River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1884-12-18


magnificent wardrobe, but only about
500 or $500 in money left. This money
was used up in defraying the expenses
of her late husbands funeral and pay
without means, but she kept up her
courage. When on the farm she had
been taught to sew, and she concluded
to turn this part of her education to adj
vantage. Her desire was to go to house
keeping and take cloaks home to make.
She had nothing with which to furnish
house, but she went to a friend of her
husband and laid the case before him.
requesting loan and offering a Jewel as
security. The gentleman kindly con-
sented to lend her what money she
wanted without any security, and asked
her how much she required. Sheinno-
Gently replied that she thought she
would need at least $40. The gentle
man laughingly informed her that
she could not buy anything
with $40, and that she had
better take $50, which she couls
repay at her own convenience. But Il
sum of $50 frightened her, and sl.v
would consent to accept but the $40
Supplied with that amount, she rented
small house and bought the simplest
outfit for one room that she could pur-
chase at a second hand store. She had
no trouble in securing cloaks, and as
she and an assistant could make two of
them in day at 90 apiece, leaving the
lady a profit of 50 day, she soon paid
off her debt of $40
after progressing in this manner for
some time the young widows attention
was attracted by an advertisement in
daily paper setting forth the fact that
an immense number of soldier coats
were in an unfinished state in the hands
of the United States Commissary, and
that hands were wanted to finish them.
The widow attired herself in her best
and repaired to the Commissary's office,
where she met a government official,
who politely asked her what she would
be pleased to have. She somewhat sur
prised the official when she informed
him that she wanted to get work on the
unfinished soldier coats; but he ceased
to wonder that the elegantly at
tired and beautiful young lady
before him sought employment
when she related how death had left
her penniless widow. and how she
proposed to make an honest living. OF
course she was promised all the work
she might want, and that evening an
express wagon load of coats was sent to
her modest little home. The official
found it in the line of his duty to call
at the young widows house to see that
the work on the coats was properly
commenced, and his gallant heart bled
when he witnessed the poverty of such
a. pretty woman as he found the lone
widow to be. In fine, he was smitten
by her charms, and set his brain to
work to devise plan by which he could
relieve the lovely creature without in
sulting her. At length he said to the
lady that he could promise her enough
work to pay her at least $780, and that
he would gladly pay her that amount
in advance in order that she might
furnish her house in manner that
would be comfortable. The widow
declined the offer with q charming
grace.
christmas day arrived, and the of
ficer called at the widows modest cot
tage Marching up to the pretty widow
he addressed her thus:
i made proposition TO You few
days ago and you saw fit to reject it.
Now / have another to make and / SIN
cerely hope that this time you will not
decline / want you to render my
Christmas extremely happy by giving
me the right to protect you from the
inconvenience Of poverty. Be my
wife
"To be sure he said much more, but
it is not necessary to repeat all that he
did say or all she said, save to say that
a second time she found husband on
Christmas day and again she found her
self Independent to the world. Her new
husband added to his already comfort
able fortune before the war ended, and
again the lady got to travel through
foreign lands and CRAFTY her love for
study and the fine arts. She is wild
ow again, but rich one. And on
Christmas days she never fails to be-
stow upon the needy presents that give
JOY to the recipients and happiness to
herself She looks upon Christmas day
as a day of propitious fruition, and IS
probably happier on that day than any
body you ever saw.
The above is no fancy sketch, but is
strictly true history of a veritable per-
sonage who resides in Cincinnati, and
the names are withheld for Obvious rea-
Cincinnati News Journal.