The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1905-10-31
Copyright, 1905, by P. Q. Eastment


nihcent sweep Of the meadow he sim
ply figured on how many tons of hay
to the acre 1t would cut Persons who
had known him for twenty years had
never known him to betray a soft spot,
and even when his wife died, after
weary years Of cutting carpet rags and
making soft soap, no one looked for
any emotion on the deacon's part. He
buried her the same as he went about
blowing corn, and instead Of taking q
housekeeper he decided to cook his
own meals.
No one looked for any change in Dea-
con Parker, but one came within six
months. The first sign of it was when
he had his hair colored black and shaw
ed of the whiskers that had hidden
most OF his face since he was a young
man. When that nine day wonder
had passed he had another surprise
ready. He bought a new suit Of
clothes. including long tailed, coat,
and began to wear paper collars on
week days as well as Sundays. He
was heard to speak of sunrises ant
sunsets and other sentimental things,
and the hired man on the next farm
overheard him one day humming a
love song.
Inside Of sixty days the deacon had
half the county guessing what would
happen next.
Aunt Sally Merriman was response
q M oho =
went over to her house one day to Dor
row a farm implement and happened
to mention that he was lonely. Aunt
Sally had been waiting for such an
opening for several weeks past
Now, deacon" she began, ''sit down
on the doorsteps and let's have a talk.
Betsy was a good wife to you. Her
soft soap had no equal in the county,
and we all had to 60 to her to find out
how to make slapjacks. She was al
ways sewing and darning and color
ing, and she never sassed back when
you ordered her around. You didn't
cry at her funeral, but / know you APP
preciated her just the same"
Yes; Betsy was good wife to me-"
sighed the deacon.
But she was took away"
Eyes; she was cut down"
And you are living all stark alone"
Eyes"
Deacon" continued Aunt Sally after
bit, what would you do If you should
have collie In the night?"
I'D I'd have to try to cure II,
wouldn't II"
You would, but you might die twice
over and none Of US would know any
thing about It Then there is the ear
ache, the toothache, dizziness of the
head, cold feet and a dozen other
things. fairly shiver when think OF
what may happen to you any night"
But how can help 1t, Aunt SallyT'
That's what I'm coming to. You
Orter get married again"
Good landsw exclaimed the deacon
as he flushed up.
Yes, sir, you orter, and I'm not the
only one to say SO. You are only a
middle aged man. and the idea of your
sioshing around alone all the rest of
your life Is preposterous 1 am sure
that Betsy would be glad to know that
you had some one to care for you. How
you manage to sleep dunno, for no
man on earth can make a bed At to
sleep in. Yes. Darius, you must marry
Rg'in."
But who'll marry2"
1--WE got that all fixed have a sis
ter In Indiana who Is a wider woman.
She's coming out here to visit US purity
soon. Sarah is worker, just like Bet
sy used to be and just as economical
I've known her to make one pound Of
brown sugar last for two weeks. Her
disposition Is cheerful She hasn't got
mite of temper. and the pair Of you
would get along like two doves"
Wouldn't folks taikT' cautiously
queried the deacon.
What could they talk about2 Hain't
You got right to get married agInT
"Of course. but you see hain't got
a headstone for Betsy's grave yet, and
some one might say something mean"
You can hustle around and get
headstone within a week, and Sarah
won't care how many lambs are on top
Of It. Then you want to spruce up and
look your best. / must tell you that
Sarah Is a .leetle romantic, and you
want to be the same. Washing and
ironing will take 1t out of her after
awhile, but you don't want to cut 1t
Off too short"
II don't believe could be romantic"
Yes. you could All YOU'VE got to
do is to talk about shady dells, harvest
moons, autumn flowers and floating
clouds. Sarah has got over $1,000 in
cash In the hank, and It'll all be yours.
I'm no matchmaker, deacon, but | tell
you that you orter marry and that the
woman to all the bill is my sister
Sarah"
The deacon shouldered the hoe he
bad come to borrow and started for
his cornfeld, and as he worked he
thought BY shutdown he had come
to a conclusion, and it wasn't many
days before the barber In the nearest
town was applying the dye to his griz-
zled locks. He began to notice the
clouds, the sunsets and the wild fow
ers around him, and he had learned
his lesson pretty well when Aunt Sal
ly'B sister appeared.
She had been posted by letter about
lhe deacon and they got on well to-
sr,ner from rne start. Three nights a !
week the deacon went over to Aunt
Sally's to spark Sarah and there was
fresh grease on his hair every time.
He did his best to be romantic and
there was no doubt in his mind that
he was succeeding when fortune play
ed him shabby trick.
He bad been invited to supper, and |
after the meal he and Sarah wandered |
forth to see the sunset BY and by |
they found a seat on the top rail Of |
the meadow fence, and MS the deacon |
was thinking of something romantic to
say he observed a spot where the gold
snrod was growing in profusion. There
was connection between goldenrod, |
golden sunsets, golden hopes and gold
en- harps, and he asked the widow If
ne might Gull her bouquet.
OOIne WIDOWS WOuIu nave CAlleu MIN /
Gully and told him to Gull away, but
his widow simply cried out in her
and said nothing SO sweet
was to be found in all Indiana. The
ieacon jumped off the fence and
lmbled across 200 feet of meadow for
he flowers
He cannot be held blameless for
what followed. A farmer who has
hunted the bumblebee to his lair a
hundred tirles over should know when
le is near that lair. There was a nest
n the grass between the deacon and
he goldenrod, but he did not dodge
I. On the contrary, with smile on his
ACE and his heart beating faster than
Usual, he walked right through it. The
Insects were flat going f0 ro0St for the