The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1903-03-10
HER WILMER
ABLE SPOT q 4
BY LAvoN C. CHENEY.

IN III H. EOl SCI EAoON On NIe Top
wi most round Of the ladder Of fame
erected by the people of Shultixvilie.
She had been placed in her exalted
position by the male portion of the
community. a. a shining example Of
What a woman should be- and used by
it as a prod to the energies OF the re-
Iuctantly admiriug and secretly en-
viuus female inhabitants The CON
census Of opinion was expressed BY
Deacon Wilson when be said:
shes the best worker fur ten
+. miles round. and 'es got git up
enough fur two wimmin!"
From this it may readily be gath
cred that the villagers standard of
excellence in woman was not beauty
nor intellectual gifts, but ability to
work
Mrs Pottsey's capacity in this diree-
tion was a never ending source Of con-
versatinn among the women. and the
fact Of its being common occurrence
in the life Of this remarkable piece Of
feminiuity to buy calico for dress
one morning and wear the finished
garment IN the day following. was
something If which TO brag To less ia
vnred communities And the work upon
it was dome entirely by hand for sew
ing machines were not considered a
necessary article Of furniture. and
were looked upon as a luxury 40 be
INDUCED in only by the very rich. al
though they were sometimes acquired
by the very lazy
Mrs. puttSey's browning achieve
! ment was the trousers of the late
Mr.. Pnttsey. During the lifetime of
her husband. she had purchased the
material for pair of pautaloons one
morning. and that gentleman had
dnnned those same garments IN the
I afternoon as a ftting-or, possible,
uon-fitting- TO his Office as
pail bearer during the obSequies Of q
neighbOr.
Whether these strenuous exertions
on the part of his spouse had so wear
I led Mr.. PottSey that he was glad tc
seek place where work is unknown
I it is impossible TO say. He had been
a pale. meek. little man. lacking in
/ the energy which the woman. beside
whom he had been obliged to spend his
/ life. possessed in such superabund
\ ance-and she Was not at all backwa rc
in showing her contempt for those
whose endowments were not equal t
her own. This. no doubt. wore on hin
TO an extent that rendered him per
feetly willing 10 exchange the real
tiles of the world he was leaving fol
the promises of the world to come
The inscription on his tombstone wa,
characteristic Of his relation in life
for even in death he was not sllowe,
to assert himself. but was laid TO res
as Washington. beloved husband o
ZenObia PottSey"
There was no suggestion of meek
I ness about Mrs. POttsey. She was tai
and rather thin. with swapping blacl
eyes and smooth. black hair. shown,
no thread of white. Very courageous
indeed. would be the hair to dare un
furl white banner in her head. 1t
death would be sudden and iguomin
ions. CommOnreport provided her Will
a sharp tongue. But this detriment. il
the mind Of her male acquaintance
was more than balanced by the mate
rial advantages she could confer on
possible successor to the late MI
Pottsey, Naturally, woman who spill
her own wood, MIXED her own COW
and did other things commonly sup
posed to be mans work. had many ad
mirers.
As Lemuel Jones-called Lar
Jones" by his friends. in playful allu
sion TO his well-known dislike 10
manual labor-expressed it to a selec
coterie of his croniess "You wonI
not have to do a thing but jest set dow
and take it easy; she'd do the hust
ling. A woman that'll climb a ladde
and paint her own house is the woman
for me-"
When Mr.. Jones one afternoon in
terrupted Mrs. Pottsey's strenuous
processes by knocking at the door. sh
was engaged in putting the fnishin.
touches to "color scheme" in her hes
room. The predominaiing shade was