Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1884-03-27
Miscellaneous.
The Widow in the l..

Il nad been Mrs. ButterAins's doings. let,
ting ~ l.. Nj. Buiierkin had objected 10
H" NM ,n, Y. hut, R3i4y ~as becom-
seemed some foundation for her ptsaF"ii.. ~ q
hem. tu tina, her blood was turning 10 Ma
ter" GIcNlouslN iormeuied 10y nerves, she
inng,l for womanis sympathy, and on Nr.
Ibbe,oi.', UeceA>e. nothing would do but his
loa should sell her farm aud occupy the
BuitrrAln l. FOR had not Klth and 81. been
dear friends from girlhood After due de-
liberation Mr. Ebbeson came. having hrst
secured life lease on the building.
\ bu>y .iitle woman ~as Ruth Ehbe>on.
q, -, had need to be, her Incorporate,
WORTHLESS, husband having left her barely
enough 10 make both ends meet |; she
VOL d lap them comfortably, il must b. by
her own rXer,ious with the needle. An! as
,he AT cheerfullv stitching by her invalid
mother, couch, Mrs. ButterAIn would often
run III With beans 10 pick over 81 apples 70
pare. while on rainl days. obedient 10 his
wfe's suggestions. Mr.. Butterkin did many
a ne shborly turn IN the way Of carpentr,
The iwo families we're almost as one. In
deed the letting e the J.. seemed prOvIIen-
tIa. sffau cement for all parties. 1t VAS L
rtArf 10 Nr,. Ebbe,on to be rid Of her
farm il Ma well that Ter mother should be
within easy access Of ply sIclan. Espee-
Iaily was II Of advantage 70 Mrs. Butterkln
10 enjoy cheerful companionship, and what
ever was OF advantage 10 Mrs ButlerAln
necessarily affected Mr.. Butterkln.
Thu, wears giIded on, bringing mental
vIgor to the nerye-disea,ed Mrs. Butterkin.
She had never seemed in better health than
in that fatal spring when ste was prostrated
by pneumonia. death stricken from the frs,
The Lord wills 1t. Ruth. and ! don't mur
mur." she whispered, with diving grace bu
hu,band'll mis- me. know. You'll keer
an exc on him, won't YOU, when am gone
and make him comfortable ?"
Mr.. Ebbeson sobbed a promise; but al
ter Mr.. Butterkins bereavement she found
the covenant embarrassing. for in this sub
lunar, world Of our, widow who keep
here,e" on a widower challenges unpieasan
comment. and little Mrs. Ebbeson deprecat
ed the speech Of people. Consequently
though She conscentiously ministered L
Mr. Butterkn's comfort, il was in unCbtru
,iye WAYS not suspected by him, and hardl,
realized by the niece who kept his house
The door between the two sitting NJ
longer as formerly. stood inyitilgly aJar
but was hasped upon the widows side. Sh
never passed through it now save IN tina
gentleman's absence, when she occasional
assisted the inexperienced Esther in com
: pounding his favorite dishes, or surreptitlous
il possessed herself Of his fine mendins
With his wifes demise the old free and -eas
life had ended. They were two distlnc
households, growing further and furthe
apart. as the weeds upon the widOwer's ha
waxed rusty beneath accumulated months {
mourning. 1t could scarcely have been 9th
.rwlse. The closed door was but symbC
4 of the barrier which, in the very nature {
q things. must exist between the bereaved NJ
y Bu,terkin and the similarly bereayed Mr.
Ebbeson. When a right hand glove ha, 10,
its mate, and left has met with a like ca
amitv, one naturally desires to fit the n
e naming two together, if haply they ma
r make pair, and the widow shrunk sensitly,
!, v at the thought Of the neighbors thus mer
h tally matching herself and Mr. Buiterkil
. As far as il lay in her power she tried |
n make il apparent TO them that the twins wei
two odd ones. which could by no possibilil
10 be mated.
But not so the gentleman an questio
That people should gossip never entered h
head. If in Roxannas lifetime, TO plea
x her, he had done her dear Ruth frequel
'e neighborly favors, all the more would he {
them now that Roxanna lay cold in deaf
And as day after day went by, and he ft
more and more closely drawn to the cheerfu
: oright-eyed widow, the simple man believe
.. this was solely for his departed wife's SAX
!. She had been dead year and day, VIII,
4. Mrs. Ebbeson whisked out upon the doc
Z, step one warm July morning to shake 4
% tablecloth.
b h 'Oh, my stars!" calculated she, lookil
h not into the armament, but straight cart
P. ward at her hens darting hither and yon
the breakfast crumbs. In the midst Of t
flock bristled two Brahmas, with sullen ey
q and feathers on ends, clucking for chicke
Of that were not.
Of Anything wrong, Mrs. Ebbeson?"
ht Mr.. Butterkin paused on his way from
es barn with the milk.
ss .'Only these Brahmas. Mr.. Butterkin. L