The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1900-07-11

TIE up, nor tie down; an he hcz KEEP
his wimmin folks tied down long enufI,
an a'wu2 a-sayin tibet they did Ell they
wuz min tot"
Good morning, Mis- Brigham, So he's
gone poor man and you're Widder to-
day-and it gives body a sort o. mixed
feeling TO think that it's thing that
might happen to anyone o. us. except
Laviny here, she can't be a wildly WON
an! But mebbe she is just as happy as
if she could be. | amt one that's always
a-thinking that woman don't more1l
half live unless she has man to hurry
her up TO her work at sun-up, and boss
her all day--no no! Sometimes |
think that the old maids have the best
of it all round, if they'd lock at it right!
But you've got good deal to be thank
full for, considering that you've been
married to man; now You can begin
to take some comfort, and you and
Mari-Jane can do just as you're "A mind
to, long as you live, if you keep clear
men folks. Have you got your pie
meat a-boilin yet? Seems to me smelt
it. can stay and help you all day as
well as not, and twill be change for
me. I'm tired o. loolin at my back
fence. l amt hardly been out o. the
yard all winter"
There's no denying that moneys
handy and comforting at all times, but
more so at times like these" shifted
Deacon Jones' wife, who had been
waiting to get in word edgewise."
Mrs. Staples, too, had put away her
things herself" as neighbors do at
such times, taking it for granted that
their help and companionship are both
needed and welcome, and when Mrs.
Jones paused, she said: well. if you
and Mari-Jane are a-going to have as
much money IS the men folks say YOU
be, you ought to bloom out in pretty
good sort O mourning for the funeral
if the men are right, you hadn't ought
er buy anything less than good all
wool. And then, soon's you get to it,
I should put a good, fair-priced stone
on him, not very snowy, but pretty
heavy!"
"They wouldn't say so, if they had
heard Harris Brigham declare, as
many times as l have, that Mari-Jane
and l were sending him every day a
little nearer the poorhousel" sobbed
the widow.
you've been kept in the dark, SOS
he could keep on pinching you; now,
you listen to me. ! know what I'm
90 81, !,
bands, and men fair to middling, too
but men for all that And l tell you
that you may just as well begin to
enjoy your freedom to-day as next
week-for Brigham is just as dead
as he will be after the funeral. So
you just flax round and look up his
papers and find out where you can
get hold of some ready money quick
est. You may find a wallet full hid
up somewheres; there's my first hus-
band, who was to be charitable to
the dead, near if not mean with his
money, and we found $50 wadded UP
in dirty paper in an inside coat
pocketl A regular tramp's wallet?
Yis, but he come of family as diff
ferent from folks as they could be,
and not been born with fur nor feath-
ers on 'em, Mis- Brigham! I'd
stop sniv'lin' if ] was you we
all know who and what old Brigham
was as well-nigh about, as you'll
You've kept at it pretty stiddy, and
have done enough now to show re-
spect to him that's dead and gone
or to last till the funeral-unless
somebody special should call to see
you! So, as I say, brace up and find
out how much you're worth, if yos
can, and tell me what you want
cooked up for the funeral supper, and
how many you expect will come back
from the grave, to eat. Then I'll go
ahead with the cooking, and my
Sam'n go to the village for anything
we can't borrow round the neighbor-
hood. For the lands sakes alivel
Who is that coming up the lane? 1t
looks like--it can't be?"
Who could it be, to create such ex-
citement9 Even the widow and Mari
Jane hurried to the window ant
peered over their neighbors' shoul.
ders.
"Mal Ma! It's Jim! Oh, I'm so
glad, so glad!" and Mari-Jane started
for the other door
Mrs. Brigham caught the hem of
her daughters back breadths as she
reached the door, and pulled her
backward so far that Mari-Jane's out
stretched hand could only nervously
tumble the latch with her finger tips
but not unlatch It'll
''Mari-Jane! Remember that your
pa won't have Jim Reed in this housed
l can't hear his words now-'Never
Mari-Jane, so longs l live, so help me
GodN Oh, Mari-Jane, your pail make
an awful row! I'll go an tell Jim he
must go right away, and We'll never
let on to your pa that he's been here
l hate to see and hear your pa wher
he's crossed in anything"
"Mis' eBrighaml Remember tibet
you're now a free woman, an you've
no longer got to go like dog, wher
ole Brigham says Col nor you ain
orpt ,,rIar 10 ,x,,, +l,,o