The Palatka news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1907-12-13
A Christmas AID.


lowing in their footsteps as farmers
he should go to college and study a
profession. But Ned had become in
volved with Alma Blodgett, farmers
daughter, and although she urged him
to act upon his fathers and mothers
advice he insisted on an immediate
marriage, which was equivalent to re-
naming on the farm This set his par
ents to trying to break up the match,
and, failing to do so, they continued to
work with a view to separation Of
the young married couple till they Sc
cured the result they desired.
Five years after the separation Ned's
parents were both dead Ned now re-
allied that great mistake had been
made. He had divorced his wife at
their instigation, and they had gone
to their long home leaving him in his
loneliness. Alma had only consented
to divorce on condition that she keep
the children, boy and girl. She
was a plucky woman and supported
Their to secure the divorce had settled
q few thousand dollars on her, which
by thrift and good investments she
increased. But no sooner had the sep
aration taken place than, taking her
children, she left the location where
she had been made unhappy and gave
no inkling as to where she was going.
Soon after the death of his parents
Ned began to search for his wife and
children. He hunted six years with
out success. Then, hearing of the adj
vantages of farming on the lands
wrested from the great American des-
ert in Dakota, he sold his farm, went
there, bought land and began once more
under new conditions. But neighbors
were few and far between and the
man was lonely. During the days he
was occupied, but on summer evenings
the chirp of insects sounded loud and
melancholy, while the winds in winter
howled about his shack and made him
desolate. At last he could stand it no
longer. He advertised for wife, in
his ad. giving brief summary of the
conditions of his marriage and divorce.
one signed "Widow" that struck him
more forcibly than any of the rest,
though he had little confidence in any
of them. "Widow" wrote from point
not far distant. She had come to Da-
kota to farm with her three children.
The only difficulty she labored under
was that she was woman. A man
was needed on the premises. She
would either sell her farm to unite
with a good practical man. or if it ap
peared to be more expedient the man
could sell out and join her.
Bucklin was rather pleased with the |
tone of the letter, though the hand
writing indicated an uneducated per-
son. 1t was some time before he made
any reply, for he could not bear to
give up all hope of finding his wife |
and children. When his crops were in |
wrote for particulars which would en-
able him to visit the widow. She re-
piled that he would find her in GER
tain township midway between two |
settlements, and since her shack was |
the only one within five miles he
would not be likely. to miss It, She
suggested that if he could come at !
Christmas she would have more time
to make his acquaintance, since she |
had planned her work to have few |
days at that time comparatively free. |
She also asked that if he lived near a.
town he would bring few things for
the children for Christmas, inclosing |
list of what she wished and post
office order to cover the expenditure.
Bucklin wrote that he would visit her
the day before Christmas, but return
ed the postoffice order.
After writing the letter he fell to
that he was about to go on a
FOOLS errand. He pictured the widow
old and ugly. She had admitted that
she was middle aged, which with a
woman he thought would mean at
least fifty. Then the children would
be an objection. The sight of them
would continually remind him of his
own little boy and girl, who must be
now something like fourteen and
twelve years old respectively, and he
would hate these youngsters, in whom
he had no interest. He wrote the
widow frankly the story of his mar
riage and divorce, admitting that, al
though he was desperately lonely, he
could never be happy except with his
own wife and children.
Christmas came. 1t was a crisp
Bucklin was awakened by a
ray Of sunlight shooting through a
crack. The first thought that struck
him was that somewhere his boy and
girl were dancing over their gifts. He
gave a groan, turned over and after
awhile sank into another slumber.
He was awakened by the sound of
sleighbells and voices. Then there
came a rap at the door. Hold on till
[ get on some clothes" When dressed
he opened the door, and there stood
the widow and her three children.
Bucklin caught at his doorpost. The
was his divorced wife.
The word 'merry" applied to Christ
mas is not strong enough to describe
that holiday. The widow had suspect
ed from the wording of the advertise
ment who the advertiser was, had rec
ognized her former husbands hand
writing and to conceal her identity had
replied through her daughter. The ia
Their saw for the first time his third
child-a sou-who had been born after
he separation Of his parents.
The Christmas festivities ended with
A wedding between the divorced cou-
pie, though it involved long ride for
4 parson. The wife sold her farm,