The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1891-03-26
TIE WIDOW BARLOW.
ny MARY DALLAS.

Peter Buskirk was very fond OF mon.
ey, not so fond that he quite starved
himself to keepit, or hid it up the Chin
ney, or refused himself fire, or lights,
or pillow But, yet, so very fond Of
it as to be on the very verge OF miser-
hood without having quite fallen over.
Beggars reaped no harvest from his
purse or kitchen; and match-makers
could make no impression on his
bachelor heart. Peter Buskirk saw
through the latter as we'll as the form
er, and buttoned up his pockets as
hastily III the presence of bewitching
crinoline as in that of a seedy gentle
man with a folded document in his
breast-pocket. The men wanted to
rob him, the women to marry him.
The last was the worst. Not that
Peter hated women-on the contrary,
even at fifty he was remarkable sus-
pectible; bright eye put him in O.
tlutter. But the fact was, women, as
wives or daughters, were expensive
They needed clothes and were fond of
dainties. They were proverbially ex-
travagant. Should he marry one, she
would spend his money while he lived,
and squander it after he was dead
And, with this awful terror before him.
Peter steered clear of the shoals of
matrimony.
Two or three times indeed had he
stood upon the verge OF tender pas
sion. But each time some display Of
extravaganza had frightened him back
into his shell. Once it was an ostrich
feather in q blue bonnet. Another
time the sight Of his fair one eating
ices. The third, the assumption Of
voluminous crinoline In fact, since
hoops had become the rage, Peter had
more utterly abjured matrimony than
ever. What must q woman's dress
cost SO distended, Peter dared not
think. He saw those befounced robes
which so Mortified him very frequently;
not only in the street, but at sundry
parties to which he was invited, and
which he always made a point of at
tending, because they saved him a
meal. There they spread before his
eyes, and strengthened his resolution
to live and die a old bachelor
There was one inconvenience in this
bachelorhood, however. That was
the housekeeping; for it involved a
servant some one to make beds,
wash dishes, cook and iron. In
short, the vant-of-all-wo was
always the bane OF Peters life.-eating
and drinking in a manner which kept
the master of the house in continual
ferment; wasting butter and fuel, and
each change in the kitchens incum-
brance being followed by the myter-
ious disappearance of towels and
napkins, and such small ware There
was no rest for good Mr.. Buskirk. He
tried Betty, and Dinah, and Mary,
and Ann, then in despair flew to a
certain Mrs. Brown, the giver of tea
parties innumerable, to ask advice.
He told his woes, his terrors, and
his anxieties: the lady shook her
head.
s'Servants are sad plagues," she
EAT you out OF house and home,"
said Peter.
"Not to be relied on for honestly"
said Mrs. Brown.
''Thieves, ma'am, thieves" said
Peter.
"Ah," said Mrs. Brown" a gentle
men has no time to watch them.
Now [ should advise marrying, Mr..
Buskirk.'
'Marrying"
eyes, sir-a wife can manage such
things so much better. Besides, if you
choose q smart capable woman, she
will keep an eye on the servant It
would be much more economical to
marry"
"Economical'' yelled Peter, 'tmy
good lady. Eco-I-oh, goodness!
Feathers and flowers, laces and silks,
and rings and-and ice-cream and
things-economical. How many wards
do you take for a dress, ma 'am?"
"Well, sir, twelve or tifteen-some-
times when it's silk, you know, eight
cen" .'.
eighteen yards, at five shillings or
so a yard, and not one dress, but
twenty. My good lady it would be
enough to ruin q man!''
Mrs. Brown reflected. =.
'tBut if you could find an economical
woman, Mr.. Buskirk.'
':Ah! if 1 could find a mermaid."
Gone who never wasted a penny"
"She does not exist, ma am"
Who lives on next to nothing. The
fact is, Mr.. Buskirk, 1 have such a
lady in my eye. She's widow-quite
a young one-Mrs. Barlow, and I'll
have her at Peach House next week."
Peter Buskirk grinned sarcastically.
ECONOMY in hoops and bonnets,"
he said to himself. HThey want to
marry me and spend my money!
And he went home wroth
However, economy forbade him to
refuse an invitation to dinner; and
when, q week after, Mrs. Brown sent
cher compliments - ETC., ETC., Mr.. Bus
kirk donned his Sunday suit and went
over to Peach House at five precisely.
The parlor was full OF ladies; ladies
in silks and muslins, with crinoline
founces. Most of them Mr.. Buskirk
knew well, and he looked about in vain
For a. stranger Mrs RrOwn's notn