Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1912-09-13
Its a wonder you folks didn't stir

0O LIB 6O l1oS HO teihSu - -
many times, but we knowed that Il
we put on the tar and feathers you'6
, be too alfred lazy to scrape EN-
off, and your wife would have the
job"
That's right. She is good. Cyrus
"None better"
"And that brings me to what
! want to ask. She won't have a dol
lar after I'm gone"
"Of course she won't"
She'll have to depend en- the kind
ness of the neighbors.'
"She will"
Cyrus, you don't belong to any
church, but you believe in heaven
don't you?"
"Yes, kinder"
you'd like to feel that I was look
ing down on you and acting as your
guardian angel, wouldn't your
"If you are going to keep up your
iaziness-"
But I'm not, Cyrus-I'm going tc
hustle. I'll do all that l can for yor
If you'll sign this paper"
What Is it?"
"Just a promise to be kind to, and
that you will look after, Sarah. We
shall both feel a great deal better II
you will"
The caller looked upon 1t as a dy'
ing mans whim, and signed. When
ready to go he said:
II hope you will get hustle on you
up there, Jim."
Then three more widowers and one
old bachelor got the word to call
and in the course of three days the
business was wound up. Then g
lawyer was sent for. the signed pa
pers handed over to him, and
great calm fell upon the dying man
He smiled every few minutes and
made no understandable explanations
regarding what he had been up to
A few days later he passed away
and almost his last words were:
Sarah, If they want to be kind tc
, you, let 'em go ahead"
There was kindness from every dl
rection, from contributions to pay
the funeral expenses to groceries and
provisions sent in for the widows
sustenance. After about a month had
elapsed Deacon Harrison received 8
letter asking him to call at the law
office of the attorney who had the
dead mans papers. When the good
man came strolling in, only mildly
curious as to why he had been. sum
! moned, he was greeted with:
"Of course it won't take place for
year, but allow me to congratulate
, you in advance"
What dye mean?" asked the dea.
! con.
"Your marriage with the Widow
Bushwick."
"shoo! What ye joking about?"
"Only this"
The paper he had signed for Jim
Bushwick was handed him. Hehad sign
ed without reading, and now behold:
'I not only promise to be kind to
James Bushwick's wife after she be
/ comes his widow, but to marry her
one year after his death"
"By thunder!" exclaimed the dea.
con as he danced around.
mo better evidence wanted In a
breach-of-promise case" quietly re.
piled the lawyer.
"She can sue and be hanged"
"Better settle for a couple Of hun
dred, deacon, and carry off your pa
per. 1t wouldn't sound we'll to
have people saying that you had
your second wife picked out while
her husband was alive"
The deacon hung off for week
and then came down. One by one
the others followed suit. Each one
was financially we'll able to do so.
Money contributed by your good
friends, and nothing is to be said
about It," remarked the lawyer to
the widow as he handed her $3.50 OF
the thousand.
To this day she has no other idea
about it. Now and then some one
says something about Jim Bushwicks
laziness in Deacon Harrison's hearing,
and he turns and replies:
"Why, there wasn't lazy bone In
his whole carcass! He made more
clean money in the last two weeks
Of his life than l did in the hull year!
Yes, drat him, he did"