Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-04-12
JASON'S WIDOW.

seems
80 It can't he possible said Miss Mau
randia dickson, vino was long, thin anc
forty" " A snub-nosed, insignificant thine
Ike that! What is there about Clara tC
attract any MAJ"
at is true, though said Mrs. dickson
Benjamin Barton'5 folks have been visit
ing in Philadelphia, and they saw her out
riding with her new husband with horses
harness halr-covered with gold plate, and
purple satin cushions to the kerridge. And
Miss Barton is pretty sure she 81" dIa-
monds in her ears"
" Mrs. Montague Merrionr breathlessly
burst in Miss LORNA dickson. That
the name. And a brown-stone house and
. man in black, with 4 silver 5aiver to
take the visitors cards. Mrs. Bess Barton
saw it with her own eyes y
The dickson family looked 1t one M
ether with speculative eyes. They were
q Manufactured, high-cheek-honed race,
With Opaque black eyes, thick lips like
threads of damaged vermilion, faces all
traversed with wrinkles and noses sharp
ened to a mere point.
There was old Mrs. Clickson, who lived
IN the farmhouse and laid down the lag
to all the neighborhood like female pope
Mr.. ClicEsOn, who didn't count at ali when
his wife was by; Miss Maurandis, who taught
the district school, and Miss LORNA, who
trimmed bonncts; and Mr. and Mrs. Philo,
5 stout, silent pair, who said very little
and kept up a sharp eye for the main
chance.
Everybody had said when Ms. Phiio
dickson :irst came there that she would
not stay. 1t was boldly asserted that no
one could exist under the upaS shadow Of
\ mother-in-law cut after old Mrs. Click
sons pattern. But Mrs Philc had main
tanned her position by dent of pachyder-
nous stoiiditv, and had won the old lady ;
secret respect by economizing candie-ends,
looking after stray crumbs of bread and
counting pennies with even more parsi-
mouy than she herself was able to dis
play. As she never said anything, she
could not very well offend Mr,. Eben
dickson, aud 30 all went well
But when Jason Clickson's wife came to
the old farmhouse, with 4 letter from the
young husband who had taken 10 the sea
and died IN some PARKWAY Italian port-a
letter written on his death-bed, b. commend
the poor little English wife 20 the tender
mercica Of the dickson family-lA va,
different
Married without my sanction said
Ms. Eber dickson, severely.
Married and never asked our advice -
chorused Miss LORNA and Miss Maurtnula
Mr.. and Mrs. Philo said nothing Thcy
only looked at one another, but their look
plainly said 1--WE won't give up The west
wing OF the farmhouse, except with our
life
Clara Clickson was little, pale, large
eyed woman, with a startled LOOK Ike a
jeer, and a round, cherry mouth which
4uivered piteously when any one spoke
darshly to her.
She knew nothing about housework,
never had been taught 20 make soft-7oap,
could not engineer family wash, preferred
her book 20 her needle.
she cried a great deal when She was by
herself, which old Mrs dickson inter
preted into a lack Of resignation to the viii
of heaven. She brought wild flower, home
to litter up" the place, and she was once
caught giving half slice of bread and but
Der to the little girl who played the tam
BOURNE 70 a hand-organ mans accompani-
ment, at the back door.
The dickson family, in full parliament
AIRY conclaye, agreed that this would never
10. Mrs. Eben told Clara, with character
istic delicacy, that they could not BE- ex-
pected to maintain her in idleneSs, and that
perhaps She had better look out Tor some
thing to do.
Miss LORNA recommended advertising in
4 city paper for some decent situation.
Miss Maurandia gave her kind resume OF
all her faults and failings, and admonished
her to correct them before she expected
people to tolerate her; and Mr.. and Mrs
Philo sat and stared at her with hard, dull,
cleaning eyes, rs if they enjoyed every
syllable OF this tigurative castigation
Clara yentured on no reply She only
sat, pale and silent with dowucsl,t eyes and
trembling lips
But the next day She left the dickson
farmhouse and the family troubled them
selves 20 more about her until the repoT,
spread itself about that Jasono widow had
met with success. She had painted some
pictures which commanded a ready mar
ket, and one of the rich gentlemen VIII
bought the landscape had fallen in love
with her and married her
And then the dickson family decided
with one accord, that they had Away, sci
a deaf Of store by Clara, and now IL va,
clearly their duty to go and see her
And If / like the situation" said Old
hrs. dickson, Il shouldn't wonder if
stayed all winter. My rheumatics are al
ways better FOX change of air
Mis- LORNA thought Of the idea, IN bon
net-makiug and cap-trinming that ,h,
could gain by daily promenades on Chest
nut street Maurandia concluded that sh,
would abandon a quarters salary Of tn,
district school and devote herself 20 city
society. Who knew but there might ba
Mr.. Montague Merton somewhere IN stor
for her?
Mr.. and Ms. Philo, As usual, aid moth
ing. but packed their handbag. They ha'
long wanted 4 store-carpet and i SCI o
blue china, and now was the opportunity
,Ja..on's widow could not charge then
board. and they could stay Is long As the.
pleased without mourning any extra eS
pense.
But the dickson family would have bee
surprised. and not altogether pleased
could they have seen the expression
Mrs. Montague Merrion'S face when she re
ceived their Joint and compound letter
the breakfast table.
A breakfast table as different from tn
fried pork and heavy bread abomination
of the dickson house rs possible. W hit
French rolls, piled in silver basket
peaches; clear coffee in egg-shell china
birds broiled on toast, and eggs wrapped i
damask napkins while superb amaryl
lis, in fall bloom, gave the element c