The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1907-05-24
Her Husband Had To Recant

Her Husband Had To Recant.
| NOTICE. wish to announce through the
press that | believe the rumOrs rejecting on
my wifes character are false and untrue, and
that they were started without any foundation
whatever. (Signed) THEO. WILSON.
Theodore Wilson, honest farmer, gives
notice to the world in general and the peo-
pie of Blairstown, n. j., in particular,
that he wishes to make amends for the
wrong he has done the wife who for %
years has borne with him the burden Of
extracting a livelihood from their rocky
farm in the Jersey hills. Thereby hangs
a tale, illustrating what gossips can do
when they set out to wreck happy home.
Wilson and his wife have lived all their
lives in the vicinity of Blairstown. They
were brought up together; they went to
the little red school house and they became
lovers in their early teens. When they
were married and settled down upon the
old Wilson farm the neighbors thought it
just as natural a thing as the return Of
leaves in springtime. There they have
lived, content, and rearing their family as
best they could with the means at their
disposal Wilson is looked up to in the
community as man of strong character.
lie is a trustee of the Spring Valley School,
and, with his wife, prominent in Stony
Grove Church Until this spring there
never was a cloud in the matrimonial sky
Of the Wilson's.
Jason Hill is a bachelor, born and
brought up in that neighborhood. He is
something of beau, wears city clothes
and drives smart rig.
Farmer Wilson had Hill stay on his
place during the winter to help out with
the work. Jason refuses to be called a
''hired man. He simply "stays around. "
1t was his staying around the Wilson farm
that cooked the tidbits Of gossip that the
old women of the neighborhood have been
rolling under their tongues these several
months Stray remarks began to reach
the ears of Wilson. At first he laughed,
then he grew indignant. At last he en-
tertained doubt
When the farmer confronted his wife
with the tales he had heard of her friend
ship for the handsome Jason they had
their first serious quarrel. Being good
woman, Mrs Wilson could not understand
why her husband should doubt her. Bit
ter words were spoken by both The eli
max came when Wilson told his wife that
she could take her clothes and 90.
That was on Friday, six weeks ago.
The next day Wilson and his children
drove to town, as was their custom. AS
they left the barnyard Jason Hill, spic
and span in his Broadway clothes, jumped
into the rear of the wagon. Peering from
an upper window, Mrs. Wilson, who had
not spoken to her husband since the quar-
REL thought that Jason was going to town,
too.
She had determined to leave her hus-
band, and now was the opportunity. She
packed up some belongings and wrote
note to her children. This she left on the
kitchen table. Scrawled with a trembling
hand and stained with tears, it read:
Dear Children-I can't stay home
after what father has said to me. | am
going away and I want you to take good
care of him. My heart is broken and L
will never come back until father says that
he don't believe the things that have been
told about me.
YOUR LOVING MOTHER. y
There was sorrow in the Wilson farm
house that night. The children wept, and
couldn't be coaxed to eat even mince pie.
Nellie, nearly eighteen, scolded her father
for what he had done. The next day, when
the neighbors learned that Mrs. Wilson
had left home, there was cloudburst of
gossip. 1t happened that Jason Hill had
not gone to town with the farmer family.
He had ridden to the end of the lane and
then walked along road leading in the
direction of Saltwater, nearby town.
Some people had seen him, and 10! there
was Mrs. Wilson on the same road. When
they heard the news of her leaving home
it was easy for them to jump to the con-
clusion that the pair had eloped. And
they jumped. The story was spread on
every wind. After service at the Stony
Brook Church it kept the congregation
busy until many potpie was eaten cold.
Mrs. Wilson had not eloped, nor did she
even know that her footsteps had followed
those of Jason Hill along the old Saltwater
road. She had gone to the home Of an
aunt in Saltwater. There she remained
for six weeks. Meantime Farmer Wilson
was doing what the neighbors now declare
he should have done in the first place
he was investigating the stories told by
gossips. One after another he found them
groundless. Then he begged his wife to
return to him. At first she refused. But
love and home ties tugged hard at her
heartstrings. A week ago she listened
with warmed feelings to her repentant
husbands plea.
81 will come back she said, ''upon
one condition. 1t is that you make it plain
to the people of this place that you do not
believe the scandalous stories told about
me-"
| The chastened farmer agreed, and a
notice in the local paper gave the wife full
| irafico