Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-04-24
HER SILVER SPOONS.
THEY REMAINED HER PROPERTY, BUT
 WERE VERY COSTLY.

After Buying Them Threc Times She Re fusC>i to Risk Them Any MorO-A Little Story Bearing on the Question of the wife's Property Rights.
 Tho following story was told in a pa- per read by Mrs. NJ. J. Coggeshall at O meeting of tho WOmGn's Suffrage so- ciety of Des Moines and published in The Saturday Review of that city:
 Today, when we women have not out grown tho pretty fad of collecting sou venir spoons. the great variety and beauty of which were unknown to our grandmothers, allow mo to recall the story of a great aunt of ours who also loved spoons, but whose plain cupboard drawer contained no sets of dainty after dinner coffees like those from which we love to sip as.we sit in our clubs and talk of culture.
 This aunt when young woman was a teacher in @ country school until she had saved enough money to indulge her great desire for set of silver spoons She was married soon after to the young man of her choice. Six years passed by years of hard work and economy for both, happy years, though no children had come to bless their union-when by | a sudden illness the husband was taken away The day after the funeral the grieved wifo was surprised by the en- franco to her home of the two brothers of her husband, bringing with them the village lawyer. They told her they had come to set q value upon their brothers S | property, in order that she might know | what part of it was hers.
 She held her peace as they set down the worth of each article of furniture in the little home, until they finally came to the box of spoons.
 Then she spoke and said: ''These are mine. bought them with my own money before I was married"
 "Yes, ma'am,'' said the lawyer, "but you know, ma'am, that after la dy is married everything belongs in law to her husband"
 So all the little property was divided, tho brothers taking half, and she took the spoons with the rest at the price that had been set upon them. But it obliged her to give up the home. and she, with her few effects, went into rented rooms and began life anew. Oo- caslonally teaching school and always sewing when possible, sho supported herself very comfortably for about three years, when a lifelong friend of her husband, an excellent man, offered her his hand ill marriage
 She liked him well, and her friends told her it was the best thing to do, and she thought with pleasure of again be- ing mistress of homo. So they were married.
 In a few years her husbands health declined, and for many months she gave him most tender and unceasing care. Sho had a flow times spoken to him about making a will but as it seemed an unpleasant subject she had ceased to mention it. Finally the end came. There had come to attend the funeral his nearest relative, nephew from New England, whom she had never seen be- fore. In day or two he brought two men to the cottage to appraise the prop erty, and agaln was there price set upon tho well preserved spoons. On the evening of that day as she was prepar' ing supper tho nephew entered the kitchen and said: Aunt Liza, I an disposed to be very easy with you. Tho I "OAbIl OA OA pLOpSltg ieAS been carefully estimated, and I will al low you to include in your half of il any article of furniture you may choose"
 And again she paid the price of hel first darling purchase of Gilverware. bu there was not enough left after tho hal was taken for her to keep the house anG lot, SO they went into the hands O strangers, and with her cat Aunt Liz; again went into cozy, but hired rooms She was pattern of thrift and tidiness as a smart widower of tho neighborhooC was well aware, and in less than a yea he made call upon the comedy matron Ho was wise enough to make his frs visit short, but fingered moment Il the door nnd suggested that in the nca future they become better acquainted,
 She answered. II am living hero ver, comfortably, and think, Mir. Johnson that it will not be worth while for 70, to call. " and closing tho door hastil, she turned to her cat and said:
 "No, Tommy, I have bought thos spoons three times, and don't inten' to risk them any more"