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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (April 1, 1881)
100 THE WEST SHORE. April, 1881. THE WIDOWS HCXIC. laoeeiif lit nujr Beet but bumble dwell ing! which encircle the thriving Iowa of M , t'ttiM en U l!ne ef tfce "fwtfcrrn JV!r fUilioed, dwelt the Widow lluiy, and bar two boyt and two gltle. Tin detrtod tpouet, Deaeie Ilerty, bod Juintd on of the beaefioeut Order of U10 day, tad bad U(l bia widow wilb aaeg aum of ntooey eiifllaiaal to kip Ui alive branch from rewlooei md hunger, liar ouwUtit car wm to regulate bar lilUo boaeebuhl and train Uiem p ia Iba way they ehould go. Kb un failed to regret tba loet of Ileenie, Mid eheriahod hit memory witb du dlligeaoa. Hit WU a Women who bad "theory" Uiat there waa only on good buaband for a woman t If aba diw prlte tba flnl lima, aba would lihtly t blank la fiirlbar ven ture, and r.r mm, Hb IWad an eaeygoing, laduiUioua Ilia liao bar widowhood began, which waa two year put. riha eeemed bkaly to glide al ta Uia quia! atraam of bar widowhood aiiltl aba baoaina mother-in-law to eomebody, without ripple oa Uta tola. Hot lh waa "t to ba, fur tba appearance of l.rry lloahaa bnika p tin aaa touoc of bar way, and bar IrouuUa began. Atry waa a countryman of ban who bad lain tome Ua mtlee up Dry creek. One day, pateing by with bia cart oa hia way to Uia towa. ha etopped at bar get to give eime of bar ehildre a lilt to Uia arhool huuaa. Tbara wet half dnara urvhina ia tha part ha had already pbked Bp kloof Uia road, who, selling hta altoaliua to Uiam aa Ih.y wara leav U boat, bo added them to hia l L Ha waa a food took lag, good aetured, Bwrry tietimen of aa Irtahmea, to whma llfe'e trouble eeemed but Ultlea. hhe bad often ea him paaa with a tot of oalldrua, vol thai waa Uia lint titna ha had peeked ap any of bar brood. Hhe waa at tha get aa bo drove up, and tba compliment, of toe day war ("eely peeeej to and Iro over tha (aaaa. Thia waa Ua beginning of aa ao qeeinWttc, ooeiUeaed with laoieaawg intimacy and wtaraet, till Uia widow begaa to ovoehaul Uta raoorda to tea if ber "theory" of tha reeull of a tamad draw at Uta lottery would bold wa tori aha taunted oil Uta ayaa oa bar right hand and tha aaya oa Uia Ult, and waa relieved and eaUaUed to Had Uia oame on I ana anyhow. Owe day lavr drove ap to Uia gaU with bia toad of trait and vegetable, and tuipptd. Ha told bar Utere waa to ba a inrsio at Uia grov May iy, and would aha and Uia children Ilka to go with bia la Uta aarL Kr body waa go lag, hha waa Utlaaing out a bad of calotte, and aa aana at aha ooaUl gat auma of Uta kiakt 00 1 at bar hab, aha took a aarray of Uia oart. It aa a bkaly looking affair aawaga. Hha aiiadad at Mag tola of wana lolka and abildraa fotoa lata tow oa won lonaiag rtgi Utaa 1-arry aart, aa4 Utaa, toa, aba waaa't praad. lodavd. . what had aka to ka ptoa4 ol aoloaa of bar cbil ir and bar rod aaawT Ha UmiL ion. with a alight Uaah, bow pWaaant auch a nU wwald ba "acma Uta wtaor ' haatda I Airy, and Iba abildraa terkod oat of Uta way at Uta toil af Ua aatV And aha Utoughl, too, (widoa Ihlak awful faat) a litUa aouuragaMi would (jot MM MUa to liry, who tmwl tarlinad to play iho Ufgard la torai It will ba auch a kwat far Ua aW Utlla darliuga ad ahaoonarnbal la ga lor tbatr aakaa. Iiry didn't cwra lor boa aaba It waa aa aha uaa abwg. and Uta lain waa artUvL May-dav waarwiag eaaaa la auft and balmy 1 a ligat aooi mm waa am tag ap uta 'allay, la atMwtuig and aibklarattag. It waa what waa nallad a gnd aaaaiaa, aad af watad with Uta Mwaaiaa abaadaaMt and arry hnjy Mi M though aw waa Uta ttuta for aa)oML Tha Vtdow bad aMt towa alia ataoa tba day of Uta tairlUUaai aa4 lhara aaa a hna lorn aaw baabat with a rainbow handla, 61M V lU Uiai artib araiaataat af bar abtll aa a ooua, aatch waa to aarra tba doobla pnrpoaa of contributing to Uia graalrat pleaaura of a picnio, that ol fraaUng ia tha opao ur, and aa a aortof domottic batUry to bring Larry to bouneia. It waa oorarad wiUi a moa UWacloth, and waa plaoart r 1 :.. ,rt Tl.a voans on atorrd away ia tha roar and with tha widow baaida him, oa a Una baguy roba ha had bor mwad fr tha oooaaioo from a friendly hnjller in Uta town. Irry eUrtrd is good at) la for tha grova. Thry arrired in dua lima for tha aier otaaa proridtd for tba day. Hy tha lima noon cama, avarybody wu rraly for Uia eating part of tha programuia. Tha baakot waa plaord tr n'1 ' anowy elulh ipnul nodar ita branchea. The aaaaa, piaa, euiiarua, vnicfc, terl picnio faahion. The widow aat ommaite to Larry, with tha ehildiaa right and left. Krarylhing waa lovely. A Larry j(tanoe.l over tha foaat aprrd by tha wiilow'a hand before him, ha menially vowed to eno her for life, if piauible, oa tha way home. The widow took ap a deep cuiUrd, aud wu in the act of puaing it to him when a pig, which had found eutranoe to tha grounde, thought he would proaiieot the bull at at tha foot of the tree, lie got hit I" re feel into tha haaket I ha became el. mini in the rear, and undertook to e on through the haa ket IntUad of backing out, and the reaultof hia fright waa that ba gut tha baikat ilium hie back, with tha handle lirnily around hit Ixuly like the cinch of a eaddle. With a frailul tiiirl, he made a break atraight ahead, overturned the II rat young ona ba came teniae, daihnl between the widow and lrry Jott in time to lling the onotenla of the cuttatd over hit head and ahouldere. It tilled hit eyoa and hair maluad of hit mouth and atomaeh, and onnvertmt a j ijtul ahirt lxno and oollar into a picture of inuery. Tha pig continued on hia courae, making a wrack ol every borne elicit be entered and do moralising Uia whole intlitution. He waa per fectly of eiy with fear, atiml up on hit hiud lege, then on hia for, like a California broncho; tried to roll over, and then to thaka off tha horrible tiling oa hit back 1 tried to rub it off againtt anything or anybody ha oould tea, meanwhile keeping up Uia moot Irightful and pitroui uneii aver beard. He waa Uia livelieet thing U.al aver dropped in at t picnio. What with Uia pig tod Uia aoretmi of laughter from thsee who eueoeodod in getting upon the wagona and the fence, and tha ahnekt of tha women and children u ha raged among them and over the duoee, there waa no lima for mannera, much I nee courting. Aa toon aa Irry oould get enough of the outtard out of hia eyaa to aee which way to go, ha ma.lt lor Uia fence. Tht widow had jutt time to jerk two of the ) oungeit Into a wagon aa the pig again oame around, when aha made a bold daah (or her batkeL Tba pig wanted aha aliould havt it bat ollered it in luch haato that aha aat down quicker than ahe ever did before in her life. Then aha climbed into the wagoa with her bat under her arm. hha ecraemed over to Urry to get tht baiket, but tomehow lrrv oouldu't hear her. leaat- waya ba told her to on her way home. Krery Unto the Ixg em led aiound near by her the would eidaim, "t)h, my baiket, my beautiful bethel," The pig finally found tha gap he oame ia at and away ha went down the road with the beautiful batket on Uia top of hit back for ever. la apite of the terror and dea traction created, it waa voted Uiat the fun and ticitemeut waa worth It til: aotndr aa atrinu.lv hurt ..J there waa y.l plnty to eat. Kvtrybody waa ta high glee eioepi the widow 1 aha waa oroat the haw of her haaket fur which aha had paid n.'Ouaaao Uilia. The featt tht bad ipread with ao ataeb pride waa bo longer a thing of beauty or a j..y to Uta ami I, and not Uia Irtat of her aoerowa waa tba trllith eeoapa of Larry to the fwtoe, leaving her to Wk out for heraelf lamiiy aa ueet ana oould. She waa very ooul to him for tome time and f.li k.w ... grieved. Hat who oaa aulk long or ba oroat at . r-'e auwtig a wine ol young folht bent oa Im and Irobc! Hy Uta time breaking ap oame aba bad recovered bar naual good bimor, and Urry tad the were again on loving tonne. Theremaini ol mi iw, , - .towed twty under tha teat and the Ubla olotb olaced over them. Thit wat the only reoouree, the buket wu gone and there wat no box to he had. They Joasen aioog suuiioiwuie-uu toward, home. The widow wu in nn. aP.n, ,d nothing wu to bad but it might be worae, and they baa nta a apieumu ...... Hrry't apirit rote with the ooouion and ha thought it wu now or never. He aaked the ..i.. ir her hand and offered to divide all - hia worldly potieieioni with her in exohange tiuging: "fvt built me a nite llltlt cot, love, I've piga end poUUiea in lUire. And fe iweniy brliiht pounda In tht bank, darling, And it uity be a wund or two mure. of the departed tpouta oame tuddenly to her, u no doubt it oomet to all iridowe under tucn cireumtvanoet, uu no t.,d The memory of all the loving kindneta of Dennit ruahed like a flood into bar heart, that loving ctre end loretnougntioo, wnicn nta kept the itmg of poverty and dittreu from her widowhood, ana nor vuugus imunu u.m the ready tllirmttive that wat in her heart, "it wrnrn ao Hidden." the laid. She hadn't dreamed of tuch a thing. She thought all along it wu the children he wai ao tonn 01; tna anted a littlt time to oontider. Would he ctll Kunilty week for an antwer. Yea, ba would call every day 01 me ween ior uio mat ter of that. Hut little more wu ttid, at each kept up a buiy thinking till they arrived at the gate. "Mould the lino, Mn. Harty, while I tend to the children ; I'll have ya all out in the twiukle of an rye," laid Larry; and he did tare enough. She took the linee, and he tprans to the ground. The bolt whioh kept the bed of the cart in petition had, unU known to him, worked out, and u he jumped off, the equilib rium wu drttroyed; with the btltnoe of power with the children tt the tail of the oart. At toon u he reached the ground the rett were dumped like a load of rubbiih in front of the gate. The widow rotumed her proper poiition in the world u toon ta poaaible. Whioh end of her atruck tint the never knew; that the made one revolution the wu certain. Her ear wu full of molaatei and her hair of gravy, and her hat wu jammed down over her eyet with the rim between her teeth. At for the children, they looked u though they wouldn't need to uk (or preiervea for a month, if allowed to lick themtolvea olean. Mra. Harty wu mad u a hornet Thit aeo ond oaUetrophe wu too mnoh for her love, and it went out like a match. "It thit the wty to bring a lady home, yon villitn? If I catch ya within my door I'll nave ye out in tha twinkle of tn eye!" end the thook ber Hat at bim. Tha cart, relieved of ita load, righted op with a bang which act tht old bone thinking about borne, and be itirted off at a rata which pretumed that the retult of hit mental inveatiaation wu, that he thought it wu late. Poor Larry gave a beaeeching look tt the widow, and an anxiom one after hit rapidly diuppearing vehicle. Sha looked to ferociout and warlike that ha quickly decided it beat to look after tba cart and old Mike. The widow ttood at though dated, for noma minutoa; but a ttring of teami from tha picnio wort ooming rapidly up the road, and that wu no place for her ana ber family in tuoh a queer muddle; to the temped the debrit into the table cloth, gathered up the four oornert, and pnth ing the young onet ahead of her, tha dragged the wreck through the gate, into tha bouee, and oloaed the door behind her. Here, abut out from the rude world, the let ber feeling! have full twty, and woman', belt friend in raoh timea oame to her relief, and tba thed team in abundance. Much a day the had never experi enced in all her life. It teemed a month lino morning. What a day it had been I - Thit dij an wildly mleomad, 1it day my tnul had tingled ou. of time And marked lor blue."'