Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-05-08
THE WIDOWS SECRET,


1.-THE Theater
THE WIDOWS SECRET,
don't think that you treat him right"
said the rosy little widow to the dressmaker
who was fitting her trim figure to a. silk
gown Of the color of moon upon the lake"
and at The same time holding her head
back and a:triile to one side lest her tears
should drop thereon" 81 don't think
women know how to treat their husbands
=" You must be expert in the matter" re-
,ponded Mrs. FIFTEEN, seeing this is the
fourth time you have tried EN-. Hollow
iii your back tritle, as is natural to YOU
there-sels like ducks foot in the mud
can't be bettered, " she exclaimed profess
,ionally.
Men are good creatures when women
know bow to manage them. They do
seem 20 incline more to some women than
to others
You never had a drinking husband
ma'am, J snppnse2"
% Bless You! no, never; | could not
abide the breath. 4 woman ought to be
on her guard"
IL seems SO strange. Widowhood seems
natural 20 some women-they thrive and
grow pretty upon it,"
The widow laughed, saving:
never gave il thought: but il may
be 50"
Going 10 be married the fourth time
Not chick nor child not forty vet. and as
plump and pretty as ever Upon nv
word, maam, l don't see how you man
age"
oh, that's secret"
Mrs FIFTEEN opened her eyes wide, and
slowly repeated
- n secret |"
Yes. indeed l have found it works
admirably with three husbands, and no
doubt i viii work just as well with the
fourth"
g Bless my heartr exclaimed the dress
maker, dropping the cord she was covering
To put the fiounce on with, and an ill-dis-
guised horror on her face.
ooh, ] didn't kill my three husbands.
They were dotiDgly fond OF me to the last,
and left me well provided for"
DO tell me your secret, ma'am, and the
expectant, not to say painful hope, bright
ened her wan face
d" 1t isn't much, Mrs. FIFTEEN, and yet it is
secret, and its application has been, as it
were disastrous in my case. ! am sure |
never expected it,"
Dear me! you seem to own up to some
thing; Did they die suddenly, poor crit,
tiers ?n
Quite the contrary-they lived along as
if 10th 10 CO.,
" Poor critters should have thought
you would have felt bad"
&" did, indeed ~ and the pretty woman
preparing to wed her fourth husband wept
at the memory OF the three.
- Do tell me all about IL - rerSiSted tho
other, with look not sympathetic. Your
tears don't seem to dim your handsome
eyes
a. don't know about that I never
thought about that-but, Mrs. FIFTEEN, first
and last have cried a great deal"
" Perhaps you had reason unknown to
the world, ma'am. But | want dreadfully
to know how you managed it."
Our widow was sort of Widow Wad-
ley, easily beguiled to tears or smiles.
and she began to perceive that the astute
dressmaker had some latent design in thus
questioning her. which she did not object
to crafty. Accordingly she assumed the
narrative form, while the needle of her
auditor clicked against her thimble in con-
cert.
My first husband you must know, WIS
well-to-do, but not rich. He went to
church every Sunday, and dropped twenty
five cents each into the contribution box
never more or less. ! knit him stockings
and made him shirts: he liked to see wo-
men industrious, and | was Industrious
We went to lecturers, and now and then to
n social party-always at home and to bed
at 10 O'Clock. He was agreeable in temper
and apt TO fall asleep. Slow and automatic
in movement, he had way of looking
into kettles and jars as if he expected to
find them out of order and he did so finl
them sometimes-it was comfort to him.
He read ell my letters-he liked it. He
poked over my bureau drawers, and saw
all my gloves and laces in such a mess
and in the mlldest way reprimanded me.
This was a comfort to him also lie had
not fault; he had not vice; he had not
an inordinate desire. ] wished he had
4" You wicked woman ~ calculated the
dresSmaker. You didn't know when you
were well or
Il know i'll know i'll didn't some
how grow good with such man as ought
to have done but when he was gone saw
it all, and almost cried my eyes out. You
see a man is a good thing 10 have around
the house to lock the doors and look after
things. When a woman is once used to
having one around she is sure to feel lone
some and out of sorts when he is gone. |
learned 20 think a dull husband by no
means undesirable as a husband. Now the
second husband. | wore my widows weeds
the conventional period, though several of
the most agreeable men were attentive to
me. but l shut my eyes. / managed to keep
them from proposing, tor | rather liked my
freedom, and somehow three excellent men,
who had known my excellent husband,
were not to my mind. | am afraid hated
good men,"
The dreSSmaker groaned.
a. How could you'll | am sure such a hus-
band must be beautiful
THAT is true, Mrs. FIFTEEN, and he thought
me beautiful. But you must understand
he was model man. and he did his best
to make me model woman, but it was not
in me. We women are naturally perverse,
and apt to think our way as good as mans
way"
$50 it is, only good deal better" NUT
tered the other.
- don't know about that. | am apt to
think a man is wiser about many things
than we are; but, any way, married people
will quarrel as rule, because each is bent
upon his own way. Now l never disputed
husband-never never opposed him.
But. as / was going to say. one of my ad-
mirers was of a different kind. He was
bright, dashing, high-spirited and witty.
He quite took me by storm of contrast
He was not a model man by any means.
but he was intelligent, loved boats and had
fine taste for music. He had mean opin-
ion of women in general. and was some
times furious at himself Tor loving me. lie
declared he would be master in spite of
me. which was quite unnecessary, for
rather liked TO. have master as saving
trouble and responsibility. l hate disputes
and fuses of any kind, and let matters slide
in the easiest manner possible
Il should think you might be little
Law returned her auditor.
Is that the name for it? Well, per
haps am He would get into fury about
Id
the coffee was poor, and storm about the
house. and slam doors and kick over chairs,
at which | only said, Softly, softly, dear
which only made him worse"
Il believe you" said the dressmaker
He even called me devil once, in a
sort of tender fit and quoted Shakespeare ::
'Perdition catch my soul, but | do love
thee He said would sit perfectly calm
on husband s coffin while he smothered
beneath for what is a woman to do but be
Quiet when big, strong man is raging
about nothing. In one of these spells he