Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-12-19
DEACON GIBBS.
A Thanksgiving Dinner Turned into
a Wedding Feast.

can so you've sold your farm, Be-
lindy?"
Eyes, an I must say I'm glad of it.
A lone woman amt got no business
a-trying to farm, no way. ThoughImust
say I've made out pretty well this year.
I.cleared six hundred dollars on the
wheat, owe an above payin' fur the
harvestin', thrashin' and the like. An
I've sold the hay, clover an timothy
mixed, fur about three hundred more.
But it's awful wearin' on a woman,
a-tendin' to things an watchin' that the
hands don't shirk nor nothin'. As 1
was %a-sayin', a lone woman amt got
no business with a farm. Twas differ
ent before Aaron died." and Mrs. Be-
linda Blossom gave a regretful sigh to
the memory of the dead and gone
Aaron.
''You needn't to be a lone woman no
longer'n you want to, Belindy," quietly
observed her sister, Mrs. Jerusha Hatch.
"There's Deacon Gibbs now, would
give his eyes to-"
Don't say Deacon Gibbs to me-" re-
.torted the widow. Don't I know
what he's after? Don't he know as
well as lido that I've got eight thou
sand dollars put away safe an snug in
the Bluegrass Bank? 1 haven't a
doubt he'd like to git the handlin' of it,
hut he never will, I kin tell him that"
'sSho, now, Belindy," demonstrated
Mrs. Hatch. "What's the use o.
maxim the poor mar out wuss'n he is?
! don't know as he's any likelier to be
after the money than Lawyer Greene"
Lawyer Greene's got money him
self, an it stands to reason faint so
much Of an objeck to him. Besides I
amt said"
20, no, you hain't SAID, I know, but
body kin put two an two together, /
reckin. Well, all Zoe got to say, I'd
ruther hev Deacon Gibbs any day if
twas me, than that smooth spoke, iley
1ookin' lawyer. But 1 must be a-gittin'
home; Bijah'll want his supper, time
it's ready and Mrs. Hatch rolled up
her knitting, wrapped it carefully in a
cloth, and put on her black sun-bonnet
and her blue yarn ''half-hands."
"You might of stayed to supper,
Jemima," said the widow, reproach-
fully. II was a-going to have cream
cookies an some Of them Lawton black
berry preserves you're so fond Of"
"Wal, I'd like mighty we'll to stay,
Belindy, but Bijah he'll be a lookin' fur
me to hev supper ready when he ONE
in from the field. He's allus as hungry
as a beaver at night, an I amt left
nothin' cooked so he could get himself
. bite. I reckin I better go You
goin' to Miss Larcom's quiltin' next
Week?"
"O,I s'pose SO. Miss Larcom would
get miffed, if I didn't" and after an
other five or ten minutes of converse
ton Mrs. Hatch got started for home.
Mrs. Belinda Blossom was a typical
widow, fair, fat and not quite forty, and
was known as the best housekeeper in
and around where she lived.
With even less personal attractions
and good qualities than she possessed,
she might have exchanged her widows
weeds for bridal attire long ago, had
she so desired. However, for some
reason best known to herself, she had
preferred to remain q clone woman"
as she called it, so far. Whether she
would remain SO much longer was q
question which puzzled herself quite u
much as it did some other parties;
1t was the day of Mrs. La1com's
quilting, and supper was almost ready.
The quilt was already out, and by q
little preconcerted maneuver on the
part Of the fun-loving girls, it had been
thrown over the widows head, when
taken out of the frame-a piece of mis-
chief which afforded no little amuse-
ment, as, according to time-honored
tradition, whoever the quilt is first
sthrown over, is soon to become a bride.
Mrs. Blossom wore herhonors blush
ingly, and her cheeks were still COW
cred with crimson, when the gentle
men began to drop in, just before sup
per.
Lawyer Greene, who was among the
first to arrive, YVES profuse in his atten-