The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1917-06-14
WITHOUT THE ROMANCE
BY GEORGE WADE.


1t was Farmer Eliza Taylor, who had
been widower for the last five years
and had kept house for himself. He
had come In from days work and
put some potatoes to boil and some
meat to fry. Then he had gone out to
milk the cows and feed the hogs and
when he came back the water had
| boiled out of the potatoes and the
meat had burned to a cinder.
'By George" continued the farmer,
as he sat down to make his supper on
bread and butter, "the good Lord
never intended for decent man to
live this way. The floor is Uttered
with dirt, my bed hasn't been made
for q week ami / don't know when l
have had q decent meal. promised
Matilda, on her dying bed, that I
would not marry again, but-shucks
What does she care now whether i
marry or notT
"This is about huff of this" ex-
claimed the Widow Frazer, who lived
about three miles away on the out
skirts of the village, and who had been
widow long enough to be sick of 1t.
She had just entered the kitchen with
big armful Of wood that she had had
to split at the back door. Previous to
this she had had the hens to feed, the
cows to milk and the pigs to take
| care of.
II promised Joseph never to marry
again, and 1t seemed to make him cas-
Ter in his mind when he died, but If
Joseph is an angel, as hope he Is, he
ought to want me to take another hus-
band and get rid Of some of this
drudgery."
The morning after the widower and
the widow had spoken as above, Farm
er Taylor got up with HI Jaws set and
the light of determination In his eyes.
After a breakfast of fried eggs and
dry bread he hitched his horses to the
wagon and then loaded the vehicle
with cord of stovewood.
"This beech and maple wood Is goin'
right to the Widow Frazer's. 1t is dry
as finder and will warm her heart as
well as her Kitchen"
An hour later the load Of wood was
at the Widows door, and, as his knock
was answered, she exclaimed:
"Why, Eliza Taylor, is this you?"
"It's me, widder," was the reply,
"and I brought you a cord of dry
wood"
"But I haven't got 50 to pay for It
this morning."
"There is nothing to pay. I'll carry
1t in and pile 1t up in the woodshed.
was comm to town and thought you
might like the wood. It's might hard
to be all alone and burn green wood
besides"
When the wood had been nicely
piled up he started back home and for
three or four days he had pleasant
thoughts Of her tidy kitchen and the
air of comfort about the house.
"Tbat's what want-that's what
Tn longin' for" he unused. II want to
live In house, instead of pigpen."
In q week the horses and wagon
were brought out for another visit to
the Widow Frazer's. This time there
were apples, potatoes, beets and car
rots, and a big chunk of salt pork.
There were also big chunk Of corned
beef and three dozen eggs.
"Why Eliza Taylor, are you here
again?" was the greeting he got from
the widow.
eyes, I'm here" he laughed, II was
goin' to town and thought might as
well load up a few things for you"
When the gifts had been brought In
Farmer Taylor said:
"Wldder, am all alone and darned
lonely man."
II know it, Eliza" she solemnly re-
piled, "and pity you"
"And, wilder" he continued, "you
are all alone in this world and folks
can't be too good to you"
And he solemnly shook his head and
sighed.
And her chin quivered a little and
she sighed, too.
When Farmer Taylor came a third
time, which he did In few days, he
brought q big crock of butter, more
eggs and potatoes and corn for the
hens and pig. When he had brought
in the things the widow said:
ELLA, sit down at the table. I have
got n nice mince pie warmln' for you
in the oven. You are lonely man,
and, though you are one Of the best In
the world, you can't make mlnce
pie"
"And there's nothln' like EN-" he
said.
"Nothin' like en-" she repeated.
"Wldder," he said, as he began to
eat the warm pie, 81 promised Matilda
never to marry agalnw
sand that's what I promised Jo-
seph!"
"But wilder, have made up my
mind that Matilda, bein' happy herself,
had rather I'd marry than live the way
have to-"
"And that's the way 1 think about
Joseph" said the widow. "Elija, the
roads are In bad state and it's quite
Job for you to bring me things"
mo job at oil, widder," was the
prompt reply.
ut must be, Eliza, 1t must be, and 1
was goln' to say that bein' here as you
are, and bein' that ii may not be con-
venient FOR you TO come again soon,
hadn't we better-better set the date
and have 1t understood and over with?
There, / didn't mean to say that, but