Year: 1878

| uVi Hllsi tnOuBn very goO(
man in the main, and looked up t


with respect by all the inhabitantl
Of the little village of oanonsville


was rumored to have in Yankee par
lance, a pretty sharp lookout for tn,
main chance, peculiarity from


which deacons are not always ex
empt.


In worldly matters he was decided
ly well.to-do, having inherited a fint
farm from his father, which wa.
growing yearly more valuable. Il
might be supposed that under these
circumstances, the elder, who was
fully able to do SO, would have found
q helpmate to share his house and
name. But the elder was wary
Matrimony was 10 him, in some
measure, a matter of money, and il
was his firm resolve not to marry un'
less he could thereby enhance his
worldly prosperity. Unhappily, the
little village of Canonsville and the
towns in the immediate vicinity,
contained fey, who were qualified in
this important particular, and in
those there were probably none with
whom the elders suit would have
prospered.


So it happened that yearafter year
passed away, until Elder Willis was
in the prime OF life-forty-four or
thereabouts-and still unmarried,
and in all probability likely to re-
main so. But in all human calcula.
tions of this kind, they reckon ill
who leave widows out.


Elder Willis nearest neighbor was
q widow.


The widow Ames, who had passed
through one matrimonial experience,
was some four years younger than
elder Willis. She was still abuxom,
comely woman, as widows are apt
to be.


Unfortunately, the late Mr.. Ames
had not been able to leave her suffi-
cient to make her Independent of the
world. All that she possessed was
the small, old-fashioned house, in
which she lived, and a small amount
Of money, which was insufficient to
support her and u little son of six,
Tho srise fhais a
schedule of her property, though
hardly to be classed us productive"
of anything but mischief.


The widow was therefore obliged to
take day boarders, exc out her scan
ty income, which, of course, imposed
upon her considerable labor and anx-
iety.


Is it surprising that under these
circumstances she should now and
then have bethought herself Of Sec
ond marriage as method of better
ing her condition? Or again, need
we esteem it special wonder if in
her reflections upon this point, she
should have cast her eyes upon her
next neighbor, Elder Willis? The
Elder, as we have already stated, was
in fourishing circumstances. He
would be able to maintain a wife in
great comfort; and being one of the
chief personages in the village, could
accord her a prominent social posi-
tion. He was not especially hand
some, or calculated to make a pro-
found impression upon the female
hearts-this was true-but he was Of
a good disposition, kindhearted, and
would no doubt make a very good
sort of a husband. Widows are, l
take, (if any will do me the honor to
to read this story, l trust they will
forgive the remark, less disposed to
weigh sentiment in second alliance
than at first, and SO, in a widows
point of view, Elder Willis was a
very desirable match


Some sagacious person however,
has observed that it takes two to
make match, a fact to be seriously
considered; for in the present case it
was exceedingly doubtful whether
the worldly Elder, even if he had
known the favorite opinion of his
next neighbor, would have been in
clined to propose changing her name
to Willis, unless, indeed, suitable
motive was brought to bearupon him.
Here was chance for fineSsing,
wherein widows are said as agcneral