Jasper Republican, Volume 1, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 July 1875 — THE WIDOW’S POT OF GOLD. [ARTICLE]

THE WIDOW’S POT OF GOLD.

Elder Boyd, though a very good man in the main, and looked up to with respect by all the inhabitants of the little village of Oldville, was rumored to have, in Yankee parlance, a pretty sharp lookout for the main chance, a peculiarity from which elders are not always exempt ‘ In worldly matters he was decidedly nvell-to-do, having inherited a fine form Trom his father, which was growing yearly more and more valuable. It might be supposed that under these circumstances the elder, who was folly able to do so, would have found a helpmate 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 resolve 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 elder’s suit would have prospered. So it happened that year after year passed away, until Elder Boyd was in the prime of life —forty-four or thereabouts—and still unmarried, and in all human probability likely to remain so. Bat in all human calculation of this kind they reckon ill 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 a 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 foe world. All that she possessed was foe small, oldfashioned house in which she lived, and a small amount of money which was insufficient to support her and a little son of six, likewise to be enumerated in foe schedule of her property, though hardly to beclassed as “ productive” of anything but mischief.

The widow was therefore obliged to take care of three boarders to eke out her scanty income, which, of course, imposed upon her considerable labor and anxiety. Is it surprising that under these circumstances she should now and then have bethought herself of a second marriage as a method of bettering her condition ? Or, again, need we esteem it a 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 flourishing 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 position. He was not especially handsome, or calculated to make a profound impression upon the female heart; this was true, but he was of a good disposition, kind hearted, and would no doubt make a very good sort of a husband. Widows are, I lake it (if any shall do me the honor to read this story I trust they will forgive the remark), less disposed to weigh sentiment in a second alliance than a first, and so, in the widow’s point of view, Elder Boyd was a very desirable match.

Some sagacious person, however, has observed that it takes two .to make a 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 favorable opinion of his next neighbor, would have been inclined to propose changing her name to Boyd, unless, indeed, a suitable motive was brought to bear upon him. Here was a chance for a little managing, wherein widows are said, as a general thing, to be expert.

One evening, after a day of fatiguing labor, Widow Hayes sat at the fire in the sitting-room, with her feet resting on the fender. “ If ever I am situated so as not to have to work so hard,” she murmured, “ I shall be happy. It’s a hard life keeping boarders. If I was only as well off as Elder Boyd.” Still the widow kept up her thin King, and by and by her face brightened. She had an idea, which she was resolved to put into execution at the earliest possible moment. What it was the reader will discover in the sequel. “ Freddie,” said she to her son the next morning, “ I want you to stop at Elder Boyd’s as you go to school, and ask him if he will call on me in the course of the morning or afternoon, just as he finds it most convenient.”

Elder Boyd was a little surprised at this summons. However, about eleven o’clock, he called in. The widow had got on the dinner, and had leisure to sit down. Bhe appeared a little embarrassed. “ Freddie told me that you would like to see me,” he commenced. “ Yes, elder, I should. But lam very much afraid you will think strange, at least, of what I have to say to you.” The elder very politely promised not to be surprised, though, at the same time, his curiosity was visibly excited. “ Suppose,” said the widow, casting down her eyes—“ mind, I was only supposing a case—suppose a person should find a pot of gold-pieces in their cellar, would the law have a right to touch it, or would it belong to them?” The elder pricked up his ears. ■ “A pot of gold-pieces, widow? Why, unquestionably, the law would have nothing to do with it.” “ And the one who formerly owned the house couldn’t come forward and claim it, could he, elder?” “No, madam; unquestionably not. When the house was disposed of, everything went with it, as a matter of course.” “lam glad to hear it, elder. You won’t Qiink strange of the question, but it hap-

pened to occur in my mind, and I thought I would like to have it satisfied.” “Certainly, widow, certainly,” said the elder, abstractedly. “ And, elder, as you’re here, I hope you will stop to dinner with ns. It will be ready punctually at twelve.” “ Well, no,*’ said the elder, rising, “ I’m much obliged to ye, but they’ll be expecting me home.” “At any rate, elder,” said the widow, airing a piece of steaming mince pie from the oven, “you won’t object to taking a piece of mince pie. You must know that I rather pride myself on my mince pies.” The warm pie sent up Buch a delicious odor that foe elder was sorely tempted, and after saying: “ Well, realty,” with foe intention of refusing* he finished by saying: “Onfoe whole I guess I will, as it locks so nice.”

The widow was realty a good cook, and foe elder ate with much gusto foe generous piece which foe widow cut for him, and, after a little chatting upon unimportant subjects, withdrew in some mental perplexity. “ Was it possible,” thought he, “ that foe widow could really have found a pot of gold in her cellar? She did not say so, to be sore, but why should she have Bhown so much anxiety to know as to foe proprietorship of foe treasure thus found if she had not happened upon some? To be sure, as far as his knowledge extended, there was no one who would be likely to lay up such an amount of gold; but then foe house was 150 years old, at foe very least, and had had many occupants of whom he knew nothing. It might be, after all. The widow’s earnest desire to have him think it was only curiosity likewise gave additional probability to foe supposition. “ I will wait and watch,” thought foe elder. It so happened that Elder Boyd was|one of foe directors in a saving institution situated in foe next town, and accordingly used to ride over there once or twice a month to attend meetings of foe Board. On the next occasion of this kind foe widow Hayes sent over to know if he could carry her with him, as she had a little business to attend to there. The request was readily accorded. Arrived at the village, Mrs. Hayes desired to be set down at the bank.

“Ha! ha!” thought the elder, “that means something.” He said nothing, however, but determined to come back and find out, as he could readily from the cashier, what business she had with the bank. The widow tripped into the office, pretending to look very nonchalant. “ Can you give small bills for a ten-dol-lar gold piece?” she inquired. “ With pleasure,” was the reply. “ By the way,” said she, “ the bank is in a very flourishing condition, is it not?” “ None in the State on a better footing,” was the prompt response. “ You receive deposits, do you not?” “ Yes, madam; we are receiving them every day.” “Do you receive as high as—as ten thousand dollars ?” “ No,” said the cashier with some surprise ; “or rather we do not allow interest on so large a sum. One thousand dollars is our limit. Did you know of anyone who ”

“It is of no consequence,” said tMI widow hurriedly, “ I only asked for curiosity. By the way, did you say how much interest you avowed on such deposits as come within your limit?” “ Five per cent., ma’am.” “ Thank you. I only ask for curiosity. What a beautiful morning it is!” and the widow tripped lightly out. Shortly after the elder entered. “How’s business, Mr. Cashier?” he inquired. “ About as usual.”

“Have many deposits lately?”- “ None of any magnitude.” “ I brought over a woman this morning who seemed to have business with you.” “ The widow Hayes?” “ Yes.” “Do you know,” asked the cashier, “ whether she has bad any money left her lately?” “ None that I know of,” said the elder, pricking up his ears. “Why, did she deposit any?” “No; but she inquired whether we received deposits of as high as $10,000.” “ Indeed!” ejaculated the elder. “Is that all she came for?” he inquired a moment afterward. “ No, she exchanged a gold-piece for bills.” “ Ha!” pondered the elder, reflectively. “Did she give any reason for her inquiries V * “No; she said she only asked for curiosity.” The elder left the bank in deep thought. He came to the conclusion that this curiosity only veiled a deeper motive. He now no longer entertained a doubt that the widow had found a pot of gold in her cellar, and appearances seemed to indicate that its probable value was at least equal to SIO,OOO. The gold-piece which she had exchanged at the bank appeared to confirm this story. “ I rather think,” said the elder complacently, “I can see into a millstone about as far .as most people.” A statement the literal truth of yhich I defy anyone to question, though as to the prime fact of people being able to sec into a millstone at all, doubts have now and then forced themselves upon my mind. The next Sunday the widow Hayes appeared at church in a new and stylish bonnet, which led to some such remarks as these: • ' “ How much vanity some people have, to be sure.” “ How a woman that has to keep boarders for a living can afford .to dash out in S!»ch a bonnet is more than I can tell. I

should think she was old enough to know better.” This last remark was made by a young lady just six months younger than foe widow, whose attempting to catch a second husband had hitherto proved utterly unavailing. “I suppose,” continued foe same young lady, “ she is trying to catch a second husband with her finery. Before I’d condescend to such means, I’d—l’d drown myself.” In this last amiable speech foe young lady unwittingly hit upon foe true motive. The widow was intent upon catching Elder Boyd, and she indulged in a costly bonnet, not because she supposed he would be caught with finery, but because this would strengthen in his mind foe idea that she had stumbled upon hid. den wealth. The widow calculated shrewdand foe display had the effect she anticipated. Monday afternoon foe elder had found an errand that called him over to foe widow’s. It chanced to be just about tea-time. s. He was importuned to stay to tea, and somewhat to his own surprise actually did. The polite widow, who knew the elder’s weakest point, brought one of her best mince pies, a piece of which her guest partook of with zest. “You’ll take another piece, I know,” said she persuasively. “Really, I am ashamed,” said foe elder; but he passed his plate. “The truth is,” he said apologetically, “your pies are so nice I don’t know when to stop.” “Do you call those nice?” said the widow, modestly. “ I call them common. I can make good mince pies when I set out to, but this time I didn’t have as good luck as usual.”

“ I shouldn’t want any better,” said the elder, emphatically. “ Then I hope, if you like them, you will drop into tea often. We ought to be more neighborly, Elder Boyd.” Elder Boyd assented, and he meant what he said. The fact is, the deacon began to think that the widow was a very charming woman. She was very comely, and then she was such an excellent cook. Besides, he had no doubt in his own mind that she was worth a considerable sum of money. What objection could there be to her becoming Mrs. Boyd ? He brought this question before her one evening. The widow blushed—professed to be greatly surprised. In fact, she never thought of such a thing in her life; but, on the whole, she had always thought highly of the deacon, and, to cut the matter short, she accepted him. A month afterward she was installed mistress of the elder’s large house, somewhat to the surprise of the village people, who could not conceive how she had brought him over. Some weeks after the ceremony the elder ventured to inquire about the pot of gold which she had found in her cellar.

“ Pot of gold!” She exclaimed, in surprise ; “ I know of none.” “But,” said the elder, disconcerted, “you asked me about whether the law could claim it.” “Oh, Lor’! elder, I only asked from curiosity.” “ And was that the reason you made inquiries at the bank?” “ Certainly! What else could it be?” The elder went out to the barn, and for half an hour sat in silent meditation. At the end of that time he ejaculated, as a closing consideration: “ After all, she makes good mince pie.” It gives me pleasure to state that the union between the elder and the widow proved a very happy one, although to the end of his life he could never make up his mind about the “ Pot of Gold.”