Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1840-12-14
MONTPELIER, DEC. Ia, 1910.

whch,though the principal was under her control,
afforded basis by which her husband was ena-
bled TO gain the credit necessary in his business,
aud he had done SO. This amiable family had
numerous relatives and acquaintances, were look
ed upon by the good and sensible part of the
neighborhood as patterns of virtue, and were gen.
orally beloved and admired.
The visit Of their friend, Miss Polly, was for
gotten in day or two, but things began before
long 10 wear rather u strange aspect. Time after
time Mrs. Pellew observed that her visitors, who
began to he much more numerous than before,
put on long faces and in condoling STRAIN lee
tured on the trials OF the marriage state, the ne
cessity of forbearance, and exercise of christian
patience, mingled with sundry hints about the SOW
ereign rights of the SEX aud the hest methods of
managing unruly husbands with now aud then u
kind of half expressed sympathetic pity for her.
She could not for her life understand what all this
meant-and attributed it to every cause but the
right one.
Nor was Mr.. Pellew TO escape this new and to
him unaccountabe change of the current of ieel-
ing among his neighbors towards him. The symp-
tom he saw GOODNESS and shyness on the
part of his wie's relatives, some of them even
refusing TO speak TO him. The female part of his
acquaintances scolding at him; and what was
worse, he thought his customers began to neglect
HIM. Day by day, things grew worse; al last his
creditors began to push he was alarmed he had
never before beer asked for money his credit
had been perfect; he wondered, and waited for
the issue; it came in half n dozen prosecutions
judgments and executions.
1t was now time to up. AS these things
were in progress, he appeared TO he in utter sur
prise, and to view them with utter incrediblllty,
being scarcely willing to believe the evidence oi
his senses. Now he demanded the cause of this
strange treatment, and with some difficulty ascer.
tanned that it arose from the unhappy separation
about to take place between him and his wife !
and The crupI man N which ha hnH ted her
He demanded the author of the story, and was
referred to an old gentleman who had told his in
former. The old man gave his wife, his wife her
neighbours wife, and so the tale traced down
through five and twenty mouths, growing rather
less at each, until it to Miss Polly Cav; she
had affirmation on her part that she would leave
him.
Mr.. Pellew now hit upon an expedient to bring
matters TO close. He invited all such of his and
his wife's relations his neighbors, his creditors,
&C. as were within his reach, to meet at his house
OIL business of the utmost importance.
About twenty of them assembled, among them
Miss Cav, and half dozen of the principal mouth
pieces of the village. lie then stated to them his
business to them the stories he had
heard-traced them down to their origin, and de-
manded of Miss Polly her reasons for the report
she had raised. CoTnered up Unexpectedly and
suddenly, she candidly confessed that the only
foundation she had was, that on the afternoon she
had paid the visit first mentioned, she had heard
as she entered, Mrs. Pee " say, Well sir, can
take care Of myself" -nnd she wished to know if
Julia Pelew would deny this. Julia replied she
would not-sbe had barbecued par OF fat quails
for her husbands supper, and had been helping
him to a choice biI-he had pressed her to keep ii
herself, saying she was too kind and she did on
the occasion utter the offensive words, "Well,
can take care of myself"
burst of establishment succeeded-Miss Cav
ran out OF the room like a woman who had lost
her senses. The worthy couple received the con-
graiuations of all the honest fools present; and
though all the knaves shook their heads, and pre-
tended to be mighty glad the truth had come on,
it was with grace that but half eonceeled sorrow
Thereafter not syllable was ever isped about the
much talked Of separation. But thus il is, gentle
reader, that one half the table stories originate;
and who would think there were still ms many to
believe them aud trumpet them about as there
were in Aylsbury, in Polly Gaw's time