SHE COULDN’T MARRY

Dunstan Times, Issue 1077, 15 December 1882, Page 4

SHE COULDN’T MARRY

A very fat woman, going on 50 years old, toiled up the four pairs of stairs, rested her breath awhile, and then wanted to see die head reporter I’m alone in this world she commenced, and she sat down and pulled out her handkerchief. “ A widow, eh ?” queried the head reporter. “Yea, a poor starving widder, whose husband has been dead these 14 years ” “ Death is a sad thing, madam. It crushes hope--, severs ties, and breaks hearts.” 44 He was such a good man !” she sobbed, covering her face with her handkerchief, “ and such a good provider. We allers had meat, and wood, and preserves; and de you know, he never gave mean unkind word ?” “ He Burst have been an excellent man” "He was— he was. He’d get up at nights and cover up the children and shake down the stove, and if his meals wasn’t ready, or he found buttons oif his shirt, he’d never open his head.” “ Aud your griet is yet strong—your, sorrow just as deep?” “Just the same as the day he lay down dyin’ and whispered— * Cortilda, don’t take on so.’ Yes. I’m grieving just the same, or I wouldn’t care what folks said. That’s what brought me up here folks ai-e talking about me.” “They are, eh V “Yes, they are. They’ve said that I was after a widower—that I fell in love with one of the boarders ; that I was keeping up correspondence with an undertaker , and that I was dead in love with adozsu men.” “ And it is not true ?” “ True, young man 1 Look at me ! Do I look like one who wanted to get married ?” “ Well, n - o.” “ How could I marry again?” she exclaimed. “Howcould I forget that dear form beneath the sod and smile on anotuer man ! Marry! Young man how could they start such stories ?” “And you want them denied?” 41 That’s it. Here’s 10 cents, and I want you to come out in the paper tomorrow in a piece so long, and say that I’ll prosecute these slanderers if these stories don’t cease. Put it in red type, mister—in red type and big letters at t hat, th t a Detroit widder can’t escape the vile slanderers, no matter how well she behaves. I marry again—think of it, young man!” “But widows do often re-many.” “ Alas.! they do, voting man. Somehow it seems lonesome to bo a widder, and hj tve no one to defend you, and be, ail alone but—but I couldn’t think of taking another man—not unless he was rich.” And she wiped her eyes again, and felt her way downstairs.