Beverly banner. [volume] (Beverly, N.J.) 1877-1964, 1886-07-31
BEWARE OF WIDOWS.

BEWARE OF WIDOWS.
1t was typical winter day. A fine,
powdery snow was falling, aud fringe
Of icicles adorned the steep gables Of
barns and farmhouses. The big trees
along the roadside ratified dismally
But in spite of the cherries pros
| pect, Malvern Travers whistled cheer.
ily to himself as he breasted the driving
wind and made his way through the
dry, fast falling snow towards his
home.
"I'll put it under her door tonight, +"
he was saying to himself, with smile
in his hazel brown eyes.
Here his meditations were inter
rnpted by the sudden opening of the
door as he reached the threshold, and
by a sharp voice exclainling
Hurry up, for PHYS sake, Malvern.
and don't be a-letting the snow into
the house"
| And Malvern obediently hurried in
as he answered with smile:
No danger Of that, Priscilla. -
There's not snow mountain"
There's mighty nigh it, then, .
growled his sister-in law "But you
don't seem TO mind tramping over to
the post office in such storm, and
all for nothin' I'll be bound. Get any
letters ?"
mo" returned Malvern meekly.
i told you so, retorted Mrs. Pris-
ella in tone of triumph.
She was worthy woman and WELD
ee lhe domestic, scep're IN her bache7
iafs bfntRer-in-law's establishment
with wisdom and moderation.
But as there is no rose without Il
thorn, Mrs. Priscilla's really excellent
qualities were really dimmed by the
possession of a sharp tongue.
Il told the truth" smiled Malvern
to himself as he sought the privacy Of
his own apartment "She didn't ask
if got birthday card, SO Of course /
wasn't obliged to sell."
And carefully drawing large,
square envelope from his overcoat
pocket, he drew out the card and ex.
amined it carefully.
Il was very pretty card, with a
fancy border surrounding wreath Of
forget me-nots and orange-blossoms,
which eneircles pair of doves with
with silver wings, represented as billing
and cooing very afiectionately.
| On the reversed side was simple
coltplet in print
As to the oak tree clings the vine
Sc my true heart will cling to thine
the sHpr'e sas not a very appropriate
one but il Malvernss eyes it wis the
pink OF excellence.
He was very bashful man --ss
bashlul in fact, that he paased his
thirticth birthday, and was still a
bachelor.
| This fact was thorn in the side Of
his sister III law, and many were the
lectures she had delivered to him on
the subj jet; but alas ! with no avail
i Hescould have shouldered his mus
ket and gone into a battle without a
tremof; but when it came to make
love to II pretty girl, his heart and
nerves both failed him. And yet NAL
VEN poor tell,w-was in love.
He had of late mustered up sufficient
courage to escort Electra Feversham
aud her stepmother Ga widow tn
church, and to picnic or skating
party Or other mtrryn,akmg on several
occasions.
| But TO his misfortune be it told he
found b easier to pay attention to the
l,elder lady than to the daughter, and
as Il consequence, the gossips of the
Itowil had begun 10 connect his name
with that Of Mrs. lgnatia Feversham
much t0 their own amusement.
| Now Electra was the prettest girl
in flle village, with her sule-blaek eyes
and cheeks that matched the scarlet
chrysantkeums she wore in her nut.
brown hair, while her step-mother was
la showy aud not uncomely, with a
sharpleye 10 the nlain chance, and no
decided objections to adopting some
other name in the place Of Feversham,
| Malvern Travers, though bashful,
was not wanting in decision, and he
had recently determined that if he
could only be reasonably well assured
that Electra would moi refuse him, he
would manage TO make her an offer
IN some fashion.
4
It Was the morning before Elecira's
birthday and Electra was baking hard
| in the kitchen.
Her siepmoiher believed in early
breakfast, and Electra was up he.
fore daylight on short winter morn
ings.
The saaory odor Of broiled ham
| greeted Mrs. Feversham as she came
briskly clicking down stairss a placid
ss.s.,t tightly around
her shoulders,
"Ahesn is that snow sifted under
| Tie door 4 she asked herself, as she