The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-09-09
THE WIDOW BOWEN.
She Preferred Clumsy Old Susan
to the Senator.

Several of the people of easy fortune in
the village have moved here from a dis
lance. A few of the old families retain
the patrimony and the consequence trans
m;tted by their fathers, but some of the
descendants of the best people, so called,
of former generation are now poor A
few of them, though living on the merest
pittance, try to maintain show of gen.
tility. They have preserved some of the
remnants of past grandeur, and they try
to live up to their old china, antique clocks
and colonial chairs and tables. There are
Others who, by the chances and changes of
life, have lost even this claim to conSidera-
ton, and labor as best they may for their
daily bread.
On Railroad street stands a row of small
tenements that, like number of breakfast
rolls in a pan, seem to have run together
and combined their shabby ugliness without
aim, for there is land enough and to spare
for detached dwellings with yards and gar
denS. Most of these houses are occupied by
laborers' families, but at the north end Of
the row live the Widow Bowen and her
daughter Susan. You will know the place
because it is free from old hats stuck into
broken window panes, and the scrap of
yard in front is Kept neatly swept. THE
Widow Bowen, she that was Jane Hin
man" It is thus the neighbors always
speak of her. In old times the Humans
were of the village elect and held their
heads as high anybody. Jane was a
handsome girl and had many good offers,
but she chose in the end to marry Bowen.
who was OF no particular account, and
finally faded out of life leaving his wife
poor, with one little girl. She had buried
four children on the hill, and had known
troublous times all through her married
life, and struggle and poverty and hard
work had attended the widows steps ever
since. The fortunes of the Humans had
run to seed. They had died out or left the
place, and generation arose which knew
them not. Only the Widow Bowen and her
daughter Susan remained in that poor
corner tenement, where they toiled from
morning till night at sewing machine
work, finishing off coats and trousers at so
much the dozen for a ready -made-clothing
house in neighboring town.
Huge parcels came for them bv the train
and were left in the care of the baggage
master and carried to the widows door by
Sambo Brown. Year in and year out the
mother and daughter labored at this work,
Mrs. Bowen doing the lighter portions,
while Susan, who was vigorous, bore the
brunt of toll. They often worked fourteen
hours day, beginning in summer at five
O'Clock The hum of their machine was
heard by the Irish lsborerS as dinner pail
in hand. they trudged past the window al
six. Sometimes female neighbor, with a
gentle horse she could drive herself, came
and took Mrs Bowen for an hours airing
in her buggy. But these were rare occa-
sions. The widow could not spare the time
on week days, and Sunday driving is not
fashionable III the village. But Sunday
being the only leisure time they had, Susan
ard her mother, in fine weather often
locked the house and went TO the woods
for the entire day, carrying their dinner
with them. They seldom attended church
.@Ew 1,. I'LL.
they will in small place, and the sym
pathies of certain strict class of villager:
were alienated. But the young clergyman
always remained friendly; and he often
brought them the latest magazines and re
views, which Susan read to her mother il
their Sunday outings. Being a modes
man, he thought the new literature would
do them as much good as his sermons; anC
he liked to talk over with Susan what she
had read.
Susan Bowen was very plain. Peopl,
said she did not feature" the Humans
and as for the Bowens, they were of too
little Importance for any one to remember
their characteristics. Susan's upper teetI
projected, and she could not easily Close
her lips over them. Her hair was rather
harsh and wiry, and her complexion dars
and without bloom. But she was wonder
fully strong in body, and had never known
days illness in her life. She wore large
calfskin shoes, short gown of some cheaI
stuff, cotton gloves and little round ha
which kept It's place on her head season
after season, regardless of the changes Of
fashion. Susan spoke out what she had in
her mind without fear or favor. At six
teen she had said openly that she would
never marry, because no one would think
of marrying her whom she could accept
She talked of her plainneSs, her larg'
hands and feet, and even made a joke o
them. She never disguised her poverty o.
made the least pretence of hiding tn
family misfortunes, but on the contrary
was an unusually large, strong, vigorous
girl at an early age, and it behooved he
to maintain constant cheerfulness of de
lneauor and to sustain her mother, wht
certainly was the weaker vessel. Genuine
folk s-e recognized sooner or later even II