The Newtown bee., 1892-09-02
A Thorny Path.

was two as pretty girls as you ever see. They was teachers in a New York school an made good wages-enough to dress lem like ladies, an to lay by a snug little sum for a rainy day tew. Every summer they used to come an stay three or four weeks with me, an I was allus glad to have 'em.
 The summer that Clara was forty an Jennie was thirty-five, ole Deacon Sher- man begun to court Clara, who was the smarter an prittyes' of the two, as soon as she come to our house; an ten days later he asked her to marry him, an she refused. Then he begun to court Jen- nie, an an Joshua an Clara was dred- full astonished, to say nothin' of bein' dis gusted, to see that she encouraged the old man.
 Clara talked an reasoned with her un- til she see twas no use, an then she got me to talk to her.
 ''Jennie," said l, ''you surely don't mean to marry Deacon Sherman? Why, he's nigh ontu sixty years old, an his
 
 the color of sheep's wool before she's washed in the spring of the year, an he's so withered an yaller that he looks like last years apple"
 sRHt he's rich, Aunt Susan," said she, ''an' I'm tired of teachin' school an hav- ing to support myself.'
 '.Little good will his riches do you or anybody elseS while he lives," said l. ''He was so mean an miseriy that all of his children left him as soon as they was of age-an'some of 'em run away before ; an his wife worked herself to death, poor woman! In all my life never pitied any body as I did her. She didn't dare go to a neighbours house, except she went on an errand, for fear of him. He said he couldn't afford to have his wife gaddin' about when there was so much work to be done at home-she went to meetin' with him every Sunday, an that was enough; an do believe he wouldn't let her a-done that, if it hadn't a-been for the speech of people. She was no better than his slave and she didn't dare to say her soul was her own. You surely can't love such a man as that, Jennie?'
 ssI hadn't thought of lovin' him. said she. sIt's his riches I'm thinkin' of.''
 "Jennie,' said I, in awful stern ac- cents, ''if anyone had ever told me that niece of mine would talk that way to me, I'd a been mad with ,em. I'm ashamed of you"
 ssBut you won't be ashamed of me, Aunt Susan, when I'm the wife of the richest man in Grisby Holler," said she.
 "Don't you know,' said I, in more sterner tone than before, "that it's a sin to marry a man you don't love? It's prostitution that you bind yourself to by law; an such a marriage as that can bring nothing but misery
 But all of my argyin' was in vain; an though Joshua laughed at her an Clara begged with tears in her eyes, in less than a month Jennie was Mis- Deacon Sherman.
 They was married in the village church an it seemed to me that the words sslove" an sshonor'' had ought to have been left out of the slove, honor and obey,'' in the marriage service; for I knew that Jennie could neither love nor honor Deacon Sherman.
 Jennie was spirited girl, butt don't know how he did it-he broke her spirit; an in less than year, to speak allogor- ically, stepped into the first Mis- Deacon Sherman's shoes an was ploddin' along the same path that she had travelled.
 It was 10 years ago that she was mar ried an it makes my heart ache to see how she has changed. She used to be as plump as partridge, now she is pale an thin an there is allus tired, weary look on her face. She is five years younger than her sister Clara, but she looks l5 years older-an' it's no wonder that she does. Why, she has to work harder than any hired servant. Seven months in the year, she has to cook for from six to dozen work hands, besides doin' the rest of her household work; an quite often she has to set up half the night to sew an mend for her husband and three children. I don't believe she goes off of the farm once in six months, except when she goes to church on Sundays.
 Deacon Sherman grows sourer an more miserly every year of his life; an I dew believe he'd think twas sin if he should speak pleasant word to his wife or one of his children. As rich as he is he's tew stingy tew'dress 'em any more than is hardly respectable; an if they should ask him for money, he'd almost snap their heads off. The only nice dress that Jennie has had since she was married is a black silk that Clara gave her two years ago last Chris mas.
 Clara comes to see me every Summer an she seems to be as happy as robin in the Spring of the year. The only thing that seems to worry her any is her sisters misery. She goes to see Jennie quite often when she's here, but never stays all night in Deacon Sher-