The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-07-09
THE EVENING STORY
Jim Bushwick's Widow.
(Rv I.awrence Alfred Clay.)

| Jim Bushwick, of The village of Raw
| Inns, was a ne'er-do-well. He was born
lazy and without business acumen suf-
ficient to sell or buy peck of potatoes.
/ He didn't drink, smoke or chew, and
when he married it was to have wife
| to take care of him. She was hustl1ng
ambitious woman, and if she could
| have had his help they could have been
we'll off after five years.
She didn't have it, however. Jim was
always going to do this and do that.
and he never even got up energy
| enough to set out bed of onions. The
wife seldom scolded or complained. She
was the village seamstress, and by
steady work she managed to keep a
roof over their heads.
| Now and then there was talk of do
ing something to Jim-tar and feathers
| "a whipping-the law or something
else, but it never went beyond talk. As
for tar and feathers, there was no tar
| in the town, and no citizen would have
| been willing to contribute the feathers.
Thus things went on for eight years,
and then Jim Bushwick was taken with
a hopeless illness. When this disease
took hold of a man he galloped to the
grave very fast. 1t was only after the
doctors had told Jim there was no hope
for him, and that his flame of life
would be snuffed out in a couple of
weeks more, that the true spirit of a
manly man came out. He called his
wife to his bedside one day and began:
Sarah, you are going to be widow
soon.''
YES" she replied as tears filed her
eyes.
i've been a no-account man and
husband"
But you've done the best you could. :"
"Mebbe SO. but when look back I'm
ashamed of myself. I can't leave you a
dollar"
Never mind, Jim. Everybody will
be kind to me and shall get along.
Let us hope the doctors are mistaken,
and that you will live many a year
yet"
LET US do nothing of the kind. but
get ready for business. Sarah, you
know what breach-o'- promise is, Of
course?"
Yes"
IF you have pretty good case agin
man he'll settle for cash"
But how can I have a breach-o'-
promise case?''
That's what I am going to provide
you with-severa1 of them. Bring me
pen, ink and paper, and then run over
and tell Deacon Harrison want to see
him.
The deacon was a widower and we'll
to do. He was one of those who had
spoken of tar and feathers, but he had
a neighborly feeling, for all that. When
he had come in and expressed his SYM
pathy the dying man said:
Deacon, Sarah will soon be left
alone"
Yes
ct want folks to be kind to her when
I'm gone"
''They will be, Jim-they will be-"
I'm not so sure of that. Folks get
tired of being kind after awhile. I
know how good you are, but if you'd
only put it in black and white that
you'd be kind to Sarah after I'm gone I
should feel heap easier about going
Here's a paper I've drawn up that says
you'll be kind
why, I'll sign that, of course was
the reply; and the deacon, for once in
his life. signed a paper without reading
IL and looking for traps. He did more
than that. He offered to boss the
funeral when it came off and to be one
of the pallbearers.
Then Cyrus Barnes, another widower
was sent for. He was awfully sorry to
find Jim so near the grave and he was
going to pull out a dollar bill and leave
it with him when-he didn't He in
dulged in further words of sympathy
which made it SO per cent cheaper for
him.
Cyrus. I've been a poor stick of
man." said Jim.
You have that" was agreed.
Il ought to have been at work ev-
I'VE all know that"
Its a wonder you folks didn't stir
me up"
many times but we knowed that if
we put on the tar and feathers you'd
be too ALFRED lazy to scrape 'em
off and your wife would have the
That's right. She is good. Cyrus"
None better
And that brings me to what 1
want to ask. She won't have a dollar
after I'm gone
'Of course she WON'T
She'll have to depend on 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 1 was look
guardian angel, wouldn't you?''
eff you are going to keep up your
lazines5@"
But I'm not, Cyrus-I'm going to
hustle. I'll do all that 1 can for you
if you'll sign this paper
What is it %
"Just promise to be kind to, and
that you will look after, Sarah. we |
shall both feel a great deal better if |
you WILL
mans within and signed. When ready |
to go he said:
At 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 bust |
ness was wound up Then a lawyer |
was sent for. the signed papers hand |
ed over to him, and a great calm fell /
upon the dying man. He smiled every