The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-04-29


fncessant spying on his neighborS was
particularly In his line. but for many
wears now. though he had been reEular
"a attendance At church. he had never
oficiated at communion and bis dea-
conaI services had gradually lapsed
into the passing OF the contribution
box. q task Of which he never wearten.
Il was such a keen pleasure 70 make
nfl1er people Yield their pennies for q
GOOD cause without adding bis OWN
Deacon Baxter had now been wild
over FOR nine years, and the eommun-
ffy had almost relinquislfed the idea OF
his seeking q fourth wife. This was y
matter OF some regret. for there was
general feeling that II would be q good
thing FOR the Baxter girls TO have some
one TO help with the housework and act
as q buffer between them and their
grim and irascible parent. As for the
women -of the village. they were norti-
5ed that the Deacon had been able to
secure three wives and refused to be
Heve that ehe universe held anywhere
4 creature bepighted enough TO become
his fourth.
The FIRST. be It said, was q mere igno-
can't girl and he a beardless youth or
twenty, who may not have shown his
true qualities so early In life. She bore
him two sons, and 1t was matter or
comment at the time that she called
them. respectively. job and Moses, hop
Ing that the endurance and lpeekness
connected with these names might
somehow help them in their future re-
Iations with their father. Pneumonia,
coupled with profound disc0uragement
carried her or in few years to make
room for the second wife, WaitsttlPs
mother, who was of different fiber and
greatly his superior. She was hne,
Handsome girl, the orphan daughter OF
up county gentlefolks who had died
when she was eighteen. leaving her
alone in the world and pennies.
Baxter, after few days acquaint-
ance, drove into the dooryard Of the
house where she was a visitor and,
showing her his two curly headed boys.
suddenly asked her to come and be
their stepmother. She assented, partly
because she had nothing else to do
with her existence so far as she coald
see, and also because she fell in love
with the children at first sight and for
got, as girls Will that it was their
father whom she was marrying
She was as hplucky and clever ana
spirited as she was handsome, and she
made a brave fight OF it with Foxy.
long enough to bring a daughter into
the world, to name her Waitstill and
start her little way on her life jour
ney-then she. too, gave up the struS-
gle and died. Typhoid fever it was.
combined with complete loss of illu-
sions and kind of despairing rage at
having made so complete a failure Of
her existence.
The next year Mr.. Baxter, being I'M
usually busy. offered man good
young heifer if he would jog. about the
country a little and pick him up a
housekeeper. a likely woman who
would If she proved energetic, econom-
icaI and amiable be eventually raised
to the proud position Of his wife. If
she was young healthy, smart. tidy,
capable and a good manager, able to.
milk the cows. harness the horse ana
make good butter he would give dol
lar and a half a week. The woman
was found, and, incredible as it may
seem, she said Yes when the deacon.
whose ardor was kindled at having
paid three months wages. proposed
speedy marriage. The two boys by
this time had reached the age of dis
GEGEt0H. dHu O1Ge VI Lus4AA GNAh@@h hAAC
fact by promptly running away to.
parts unknown, never to be heard from
afterward; while the other, reckless
and unhappy lad. was drowned while
running on the logs in the river. Old
Foxy showed little outward sign of his
loss.
His third wife. the one originally Sc
cured for housekeeper, bore him q
NJ u tee nsr.u
named Patience, and great was Wait
stills delight at this addition to the
dull household The mother was u
ti1nid. colorless, docile creature, but
Patience nevertheless was a sparkling,
bright eyed baby. who speedily became
the very center OF the universe to the
older child. So the months and years
wore on drearily enough until when
Patience was eight the third Mrs.
Baxter succumbed after the manner OF
her predecessors and slipped away
from a life that had grown intolcrable-
The trouble was diagnosed as "iyer
complaint" but scarcity of proper
food, no new frocks or kind words.
hard work and continual bullying may
possibly have been contributory causes
DR.. Perry thought so, for he had wit
messed three most contented deaths in
the Baxter house. The ladies were all
members OF the church and had pre-
sumably made their peace with God,
but the good doctor fancled that their
pleasure in Joining the angels was mild
compared with their relief at parting
with the deacon.
II know 1 hadn't ought to put the
care on you, Waitstill, and you only
fourteen" poor Mrs Baxter sighed, as