The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-04-19
EVENING STORY
Without the Romance.
(By George Wade. }


"Bv hockey, but I'm tired of this,
and I'm a good mind to throw this
darned old kitchen outdoorsi"
1t was Farmer Eliza Taylor, who had
been a widower for the last five years
and had kept house for himself, He
had come in from days work ana
put some potatoes to boil and some
meat to fry. Then he had gone out to
milk the cows and feed the hogs, ana
when he came back the water mad
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 a decent man to
live this way. The floor is Uttered
with dirt, my bed hasn't been made
for a week and 1 don't know when l
have had decent meal L promised
Matilda, on her dying bed, that l
would not marry again. but shuck:
What does she care now whether L
marry or not?"
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 a widow long enough to be sick
of it She had just entered the kitchen
with a 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.
Il promised Joseph never to marry
again, and it seemed to make him
easier in his mind when he died. but
if Joseph is an angel, as l hope he is,
he ought to want me to take another
husband 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 his jaws set and
the light of determination in his eyes.
After breakfast of fried eggs and dry
bread he hitched his horses to the
wagon and then loaded the vehicle
with a cord of stovewood-
This beech and maple wood is
goin' right to the Widow Frazers. 1t
is dry as finder and will warm her
heart as well as her kitchen. no
that she had only green wood to burn.
and green wood used to make Matilda
so mad that she would throw the dish
pan on the floor
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?''
Its me, widder," was the reply,
'apd 1 brought you cord of dry
wood
But I haven't got So to pay for it
this morning"
y
it in and pilt it up in the woodshed. I
was comm to town and I thought you
might like the wood. It's mighty hard
to be all alone and burn green wood
besides
The widow looked at him and
sighed.
The farmer looked at her and did
the same.
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.
That's what l want-that's what
I'm longin' for" he mused- Il want
to live in a house, instead of a pigpen.
l want to look around and see clean
things. 1t made me SO darned hungry
1 could have eaten raw onions and
moldy bread"
In week the horses and wagon
were brought out for another visit to
me Widow Frazer's. This time there
were apples, potatoes, beets and car
rots, and a big chunk of salt pork
There were also a big chunk of corned
beef and three dozen eggs.
why, Eliza Taylor. are you here
sgain?' was the greeting he got from
the widow
yes. I'm here" he laughed. 81
was goin' to town and 1 thought
might as well load up a few things for
you
When the gifts had been brought in
Farmer Taylor said:
sWiddar, I am all alone and a
darned lonely man.
s'I know it, Eliza she solemnly re-
Piled. land I pity you"
And then he sighed.
And she shook her head and sighed
also.
"And, widder,' he continued, you
are all alone in this world and folks
can't be too good to you"
And he solemnly shook his mead
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 a 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 a nice mince pie warmth for you
in the oven. You are a lonely man,
and, tho you are one of the best in
the world, you can't make mince pie
And there's nothin' like EN- he
said with a sigh
"Nothin' like en- she repeated.
And she sighed also.
wilder" he said, as he began to
eat the warm pie. Il promised Ma
tilda never to marry again"
'.And that's what I promised Jo-
seph." she added; and their two signs
went forth at the same time and
struck the back kitchen window.
But wilder, I have made up my
mind that Matilda. helm happy her
self, had rather I'd marry than live
the way l have to-"
And that's the way I think about
Joseph said the widow.
There was a long silence after this.
broken only at intervals by sad signs.
and the pie had been half de-oured,
when the widow said:
"Elija, the roads are in a bad state