The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-03-28

Then we let Mary's husband work al
home here till after their second baby
was born, and he had thousand dol
lars TO take with him when he went
away. We gave Jimmy five hundred
in cash for an education, but he used
it to speculate on. Then we paid three
hundred for James piano and over
two hundred more for music lessons,
for she intended to teach before she
married."
"And how much did Abram leave?"
questioned Mrs. Pryy.
/" well, you see he was sick good
many years, and had to let out the
farm, and then land has so deprecated
in value. He thought he had about
seven thousand, but the appraisers
made it out only three--Mary's hus-
band told them that was all it was
worth before they began-and l got
widows third" The speaker leaned
her head YEARLY on her hand and
gazed out of the window.
1t was pleasant place, this old home
of Abram Daley's, and the tears filled
the eyes of the sorrowing woman as she
remembered that this house, which had
been her home since the day she en-
tered it happy bride, now almost forty
years ago, was hers no longer. Already
the division was going on and the sons
and sons-in-law were wrangling over
its smooth meadows and upland pas
turage, as crowd of hungry dogs
might do over big bone.
"Of course the judge gave you the
furniture-your settin' -out in particular
l remember what an orie nice settin'-
out you had. We girls was all envious
of you"
Mrs. Daley leaned her face trihe
closer to the window as she slowly shook
her head. But neighborly eyes are
sharp, and try as she might she could
not conceal the tears that rolled slowly
down her faded cheeks.
"Not your settin' -out?" cried the
neighbor, in establishment. "Not your
mahogany bureau and your bird's-eye
chamber-set and the cherry tables and
stands and the feather-beds and them
handsome chairs?o
A long silence ensued, broken at last
by an anxious "Hey?"
"N-o," said the widow, sadly.
"The-the-well, Mary's husband OBJ
jected so. He said he would have the
whole settlement ripped up and gone
over and | supposed that would cost
so that | had to give in"
Well, never!" the neighbor said,
under her breath.
"Don't say anything about it," the
widow whispered. I" He wanted the
bird's-eye set and Jennie wanted the
bureau But he said | might have that
hot
used in our room, and the pine light
stand, and mothers old chest and a
feather-bed. l suppose it's all | need"
And you have worked, and worked
hard, too Gall the neighbors will own to
thaD, for forty years, and for it all you
get one thousand dollars!"
and the bed and stand" corrected
the widow, quietly.
81 suppose there amt no help for it.,
but it don't seem just right. Where
will you go to live after the estate is
settled?"
Mrs. Daley locked her thin hands
together and pressed them down on
her knees. The neighbor noticed how
swollen were the finger-joints and how
work-hardened the hands.
I" don't quite know" she answered.
Mary said might go there. She's
got good many cows and the baby is
small. told her was afraid l couldn't
work butter, for l have got the rheuma-
tism in my finger-joints so bad washing
so much butter. She said she'd get me a
worker, for / could save her the cost of
girl"
Amt We most too old to 90 into
heavy work agin?" queried Mrs. Pryy.
ooh, no; Pm only sixty, and heard
Jennie's husband tell Mary that there
was ten good years of work in me yet"
"Sho! That's the way my William
speaks about a horse! p
But the widow held up her hand as
though she could bear no more.
" allow that | can earn my bread
for some time, and there'll be money
enough left to bury me, l suppose
though / would like to get Abram 8
stone"
81 reckon Abram'll rest peaceful
enough without a stone," snapped Mrs
Pryy, " but the bare idee of woman
workin' for forty year-hard, too-and
above her board and clothes! Less
lHdn my CeHlS WICK Her Hull lllt
through. It's shame"
Well, Betsey," said the widow
meekly, "what provision have yor
made? Has William got will?"
Mrs. Pryy started to her feet, con
sternation depicted on her thin face.
"No, he haint! I'll go home this very
mint and have one made. 1t nevel
shall be said of me that there's tel
years of good work in her yet Wher
woman has raised her family, don,
her share of hard work and life begins
to break up all about her, nobody hahn
got any business to cal'late on wha
they can get out of her. | tell We wha
it's, when women make laws we won
have no one-sided ones of this sort
When a woman dies man has what h,
has helped to earn, keeps his HON,
together, and the children can't farm
him out for what he's worth; but whel
womans left she's all shattered t,
pieces, no money an no home, al
nothin' to do in her old age but 10,
about, an mebby be abused. l sa
faint justice, and I'll have William