The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-08-17

To% Brown, who had lost her
husband, and to console her, he went
around to see Deacon Wilt, so that he
could post himself about the situation.
Il understand you to say" said Mr..
Mills, that Mrs. Brown has been mar
ried three times? or was it four"
Il say" replied the deacon, "that
she was Mr.. Browns third wife, while
he was her fifth husband. But she
was the fourth wife of her second hus-
band, and the second wife of her first,
so that She"
"Let me see." said the parson, "the
second wife of her first and the-well,
then, three and five are eight, and four
are twelve, and two are fourteenth
I get the hang of the thing, Mrs. Brown
has been married fourteen times, and
Mr.. Brown was her"
"No, you don't. understand. Brown
was only her fifth husband"
"Oh, her fifth. But you said she was
the fourth wife of her second husband,
and che had three more, so that-four
and three are seven-she must have
had seven husbands, and where are the
other two?"
"Why, don't you see? Her second
husband was married three times be-
fore he met her. She had been married
once"
How could she be married only
once when he was her second huS-
band?"
"Only once before she met him, and
when she married him she was his
fourth wife, SO that Will. he had had
four wives, she had had only"
us this Brown you are speaking
of"
mo, no! Brown was her fifth. He
had been married twice before"
"Her second Brown had?"
~ mean Brown, Of course. Let me
explain. Mrs. Brown, say, married
John, Thomas, Jacob, William and
Henry. Thomas married Lulu, Mary.
Hannah and Susan"
Before he married Mrs. Brown or
after?"
Before. Well, then, Brown married
Emma and Matilda, and John married
Agnes. Agnes died, and John married
Mrs. Brown. Then John died and
Lulu, Mary, Hannah and Susan died,
and then Thomas married Mrs. Brown.
Then Thomas died, Jacobs wife died
and Williams wife died, and William
annexed Hrs. Brown. When William
died, Emma and Matilda died, and
then Brown married Mrs. Brown.
Everybody came to Mrs. Brown, you
seer.'
Il see," said Mr.. Mills. 81 think I
grasp the facts. I'll go right around to
see her"
Mrs. Brown was at home. And after
abiding to the weather a1d one or two
other topics, Mr.. Mills said:
II am deeply grieved, Mrs. Brown,
to hear of your bereavement. 1t must
be very, very terrible, even for a per
o who is so used to it,"
80 used to it. What do you mean,
SIR"
why, I merely meant to suggest
that experience cannot reconcile us to
these Affections. But there is this
consolation, dear madam-time dulls
the edge of our bitterest grief. You
wept for John as if you could not be
comforted; but you see you"
Go John! I do not understand you,
sir"
You wept for John, but Thomas
came. When Thomas was taken YOU
thought yourself utterly inconsolable
but there was Jacob-he brought new
Joy. When Jacob was waited to O
better land your heart was nearly
broken, but William healed it's wounds
and when William drifted off into
the unknown, Henry assuaged your
grief. Perhaps there are other Henrys
Williams and Thomases to whom this
blessed duty will fall again. Per
haps-"
"You are talking very strangely, SIR
said Mrs. Brown.
"Oh, no; I merely say that now that
John, and Thomas, and Jacob, anf
William and Henry have been called
away to join Susan, and Hannah, ant
Agnes, and Matilda, and Emma, ant
Lulu, and Mary, and the rest, there i:
some hope that-that-Why, Mrs
Brown, what OF earth is the matter?'
Mrs. Brown flew out Of the room
without replying, and Mr.. Mills, filled
with amazement, went around to ash
Deacon Wilt to explain the mystery.
II was merely telling her." he said
shat Brown had followed John, Thorn
as and Matilda, and the others into
better world, when she"
Good gracious" shrieked the dea
con; you didn't allude to her deat
husbands and their wives by thos'
names, did you?"
"Of course, you said that"
ooh, thunder, man! Why those wer,
Only imaginary names. that / used b.