Year: 1875

ELDER BOYD, though a very good man
in the main, and looked up to with re-
spect by all the inhabitants Of the little
village of Oldvillc, was rumorcd to have
in Yankee parlancc, a pretty sharp look
out for the main chance, a popularity
from which elders are not always ex-
empt.


In worldly matters he was decidedly
well-to-do, having inherited a fine farm
from his father, which was growing year
" more and more valuable. 1t might be
supposed that under these circumstances
the elder, who was fully able to do so,
would have found helpmatc to share his
house and name. But the elder was wary.
Matrimony was to him, in some measure,
a matter of money, and it was his firm re-
solve not to marry unless he could thereby
enhance his worldly property.


Unhappily, the little village of Oldville
and the towns in the immediate vicinity
contained few who were qualified in the
important particular, and of those there
were probably none with whom the elders
suit would have prospered. So it hap
pencd that year after year passed away,
until Elder Boyd was in the prime Of life
-forty-four or thereabouts-ands still un-
married, and in all human probability
likely to remain so. But in all human
calculation of this kind they reckon i'll
who leave the widows out.


Elder Boyd's nearest neighbor was a
widow.


The widow Hayes, who had passed
through matrimonial experience, was some
four years younger than Elder Boyd. She
was still buxom, comely woman, as
widows are apt to be.


Unfortunately the late Mr. Hayes had
not been able to leave her sufficient 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 in
sufficient to support her and little son of
six, likewise 10 be enumerated in the
schedule of her property, though hardly
to be classed as productive" of anything
but mischief.


The widow was therefore obliged to
take care of three boarders to exc out her
scanty income, which, of course, imposed
upon her considerable labor and anxiety.


Is it surprising that under these circum-
stances she should now and then have
bethought herself of a second marriage as
method of lettering her condition? Or,
again, need we esteem it special wonder
if, in her reflections on this point, she
should have cast her eyes upon her next
neighbor, Elder Boyd? The elder, as we
have already said, was in tlourishing cir
cumstances. He would be able to main
tain a wife in great comfort, and being
one of the chief personages in the village
could accord her prominent social posi-
ton He was not especially handsome,
or calculated to make profound impress
sion upon the female heart; this was true,
but he was of good disposition, kind
hearted, and would no doubt make a very
good sort of husband. Widows are,
take it Gf any shall do me the honor tc
read this story l trust they will forgive
the remark), less disposed to weigh senti
ment in second alliance than first
and so, in the widows point of view,
Elder Boyd was a very desirable match.


Some sagacious person, however, has
observed that it takes two to make s
match, fact to be seriously considered
for in the present case it was exceedingly
doubtful whether the worldly elder, ever
| if he had known the favorable opinion O.
his next neighbor, would have been in
clined to propose changing her name tx
Boyd, unless, indeed, suitable motive
was brought to bear upon him. Here wa!
chance for little managing, wherein
widows are said, as general thing, to b.
expert.


One evening, after day of fatiguin.
labor, Widow Hayes sat at the fire in The
sitting-room, with her feet resting on tn
fender.


:" If ever am situated so as not TO hav