The Republican., 1892-07-01

||W- chest of drawers
was dark with age, the handles were
brass, the base was spindle-legged,
with acorn-shaped projections breaking
the line. Beneath the five large
drawers were collection of smaller
ones, three on each side with deep
space or cupboard in the center.
This was inclosed by door, orna-
mented with brass knob and quaint
little knocker. The cupboard was like
a tiny porter's lodge, and enveloped the
whole piece of furniture with AN air of
mystery. 1t warded off intrusion, and
suggested the propriety of lifting the
knocler to ask permission of some
shadowy specter if one might venture
to examine more closely this genuine
antique.
The owner was evidently proud of
her possession; and we found one day
that it had a history-a true one. She
told it to us with the keen interest that
age finds in rehearsing the story of its
youth.
Il always wanted chest of drawers;
and, when went to work in the fac
tory. determined to have one. | didn't
think much about gettin' married, and
havin' parlor of my own. | just
wanted that.
''Old Judge pettingell had died, and
his niece was willin' to sell everything
that belonged to Mis- Judge. Altered
her twenty-five dollars for this chest,
not KNOWN whether it was cheap or
not: but | meant to have it. SO | worked
hard; and every quarters payment l
put by little money in silk purse. all
by itself, until I'd saved enough
when had it brought home, father
didn't seemed pleased, and said ! was
silly, and I'd better have put my money
in the bank; but mother, she looked at
it, and her eyes shone, and used to see
her standing ~p before it, and openin'
and shuttin' the drawers.
Then got acquainted with my first
husband | always called him Hiram,
and SO do to this day. We were mar
ried; but | wouldn't take away the
chest from mother while she lived. |
knew she set store by it, as did.
After mother died-father went first
then / brought it home, and this
china. | set the drawers up where
they stand now.
-Four or five years went by. Hiram
and | were happy together, and then he
was taken sick. We hadn't any chill
'dren. He used to say that he must
make his will; but he put it off, and put
1t off, and by and by he died without
,doin' it.
Il never thought that anything l
bought myself could belong to Hiram.
/ knew should get my thirds, and that
they would give me the house. sup
posed the furniture was mine.
The day after the funeral Hiram S
two brothers came in, with lawyer.
They said everything valuable had got
TO be sold at auction. ! could bid EN-
in if | wanted to; but all the property
had got to be praise in order to see
how much ought to have.
Then they went round the rooms,
saying what this thing was worth and
what that thing was worth, and pretty
soon they came to the chest. The
lawyer whispered to Hiram's brother,
but heard him: This is worth con-
siderable
Il almost screamed out: You can't
touch that. | earned every cent of it
in the factory, and paid for it, and
brought it over here
The lawyer answered pretty sharp:
well, ma a'am, that don't make "a bit of
difference. Whatever you brought here
belonged to your husband. That's the
law of the land
Ezekiel, Hiram's youngest brother
stood close by, and he put in: why,
Abigail, you can buy back what you
want now if we give permission Twas
mad, and so just let the auction go on;
and, when the day came, bid pretty
low on my things.
The neighbors were real good. and
ne yer tried to bid against me- When
it came to that chest of drawers, | Just
spoke up loud so everybody could hear,
and said: It's burning shame for me
to have to buy what's already my own;
and if men folks have made such a law,
they ought to take it back, and m AXE
another Then / bid twenty-five dol
lars, and paid for the chest over again;
IOI huCW LLChitl "Oult get all he
could for it.
There was just enough from my
thirds to keep the house and garden,
but Hiram's brothers had all the rest of
the land. They sold it to Mr.. Jones,
our nearest neighbor; and shut up my
house, and went back to work in the
factory. 'Twaxn't very long before
Mis- Jones died. | used to think, while
the looms were goin', about our two
houses, and the kitchens with nobody
there, as it used to be; for Mis- Jones
was a real pleasant woman, and we
We're always neighborly together.
'One day. about year afterward, |
went up home to look over my things.
] suppose Mr.. Jones saw the light, for
he came over to make a call. | was
mighty glad to see an old face: for |
had been real lonesomeuand ! did want
to hear about everything.
Before he went away, he asked me
to marry him. Mis- Jones had gone, he
hadn't any children, and he said he'd
just as soon come here and live as not
You see his house was an old one, and
he thought he could use it for another
barn; while Hiram and had fixed up
this one until it was most as nice as new.
Perhaps | hadn't ought to have done