St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-04-09
A SOUTHERN WIDOW.
Tho Vas altogether Too Much for a Cute
Yankee.

olden DAYS one of the most common things
to encounter in the south, especially in south
ern Tennessee and northern Georgia. was
northern man, usually from Connecticut,
who came south in search of that fortune
which ndisposition for labor denied him in
his native country, He was invariably long,
lank, with straight hair, a narrow forehead,
with small, cunning eyes under them, and
stock Of perseverance, natural shrewdness,
and an entire lack of conscience that in the
struggle with q world full of confding PEG
pie was sufficient to take him anywhere. he
generally made his debut as a school teacher,
singing, or writing teacher, and ltiHerant
photographer an agent for books or 1rult
trees, or any of those occupations which are
not considered precisely labor, but at which
men do labor harder than they would were
they to hold a pillow or swing scythe.
But understand he did not long remain at
these emplovments. He only followed the
one that brought him thither till he could
make acauaintances and better himself He
generally found employment as overseer of
plantation, or manager, and he was more
feared and hated by the negroes than any
one native to the southern soil and to the
manner born, and they had good reason.
When a Yankee goes away from home and
takes nothing of Puritanism with him but
nasal twang he is the worst man in the world.
His shrewdness without the restraining pow
er of grace makes him very dangerous
neighbor, especially amoug supplemented
people who have no especial knowledge of
guile and take men as rule for what they
profess to be. These fellows always managed
in the end to marry widow with planta-
ton.
One such, Abner Smith by name, so goes
the story, turned up in 1856 just north Of
Chattanooga. He came as a teacher, and
progressed so far as to get the management
of the plantation of a very careless and i'm
prOvident young planter named, we will say,
Porter. This not his name, but it is
good name and will answer the purpose.
Porter dsliked to work negroes. He new
er logged one in his life, and he disliked the
care of anything. What he wanted was
someone to work the place, give him all the
money he wanted, and let him spend it as
he chose, and take all the care and respon-
sibilfty off his shoulders. Abner Smith was
on hand Just when Porter wanted such
man, and he was installed.
Smith answered the expectations of his
proprietor admirably. He worked the hands
on the place numerically; ana as he gath
cred the crops carefully, and sold them well,
and as he turned over more money to Porter
than he had ever before made, he didnOt sus-
pect that his factotum was stealing good half
ofthe proceeds of the estate, and that while mis-
patron was spending his share of the profits
Mr. Smith was living his carefully away
with a view to future investments
Unfortunately for Mr.. Porter he went
hunting one day, and in stepping over a log
fI,ac 70
entering his body, he never returned to his
home alive.
1t was terrible blow to his friends and a
crushing one to his wife. Mrs. Porter was
little, innocent woman, who was known
among friends because of her mildness and
innocence as ''the Baby.n She was the eX-
act opposite of her husband, as is generally
the case. He was big, burly fellow with
a laugh like the cough of horse, and she a
mild, modest, unassuming little woman
with half-frightened way about her, who
seemed to care for nothing in the world ex-
cept her jolly husband and her baby.
The sudden death of her husband nearly
wrecked her, but she survived Women al
ways do when they have babyto live for.
After a decent time had elapsed the over
seer interviewed her. The plantation was
unincumbered, and properly managed would
fortaby, but would accumulate and make
the little thing, now in its mothers arms, an
heiress of no mean property. But it must
be properly managed.
1t was therefore arranged that Mr.. Abner
Smith should take full charge of the place at
a stipulated salary (the fixed it at no mean
sum- and manage as before, only with more
powers than he had ever had.
Immediately there was change in the
condition or affairs on the place The crops
were very good, so far as Mrs. Porter could
see, but somehow there was never any
money visible to her naked eye. She was
too innocent to know much about business
but it seemed to her that the place free from
her husbands extravaganza should yield a
heavier revenue than ever, but it didn t..
Mr.. Smith showed her accounts, which seem
ed regular and proper, but the expenses, had
mounted up heavily. and there were so many
charges for things that she knew nothing Of
that there was nothing left.
There was no one that she could depend
upon for advice or assistance, and MIR. Smith
did everything without consulting her. Lit
tie by little the management of everything
hal passed completely into his hands.
Things went on in this way for three years,
when the innocent little woman was aston
ished one morning when he informed her
that, owing to the failure of the house to
whom he had shipped the cotton crop, he
was in a bad way for money and feared that
he should have to borrow considerable sum
upon mortgage, to squeeze through. This
frightened the simple woman nearly out of
her wits, bat her CONSERVATION at this was
nothing compared to what it was in the
morning when he came at her with q bill fol-
salary for three years.
''Have you not paid yourself regularly, as
you went on?'' she queried.
''Not at all. 1t has taken everything the
place produced to run it for the last three
years. Crops have been bad and we have
had bad luck all around. AS had to pro
vide for everything could not draw my
salarvn
The amount of the salary and what he had
said must be raised in consequence of the
failure made sum that would nearly swamp
the property. She did not cry, but said tC
him that she would sleep on it.
The next morning she sent for him and
he came She was in tears, with the lovely
baby in her arms. 1t was cold world she
remarked, and especially chilly to woman
situated as she was. She was too ignorant O
the world to cope with it, and too innocent
live anyhow What she needed more thar
ANYTHING else was some one to protect and
care for her and look after her interests and
those of her baby, and
That was precisely what Mr.. Smith had
been waiting for His cold eye glittered as
he looked at her. She was so innocent, sc
helpless, and with such fine property. Thi
was his opportunity.
He answered that all she said was true
She must have protector who would protec
her, and who so fit for the place as he! HI
had been trusted by her late husband and b.
her. He would accept the position, and so
after very little delay, for the simple woman
oO,1Id NOT resist anvthinp he offered her /