Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1915-10-08
The Force
of Habit
By WILLIAM CHANDLER

man, and it was difficult for his wife's
friends to understand why she loved
him so dearly. But an analysis of the
heart is not like an analysis of the
stomach-that is to say. love is very
Elusive, We constantly see persons
devoted to other persons who ;Se to us
unattractiye.
However this may be, Molly ThOmp,
son was devoted to Bill Thompson
there was not even a grain of romance
in his name-and he was the apple of
her eye. He was not u successful man.
and his wife by various devices Sup
ported the family Every man has
some pride at the bottom of his ma
ture, and Bill Thompson did not fancy
his position of being taken care of in
stead of taking care Of those naturally
dependent upon him. Not that his
wife upDraided him. Far from it; she
excused him not only to others. but to
himself.
One day Bill Thompson went out to
look for position, he said, and when !
the dinner hour arrived he did not ar
rive with it. Whatever were Bills
faults, he was never late for a meal
Consequently his wife took fright at
once. Within an hour she notified the
police that her husband was missing.
and general alarm was sent out
The alarm did not bring Bill Thomp-
son. A month passed, and he had
failed to turn up. His wife was in a
terrible state Of mind about him. and
her friends began to think that it
would be better if her suspense were
ended by hearing that he was dead.
One day a cousin of hers. seeing an
unrecognizable corpse in a morgue
about the size Of Bill Thompson. con-
ceived the idea of palming it off on
Mrs. Thompson as her late husband.
The ruse was uCCeSSful-indeed, more
so than might have been eXpected-the
good woman surprising those in the
secret by identifying a patch she had
put in the seat of the trousers worn by
the corpse
1t was hoped ay the widows rea-
tives that Bill. being dead, would be
buried and Mrs ThompSon's mind re-
lieved. They were somewhat disap-
pointed when she insisted on having
her dear William cremated in order
that she might have the remains of
what had been her husband constant
~ with her. The cremation cost all
the money the poor woman possessed
and she had not the wherewithal to
purchase an urn for the ashes. She
determined to find a temporary recep
tacle till she might save enough for a
befitting one. Unfortunately there was
nothing at hand except cracked soup
tureen which, though it would not re-
tain soup. would do very well for
ashes
The remains Of the late head of the
house-or supposed head-were placed
on mantel in Mrs. Thompson's bed
room, and every night she wept her
self to sleep. with her eyes fixed on
their abiding place, lighted dimly by a
night lamp. Since the support of the
| family was solely in her hands anG
she needed every cent she could earn
! to feed and cothe her children funds
for the marble urn she intended buy
ing were not forthcoming. Conse-
quently the cracked soup tureen re
manned in use.
The widow. DESTROYS of having f1ow-
ers wave over her husbands ashes.
! put the tureen in a low box containing
earth and introduced the plants. They
! tlOurished. and the good woman had
the satisfaction of seeing them bloom.
She said it was almost as satisfactory
rs if they moved over a grave,
In time Mrs. Thompson saved the
money to purchase an urn, and the
! ashes were emptied from the tureen
into it 1t was of marble and of very
attractive shape. For three years she
devoted more care to it than to her
! house. Not speck of dust was al
lowed to remain on it, and the plants
amid which it rested were in perpet.
ual bloom. ~''~e' Z. '~1"'o''
Then one fine morning this beautiful
constancy of grief received rude
shock Bill Thompson walked into the
house in the flesh and with prosper
GUS look on him. His wife stood be
tween him and the urn containing his
! ashes with Il puzzled look on her face.
She had for so long accustomed her.
self to think of him as in the urn that
she could not realize he was there in
the flesh Bill in the urn was her ro-
nance: Bill in the flesh. unseen for
three years. appeared to her. as he APP
,peared TO others. very commonplace
person Duty finally triumphed, and,
turning her back on the romance. she
embraced the reality.
Thompson had gone away resolved
never to return unless in condition
TO support his family. He had accu.
mL!NteG q.itc II property He desise,t
his vie TO remove The ashes she had
been weeping over Rut to do so was
.on ,cl clrn hre1k N 70 habit she had
acquired she rui.SGHed TO the re.
uoval Of the mn from their bedroom
the first NIGHT Bill slept az home after
his return but her tears were so used
to flowing at the retiring hour that
they could not hp stopped Bill hear,
ing sob. got uul of bed Wepl TO u
closet where the urn had been placed
and put ii back on the mantel
The next day it was removed again
but in the evening the tears beginning
to flow. 1t was replaced on its ac'us
toned stand. Bin tried to cure his
wife by affecting jealousy: but. fear
ing that If she were forced to chou,C
between him and the ashes of his riva,
she would choose the latter. he dc.