The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-09-26
EVENING STORY
When the Parson Helped.


There they comet
mo. they don't
There's a woman driving!"
And l see two boys!"
1t wasn't a circus or a Buffalo Bill
show that was coming over the hill
into the village of Liverpool, to see
which fifty or sixty people had gather
ed. 1t was simply and solely the
Widow Skinner, for the widow had
bought the house and lot of Seth
Travers and was moving over from
Rockford.
None of the Liverpool folks had
seen Mrs Skinner yet, but most of
them had heard of her. She had been
described as both an angel and a
Virago-aS tall and short-aS a
peacemaker and as a troublemaker. 1t
had come pretty straight that Rock
ford mad been glad to get rid of her.
but whether it was because she was
too good or too bad had not been Gefi-
nicely settled.
And the crowd had gathered IN
front of the Travers house, and the
widow was at hand with her bag and
baggage. A mystery that had troubled
the village for two weeks was about to
be solved.
Squire Lapham was the father of
the town. 1t was for him to welcome
all newcomers and shake hands with
all who moved away. He had on his
Sunday suit on this occasion, anil he
was on the ground early. 1t was for
him to boss, and for the others to obey.
The widow drove two skeleton horses
attached to a rickeIy old wagon, and
within the vehicle. were her house
hold trea sures.
Hitched to the rear of the wagon
was bony COW, and at her heels,
grunting their disgust, came three hogs
as thin as an old-fashioned hoop skirt.
The boys were nine and twelve years
of age. respectively.
STAND back! Everybody stand
back" shouted the squire, as the
wagon came to a halt. Are you goin'
to tell me that you never saw a wilder
woman before!"
Why. she's as homely as a cabbage
head" exclaimed one.
And she's as tall as mani" Sasped
Look at them crowbaits of hosses."
calculated a third.
Madam said the squire, as he
stepped forward and raised his Greeley
hat, lit is my happy privilege to bid
you welcome to our charming village"
The Widow Skinner looked that
crowd over for a minute and then got
down and said:
Il want no blarney from you or
any of the rest of EN-! Go on with
YOU
But my good woman"
But she went thru the crowd, scowl-
ing right and left, until all went away,
except Elder BiXby, who stool leaning
against the fence with a smile on his
face.
when the widow withheld her foot
and said:
Take off your coat and help me
get the stove and bureau out of the
wagon"
yes, NAM
I, a ixyt1
old. His wife had been dead seven
years, and he was perfectly satisfied
with the situation. He would not
cross the street to see the Widow Skin
ner or any other widow. He helped to
unload the wagon and carry the things
m, and when he put on his coat the
woman thanked him, and added.
-'I kinder suspect you are a wild
ower?" q
Yes"
And I'm a wilder. Drop in now
and then l shan't bite you.1
The widow settled her house in
three days. and then she and her sons
began to stand the town of Liverpool
on its head. The boys broke window
glass, got up dog fights, stoned cats
outrun them. The COW and the horses
and the hogs were turned loose in the
streets to get their living as best they
could, and they preferred the vegetable
gardens and lawns to the roadsides.
Squire Lapham had never been
Snubbed by mortal man or woman he
fore, and his surprise was so great
that he hardly spoke to anyone outside
| his family for two weeks. Then he
suddenly reused up and asked Stephen
Brewster:
steve, the law won't stand it--no;
by thunder, it won't, That wilder
and her boys have got to behave them
selves or they'll have trouble on their
handsi"
And within two hours the widow
killed three chickens which had stray
ed into her yard, and said to the viii
lage cooper, who was the owner of
them:
IF you Ndon't keep your old hens at
home I'll kill and eat every one of
emf
And when the cooper threatened to
have the law barrel her up she seized
him by his auburn side whiskers and
backed him up against the fence and
bumped his head until he saw stars.
Elder Bixby and Parson Turner
were about the only men in the village
after three months who were not in
favor of heroic action. As for the wo-
men, there were outspoken threats of
tar and feathers. Elder Bixby was an
occasional caller, and was always well
come, while the parson had called
once and had got away without trou-
BILE.
When the elder was asked his opin-
ion of the woman's conduct. he
thoughtfully replied:
We'll, human nature can't be all
alike. I'd like to see everybody actin,
like an angel, but 1 don't never 'spect
to-"
When the parson was asked his
opinion he said: E.
She may have been the victim Of
the worlds inhumanity. Let US wait
with patience and see. and then we
will know better what to do
While they waited the widows hoys
were arrested three different times for
such jokes as knocking a horn off
COW, opening gates to let their hogs
into gardens and helping themselves to
fuel from woodpiles belonging to 9TH
ers. They were brought before Squire
Lapham each time, and he fined them