The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1901-08-30

DuzzTm to make -en beds, and she'd
sackerfieed herself fur Melindy. She
looked kinder better when she got to
church, but our minister he wus young
and hadn't married nobody before, and,
bein narvous, he commenced fur to
read the burial sarvice instead of the
marriage sarvice, and we, bein all stiff
| with horrer, hadn't presence of mind
enough fur to stop him until he'd actil
| ly buried Melindy as fur as words
could go, and Mrs. Virgins wus in
| high strikes.
However, she got over 'em, and the
| minister he said he didn't know after
all but it wus a providence to keep lis
| from bein too sot on the things of this
world and reminded how short life wus
and went back and married 'em proper.
| And so we did get back to Virgins,
only, Mr.. Virgins hevin been too mean
to get the wagin mended, the wheel
come off, and they wus all split out and
(, eenamost drownded goin over Slabside
bridge that amt got no railin. Mrs.
Virgins, poor dear, wus soaked, and
when we TUX her into our wagin she
kept sayin, "Jedgments-jed Judgments
Judgments is cominp We knowed what
she wus thinkin of, and we tried to
cheer her up
Well, when the folks wus dried and
dressed over we all went to supper, and
we praised it up as much as we could,
but Mrs. Virgins sot down in her place
like ghost, and folks began to talk
and laugh and help everything. But
she didn't smile.
She passed the chicken salad plates
to the help, and the help gave 'em to
| the folks, and we all tasted it, but it
didn't relish. Still we tried to eat it fur
her sake. Most of us done it, too, and
the coffee wus good, and we cheered
up some. Mrs. Virgins didn't eat no
salad herself, so she didn't know how
it tasted. After supper we all went in
to the parlor and sot around, and 81
Barker wus tryin to git up dancin, and
l did hope things would end happy,
when all of a sudden folks began to
look pale and say they wus p'isoned.
So they seemed to be. One arter the
other wus took SICK and they all said
the same thing-it wus the salad.
felt very poorly myself, and so did my
Obediah. The minister had gone home
sick, and there wus a regular panic.
There wus one doctor there, and he
sent fur another, and old Miss PEBBLES
said it wus like old cholera times Il
wus awful, anyway, but jest as we
wus at the wust, we ladies lyin about
in the up stairs rooms eXpectin to die
and feelin sure it wus arsenic, Mrs.
Virgins appeared amongst us.
Friends and Teller Sinners" she said,
1--WE air all on the pint of death, and
| here, before you all, | make confess
sion | am a thief and robber, and
shall never be pardoned. 1t wus me
that robbed my husband, and. more
than that, stole the chickens to make
the sallad-one of 'em from each CT my
good friends and neighbors. Judgments
has fallenv'
You wus driv to it, Mrs. Virgins"
seq |, by your pardner's meanness.
We all knowed it, and none of us
blame you"
You don't know ALL" said Mrs. Wig
gins. "More'n that, went to the store
and TUX my chances and stole a bottle
of lie. The recipe said to make the sal
lad dressin with lie. I'd never made
none. l stole the bottle. Oh, shan't
never be forgiven, shan't never be for
given, TUX bottle of Prison of some
sort, fur it wus in the drug department
where lies is kept, and I'm a muir
dererw
'Oh, ho!" says the doctor. Bring me
the bottle. Mrs. Virgins, and guess
| I'll find out how to cure EN-"
Mrs. Virgins fetched it; doctor he
tasted it.
This amt p'lson. ladies' seq he
There amt no great harm done, only
don't suppose the recipe mentioned cas-
ter oil for salad dressing. 'Tisnt usual
anyhow. Nobody is goin to die this
time. Mrs. Virgins, unless it Is you
yourself. You lie down and quiet your
self"
Poor Mrs. Virgins, she dropped on
her knees and prayed right there fur
thankfulness, and we all j'ined in. and
rs soon as folks knowed they hadn't
TUX arsenic they all got better. Mrs
Virgins solemn and distracted looks
and her not eatin any had made them
hat Wornt in the secret think that
she'd gone crazy and done it a-purpose
which scared 'em more.
And they do say Mr.. Virgins amt
iuitc so near as he used to be since he
saw what might come of drivin wo
man into corner for want Of a penny
still we shan't forget Molindy Wig
gins wedding in hurry. those OF us
that went to it
The aEarriage Cure.