The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1900-06-21
BENTON, LOUISIANA, THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 1900

lngs? He was madder'n a settin henf
Sez he: 1T is trus thet | du mt ten
cents out OF ev'ry dollar thet let 'em
arm inter spice box; an it's true thet
the res of it duz vittle us three. an
wy shoodn't it? Do the bizzibodies
know how much Civ 'em outrite be-
sides? Then tell 'em thet they hey
all there is lef' arter our livin' is per-
vided, tu waste on Their backs! Yis
sirreee, it's homes fac! 1 du all tibet
arter pervidin' a ruff over Their heads.
an a-lettin' 'em split up ennythin' tn
burn-thet won't sell! Sum wimmen
hev tu help buy fewel; it makes 'em
more savin'er. No, / amt never b,n
tite an mean with 'em. Theirs no Sc
cret abaout the fac, thet wimmen cost
full es much es they're wuth tn man.
but I've tried tn furgit it an du nv
duty by 'em, an hev' hardly TUX nv
JUS dues SEE he, I've clean rite tu
all they arn, still the ten centses folks
laff abaout, I've put twice year inter
| the savin's bank-in their names. mind
ye, now, not mine, es mean man wood:
but they don't know it! I've ben. We
| see, more'n homes with 'em, a-giyin'
'em what wuz mine! It's jenrous, /
call it, an arter I'm dead an gorn
! they'll fin out how much Their is fur
'em, an / can't help Their han'lin' it
then! hope they'll hev' gratitood
enuff not to spen' emmy on't!' Poor
Brigham. he's been hard master, like
all the Brighams afore him.
''Well. well, he's been a queer chap,
and has took pride in his smallnesses;
he told me once. that he'd got more'n
was good for wimmin folks to be left
with! Sometime he meant to make a
will and 'tie up his property, he said,
but to mex will is like lettin' go O.
yer mummy while yer alive 1 KEEP
a thinkin' o thet air talk we he'd, es he
lay a-mum'lin' las mite, an never'l boss
'em ennymore, nor make no wills, nor
his wimmin folks tied down long enuff,
an alwuz a-sayin' thet they did ez they
wuz a min to!"
''Good morning, Mis- Brigham. So he's
gone, poor man, and you're widder to-
day-and it gives body sort o mixed
feeling to think that it's thing that
might happen to anyone o. us. except
Laviny here, she can't be wildly wom-
an! But mebbe she is just as happy as
if she could be. amt one that's always
a-thinking that woman don't more'n
half live unless she has a man to hurry
her up to her work at sun-np, and boss
her all day-no, no! Sometimes
think that the old maids have the best
of it all round, if they'd look at it right!
But you've got a 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 mind
to, long as you live, if you keep clear OF
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 fol
me. I'm tired O. lookin at my back
fence. I 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" sniffed
Deacon Jones' wife, who had beer
waiting to get in word edgewise.'
:. Mrs. Staples, too, 'had put away he1
things herself" as neighbors do al
such times, taking it for granted thai
their help and companionship are botl
: needed and welcome, and when Mrs
Jones paused. she said: "Well, if yo,
! and Mari-Jane are a-going to have Al
much money as the men folks say yol
be, you ought to bloom out in pretty
J good sort o. mourning for the funeral
; if the men are right, You hadn't ought
. er buy anything less than good al
wool. And then, soon's you get to it
5 should put good, fair-priced ston'
, on him. not very snowy, but prett.
t heavy!"
''They wouldn't say so. if they hat
l heard Harris Brigham declare, a
l many times as have. that Mari-Jan
!? and were sending him every day
little nearer the poorhouse!" sobbe'
D the widow.
AOu VIC UCCn hCPI III VIC o0A n. ~
he could keep on pinching you; now
you listen to me. know what In
n talking about, for Two had two hua
bands, and men fair to middling. toe
i, but men for all that! And I tell yo'
that you may just as well begin t
2 enjoy your freedom to-day as mex
: week-for Brigham is just as dea
d as he will be after the funeral. IS
j, you just fax round and look up hi
: papers and find out where you "a
! get hold Of some ready money quick
/ est. You may find wallet full hi;
s up somewheres; there's my first hus
{ band, who was. to be charitable I
s the dead, near if not mean with hi
n money. and we found $50 wadded II
IS in dirty paper in an inside Goa
. pocket! A regular tramp's wallet