The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1888-07-25
A Woman's Portion.

since We were married"
And YOU helped each of the children
when they were married >" queried the
sympathizing neighbor.
Yes. When John WAS married We
gave him the West place Abram val
ued that at FIVE hundred dollars Then
ve let Mary's husband work at home till
after theic second baby was born and he
had 4 thousand dollars to take away with
him when he went away. We gave jim
my five hundred in cash for an educa-
ton. but he used J; 10 speculate on, and
then We Pail three hundred in caah for
James piano. and over two hnndrei more
FOR music lessons. for she intended to
teach before she married
And how much did Abram leave for
you p questioned Mrs. Prvy.
Well, YOU see he was SICK for a good
many years. and had to let out the farm.
and the land has 50 deprecated in value.
He thought be had about seven thousand
but the appraisers made it only three
Mary's husband told them that was al it
was worth before they began-and I got
a widows third
The speaker leaned her head YEARLY
on her hand ag,i. gazed ont oi'tbe WIN
dow.
i was a pleasant place. this old house
Of Abam Daley's. and tears filed the
eyes Of the sorrowing woman as she re-
membered that this house that had been
her home since the day she entered it
happy bride, now almost forty years ago
was her's no longer Already the divis-
ion was goirg on. and the sops ana sons
in-law were wransling over its smooth
me-dows and upland pastUrage, as q lot
Of buDgry dogs night do over big
bone
~Of course. he Judge gave you the fur
nitu-e-your se ting out IN particular /
remember what an o.fle nice set.iog out
you pad. We girls were all enyious Of
you.
slrs. Da,ey ieaHed her face a tTifle clo-
ser 10 the in6ow. a. she slowly shook
her he'd But ne;-hborly eyes are sharp,
and iry as she might she could not con-
ce.I the tears that rolled down her faced
cheeks
Not your setting out2- criei the neigh
Dor in as;onishment. Not your mahog-
any bureau, and your bird's-eye cham
Der set, and the cherry tables and stands
and the feather beds aud them handsome
chairs -
a long silence ensUed. broken at last
by an apsious '' Fey
No" said the widow, sadly. The
-the-wel,, Ms,ys husband objected 50.
He sid he world have tue whole settle
me1t ripped up end gone over, and
supposed that would cost 50 much l had
to sive ~
wal. neve- r. the neighbor said,
uuder her b-czfb.
Don't sav yihing about it. the
widow uh'saercj. He wan the birds
eve sci. aaa Jernie wanted ihe bureau
But he saij l might have that yellow bed
stead A6ram and me used in ou- room,
and The pine stand. and moshers old
chest and feather bed. l suppose 1t Is
all I reed.
And you bage worked, and worked
hard. 100 all the neighbors will Own to
that, for forty years, and FOR it all you get
sl,O0O?7
And the bed and stand" corrected
the widow, quietly.
~Humph you mean that the bed and
stand was all that the ungratelul wretches
Iidn't steal from the things your mother
give you
4 would Ike nv bureau. sighed the
weary woma /. i prized II 80, and
thought | should always have ii for my
own.
suppose there amt no help for it,
bat it don't seen Just r;snt. Where
will you go to live alee the estate Is set
tied?
Nrs. Daley lockei her Thin hands to-
gether, and pressed ,bem dowa on her
knees. Tae neighbo- noticed how swol-
len wee ,he finger joints and work-har-
dened tle hzGds.
L don't quite know" sne answered
g Mary said l might 20 there. she's got
a good many cows, and the baby's small.
| told her was afraid / couldn't work
butter. for have got the rheumatism in
my finger joints 50 bad a-washing 50
much butter She said she'd get me a
worker, for could save her the cost ola
girl
Amt you mos, 700 old for 10 90
into heavy work agiin - queried Mrs.
Pv-.
ooh. no I'm only sixty, and heard
Jennie's husband tel Mary that there
was at least ten good years Of work in me
yea
"sho! That's the way ny William
talks about a horse /"
But the widow held up her hand ~ If
she ould bear 10 more.
allow that cIa earn my bread for
some time, and thereJl be money let
to bury me, sappose. though l would
ike 10 get Abram s.one."
q I reckon tina. Abram'll rest peaceful
enough without a stone" snapped Mrs.
Pryy. But the idee Of a woman work
ing for forty years, ha i, too, and getting
only twenty-five dollars year above her
board and clothes. Less than fifty cents
a week her whole life through. Its =
shame"
well, Betsy, said the widow, meekly
what provision have you made? Has
William got a will ?"
Mrs Pryy started TO her feet consterna-
ton depic,eS, on her thin face.
:. No, he hasn't, III 20 home this very
minute and have one made. Il never
shall be said Of me that there's ten years
Of good work in me yet When a wo-
man has raised her family, done her
share Of hard work, and life begins to
break up all about her, nobody hain't got
any business to calculate on what they
can get out other. | tell you what II Is,
when women make laws we won't have
no one-s.ded ones Of this sort. When
woman dies man has what he has help
ed to earn, keeps his family together, and
the children can't farm him out for what
be Is worth but when a woman i left,