The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1895-02-28
NO DAY OF THANKS FOR HIM.
of His Wife's First Husband g
Death Observed Suitably.

"No," sighed Uncle Abner, as he took
a seat on his fayOrite potato barrel III
the grocery store, Il amt much on
Thanksgiving these days; | ulster take
quite a interest in it, an felt jest ez
thankful ez the next one, but that was
afore | married Joe keliOgg's widder.
I've kinder drapped on it sence that
I've long wanted to say somethin' on
this matter, for | know | never was un-
derstood in it by any of you. l sorter
think explanation is due ye, an ef ye
don't mind, I'll give We one"
Every body pricked up his ears at this
and the blacksmith with an embarrassed
cough said he thought he could fix the
potatoes on top of the barrel so that
Uncle Abner could sit more comfort
ably.
Never mind them" said Uncle Alb
ner, with mournful smile, they're the
easiest seat | have, an I'd rather you'd
let 'em be.
"Eell, Uncle Abner continued, shift
ING the straw to the other side of his
mouth, "it mout be a matter O eight
years ago this THANKSGIVING when Kel-
logg came to me an told me he put all
his money into Il bad speculation an
lost it all. a year later he took to his
bed for the last time. | shall never for
get his last night on earth. 1t was this
Thanksgiving day seven years ago. He
took my hand in his an pressed it
mighty hard considering his weakened
condition.
"'Abner, sez he, you've bin a mighty
good friend to me, in fact, we mout ha'
bin brothers. seein' all you've done fer
me; but thar's one thing more | want
you to do-look arter my widow when
| am gone
"Arter the funeral was over | thought
of them words, an pondered a sight, fer
it was a ticklish thing fer bachelor to
look arter a widder, an not to be come
to without a mighty lot of conSiderin',
seein' she was left with nothin'. Well,
to cut long story short, the only way
out of the difficulty | could see was to
marry her, an this | did, she bein'
willin.
Thar was no tomfoolery about that
marriage on either side. She told me
plump up an down that she didn't love
me, an | said | was only dOin' it fer
keIlOgg's sake. But, all the same, we
got along pretty well fer the first few
months, an she seemed sOrter satisfied
with the change. Then things got to
be different
First she found out that | didn't eat
like Kellogg. Then she discovered
that | wasn't ez particular about my
dress. Afterwards, by way of a change,
she kicked about my snore; swearin'
that Kellogg was a sleepin' babe ez far
ez breathin went while | reminded her
of a rhinoccros with a cold All this |
said little about fer | loved Kellogg
and didn't mind him havin' these adj
vantages.
But she didn't stop here; she got to
sayin' nasty things about me leadin' her
into a trap-enslavin' or tryin' TO en-
slave affections as belonged to KELLOGG,
an such like things. | kept my tenn
per. I'd promised to look arter her,
and | meant TO keep my word.
Il don't suppose you'll take my word
for it. but, boys. its gospel truth-on
top of all this she suddenly became
jealous OF me. Then | lost my temper
and talked. That was my great mis-
take. When | started talkin' she took
to throwin' things. She's kept it up
ever since, and | don't suppose there's a
single piece Of furniture in our house,
not too heavy to lift, that, at some time
or another, amt bin in contact with my
head.
Every Thanksgiving day-the ami
yersary of keIiogg's death-she makes
point Of lettin' me feel the hardness OF
every article in the house by way of re-
minder OF her loss. Take it all in all,
its the worst day in the year fer me-
" J. Rec9rdCr.