are very nice. So neat and unpreten-
tious. Couldn't you make one of them
for me, and put Georges monogram on
it 2" His initials make such a pretty
Then the monument mans cup was
full, aud he spilled it over on them.
He told her that Charley could get an
old shingle and tack one of Georges
business cards on it.
Then she called him "a horrid
beast" and Charley said he would
" lick the 'stuffin' out of him for half
cent, and they sailed out.