Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1917-09-12
WITHOUT THE ROMANCE
BY GEORGE WADE.

sSSSssSSSSSSSSSSSSSsSs
"By hockey, but I'm tired of this, and
I'm good mind to throw this darned
old kitchen OutdOOrs"
It was Farmer ELIZA Taylor. who had
been a widower for the last five years
and had kept house for himself. l."
had come in from a 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, ana
when he came back the water had
boiled out Of the potatoes and the
meat had burned to 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 a week and 1 don't know when l
have had a decent meal. promised
Matilda, on her dying bed. that l
would not marry again, but-shucks
What does she care now whether l
marry or n0t?"
"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
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.
81 promised Joseph never to marry
again, and it seemed to make him cas-
| Ter in his mind when he died, but it
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
err Taylor got up with HI 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 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 cord of dry
wood"
"But I haven't got 50 to pay for it
this morning."
"There is nothing to pay. I'll carry
it in and pile it up in the woodshed. l
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.
"That's what I want--that's what
I'm longin' FOR" he unused. 81 want to
live in house, instead Of a pigpen."
In week the horses and wagon
were brought out for another visit to
the Widow Frazers. This time there
were apples, potatoes, beets and car
rots, and a big chunk of salt pork.
There We're 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.
"Yes, I'm here" he laughed, II was
goin' to town and thought might as
we'll load up few things for you"
When the gifts had been brought in
Farmer Taylor said:
"Widder, I am all alone and darned
lonely man."
II know it, Eliza" she solemnly re-
piled, "and I pity you"
"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 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 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:
"Elija, sit down at the table. have
got nice mince pie warmin' for you
in the oven. You are lonely man,
and, though you are one of the best in
the world, you can't make mince
pie"
. "And there's nothin' like EN-" he
said.
"Nothin' like en-" she repeated.
"Widder," he said, as he began to
eat the warm pie, II promised Matilda
never to marry again!"
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
I have to-"
"And that's the way I think about
Joseph" said the widow. "Elija, the
roads are in a bad state and it's quite
a Job for you to bring me things"
mo job at all, widder," was the
prompt reply.
1T must be, Eliza, it must be, and I
was goin' to say that bein' here as you
are, and bein' that it may not be con-
yenient for you to come again soon,