River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1884-06-05
A NOVEL TENEMENT.
American Cnltivator.

seventy, found herself IN apredlcament.
She had always been keen witted,
shrewd woman, but she had at last done
one of those foolish things which even
keen witted, shrewd people will do in
their old age, sometimes. Five years
before this her husband died and left
her the old homestead, which was sit
uateG on small, but rather valuable
farm
After the funeral expenses were paid,
her stock of ready money ran low.
Their income had been obtained by the
sale of hay, vegetables, eggs etc, from
the farm, but these means of support
failed after Mr.. Carpenter died, for
Mrs. Carpenter, or Aunt Rhoda as she
was generally called, was too feeble to
attend to things herself, and she had nc
money with which to hire help.
The only relative she had in the world
was niece, who had married wealthy
gentleman, and had been travelling
abroad for the last four years. Aunt
Rhoda had not heard from her
for some time, and she had no prospect
of immediate assistance from that quar-
ter, though it would probably have been
given readily had her niece known OF
her troubles, for on the death of her
parents had been mother to her.
"I guess if Annie Carpenter Mathef
was here" Aunt Rhoda used to say when
her sore perplexities began, Il shouldn't
be so bothered in my old age"
But Annie Carpenter Mather didn't
come. She probably had not received
Aunt Rhoda's letter informing her of
her uncle's death, and the poor old wom-
an was at her wits end
OF course she could have sold the
farm, but she could not bear the thought
of living elsewhere Finally she hit up
on the plan of giving up the entire prop
erty to some man, on the condition that
he would support her for the remainder
of her life in return. This might have
answered very well, if it had only been
given up to the right sort Of a
person, but Aunt Rhoda was foolish
enough to make it over to an entire
stranger, who won her heart with plea
SAINT words. His wife was young and
pretty, but she was vixen, and he
was at once shiftless and crafty. The
farm ran down steadily through the
two years he managed it, and at last he
mortgaged it heavily and decamped.
Aunt Rhoda had always,been very con-
scientious person, and when she was left
alone in her old house, she considered
that it belonged to her no longer. It
made no difference to her that the man
had violated his part of the agreement.
Not one of her chairs and tables, or the
cooking utensils the had used so many
times would she claim as her own.
NO" she would say, II don't care
what Mr.. Foster has done. | know he
hasn't done as he said he would,
but / am going to do as / said
L would These things and this home
amt mine now, an I'm goin' to leave
them. It's pretty hard; for I've lived
here all my life, an | think most as
much of my things as l would of
my folks. For me to set here an
look at that clock in the corner that
father bought me when [ was married,
an my cooking stove, an my chairs, an
table, an, my dishes there in the cup
board, an think they amt mine Il
only wish Annie Carpenter Mather was
here But she amt, an I'm goin'."
But where will you go, Aunt Rhoda p
said one women. There was quite a
knot of them there in Aurs Rhoda' S kitch-
en- the day after the Forsters left.
"My plans air all laid replied Aunt
Rhoda sturdily.
you'll have to go to the almshouse, y
remarked one, bluntlv.
"No; amt goin' to the almshouse,
anil amt agoin' to stay here in a home
that amt mine moren one night longer
I've got property elsewhere.
"Doyou suppose she has ?" whispered
enc woman to another, and they all
ytared at each other incredulously.
But where, Aunt Rhoda 2" yentured
one
"No matter where I've got it, an
that's enough my plans air all laid"
That was all the information they
could obtain, and they had to leave with
their curiosity unsatisfed. That was
Saturday, and the next day the mystery
was solved
The church in Camden was quite new,
and remarkably fine for such small
country town. Indeed it was rather
too nice for the purses of the communi-
ty, for the parish was largely in debt.
Those beautiful. easy-backed, black wal
nut pews, with their plump, crimson
cushions, were pretty expensive affairs
for the small farmers thereabouts, but
they had come forward manfully with
their coin money and their word money,
and bought the privilege for themselves
and their families of more luxurious
seat in the Lords house than they had
ever had in their own. And it was lit
orally money given to the Lord. too,
for the parish was so small, and the
debt so heavy, that there would in all
probability be no chance of disposing OF
apew in time of need, or even of renting
it. Nearly every householder sat in
his own pew. and his two or three hun
dred hard-earned dollars, except for
the privilege of sitting once week in
solemn state in his best clothes and lis
tening to the Word, was sunken from
his sight forever.
Aunt Rhoda's husband had bought a
pew with the rest, and paid $500 for it,
the year before his death.
1t was to this pew that Aunt Rhoda
severely walked up the church aisle the
next morning. 1t vas rather late, and
the congregation were nearly all assem-
bled.
They all stared wonderingly at her
not that they were unused to seeing her
walk up the aisle: she was rs regular
about that as the minister. but she car
ried to-day large carpet bag, and that
was certainly unusual.
People nudged each other and wills
pered and Uttered; quite a little breeze
of excitement spread over the church,
and heads twisted backwards and side
ways, and craned forward toward
Aunt Rhoda's pew; but she sat there
quietly and listened to the singing,
with her carpet-bag on the seat beside
her
After the benediction Aunt Rhoda
seated herself again, and did not 60 ont
with the rest of the congregation. Peo-
pie turned around and stared at her sit
ting there, as they went down the aisle
If it had not been for the carpet bag.
they would not have thought there was