The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1895-11-14
SHARED.

whence there Is no returning when oil
unmarried women wero catalogucd rs "old
maids and dcspised accordingly, there
lived n widow, tho mother of an only
child, and that child n daughter
And then, rs now, tho number Of
daughters outnumbered by great many
the number Of sons born to man, and for
sine lattcr there was great scramble, for
rs tho lesser could not equal tho greater
number many were fatcd to get left and
the doom of the "hindmost' was even then
we'll understood, and rs plague all sought
to avoid it.
And tho mothers were as ono with their
daughters. Combined were they both in
the pursuit of husbands for the maidcns
that the rcproach of tho unwcdded might
not cling unto them.
Therefore it brhoovcd tho mothers to
make the most of their daughters. to shake
sell their napkins, each and every one
lest perchancc some hidden talent lay un-
productive therein, and to emphasize any
good points whatsoever of which they
might be possessed, that they might over
shadow and Leave in the shade the da,lgh-
scrs of their ncighbors, for such arc the
ways of women when aiding high heaven
In tac occult rites of matchmaking
But chou, Chuc and alas! In tho daugh-
tee of tho widow there was naught to
make much of, neither WAS there ANYTHING
whatsoever to emphasize.
For so deficient was the damsol in all
personal charms and tho beauty which.
t.Augh but skin deep, yet suiliccth to TURF
the head of man and inilamo his heart
with tho unqucnchablc passion of love, so
mcagcr OF figure, both physically and
financially, that those given to lcvity and
thcspcaking of idle words, for which new
erthclcss strict account must DO rendered
hereafter, dcridcd her and icerod at her
among themselves, calling her in con-
tempt, calling her in the pride of their
greater possessions, "thc widows mite"
And 1T coming to the cars of tho widow
her heart was exceedingly sad, oven as her
brain was puzzled TO know what to do rs
she contemplated her daughter and tho
situation, for verify she realized that tho
maid, being like unto her fathers people,
was indeed bankrupt in all g-accS savo
that of virtue alone.
Now, virtue alonc-that is, virtue with
out dots dead, and it availcth nothing
in the matrimonial market where the
sponduliX talkcth, proclaiming in loud
voice tho merits of its posscssors, and it
cnhanceth their attractions q thousand
fold, rendering even the most ordinary of
| aspect more dazzling than the sun at noon
| day.
Whilo II were better for the portionlcss
maid had she been born n man, for he hat Ii
| but to choose, and, bcholdl with tho shekcls
of his bride shall his Golfers be filled TO
| OvorliOwing, and tho fame thereof shall
extend through all the land
Now the mother of the widows mite,
being II woman and sorcly distressed, gave
ear unto Il voice that whispered to her nnt!
| was guided by ii, for she recognized it rs
| the voice of her colaborcr against the peace
of man, when ii spoke To her saying:
! Arise O woman of little gumDtion
| and go you into the presence of the con-
| 1irmcd bachelor, even him who, because OF
| the hatred he bcarcth 20 woman for tho
evil she hath brought upon man in that
Through her he must toll and labor ali tho
| days of his life, is called the misogynist
and deceive him as YOU know how
| . For no who scclcth not must h,
sought, rs tho fisher scckcth the fish in the
sea and tho hunter pursucth the ni:nble
| mare
| % From the hardest rock the water gush-
| 9Th forth most freely
Seek you, therefore, his assistance even
to the fuliillmcnt OF your laudablc desire,
and remember the moro difficult tho decd
| the greater the reward and the glory there
| unto.
| However, he not downcast and let not
| goHf Spul W. lEOuDlpu, loF all men are
weak, and the weakest are they who are
vain of their strength, for he who is in
| vulnerable livcth not
"And shall he with YOU even to tho
end, lest pcrchancc his luck prevail against
you.
| Having spoken thus, the voice ceased
| and was silent.
Then the widow hustled that danger
might not he courtcd by delaying. Sho
clothed herself in twilight tints of mauvo
and amethyst. bound her waist with IL
| Girtllc Of jet and her hair with band of
the same for she still lived with the dead,
and saying no word of her scheme to any
one she set forth 10 do as she had been
| commanded.
| But coming to him to whom she had
been sent uncovcring her face, for 1t was
fair to look upon, she opened her mouth
| and spoke and the man WAS much bcwil-
| dcrcd by her words, for the unexpected had
| happened for which he WAS moi prepared
| and at sight of her his strength seemed to
oozo out at his finger tips and the memory
of his hated to depart from him
| And tho voice of the woman was as gen
tie rs that ot the dove, though her words
were the words of the serpent.
| And the words Were these:
! suffer nc - little that | may tell you
the meaning of NY coming unhddcn be-
fore you. That the object Of my seeking
YOU may not remain hidden and ~ matter of
conjecture |, who love truth and candor,
| Will avow nj once that am she whom
| men hold up to Scorn and dCrison as the
schcming mother.
| " But | scheme not rs sho who aims
| through artiiicc and fraud at he securing
! of II husband for her daughter who other
wise would remain in stock until tho day
| Of the last Inventory.