The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1843-11-21
The Shoemaker and his two Wives.
BY ELIzAnETH oAKEs SMITH.

By ELIzABETH CAKES SMITH.
Every body was plying Mr. Sampson, the shoema-
ker of tho village of b. Now, gentle reader, you
need not guess Brunswick nor Bethel, nor Bloom
field, nor any other village beginning with D. for
will assure you beforehand you won't guess right no
body knows the identical place beginning with a b.
except the writer Well every body was plying the
shoemaker, and as he passed dailNby my window on
his way TO his workshop, l inv oluntary drew down
my face in token Of commiseraiion, though why
should do it could not for my life have explained
But every body said he was an unhappy man;
miserable man; that his wife almost scolded his life
out Of him; that she the biggest schold In the
country, beat Xantippe of classical memory all ho-
low; that in her fits Of passion she whsked the poor
shoemaker about very much like West India bam-
boo in tropical hurricane. Never was such a
scold; her tongue might be heard the first thing in
the morning and the last thing ut night She was so
constantly scoldins she would never take time to
die, SO the poor shoemaker's misery seemed inter.
minable All the men were telling how they would
manage her If they had her for a wife; md when
| half dozen Of them collected at farmers house,
the shoemaker's wife often the the me, and many
were the modes Of punishment devised by those vino
had not the shrew TO deal with. Il might be observ-
ed on that occasion that those who were inspected OF
being henpecked, fortified by the numbers pres
ent generally talked most valiantly how they would
manage the shoemalers wife If she belonged TO them
now and then casting futive gances nj their busting
good wives present. But plain to be seen u
women did not relish this theme when discussed by
the men, They would talk pathetically of the shoe
makers grievances among themselves, talk eloquent
ly Of the misery man must suffer in being tied to
| such termagant; but did the unlucky
husband attempt TO harp upon the same string than,
touch hornets nest, all the women were out with
palliaves, and warm in the defence Of the shoema-
kcr's wife. every woman had her peculiar trials.
! Mrs. Sampson, had hers well as others. She had
no flesh on her bones, snd was yellow saffron
| il plain she a sick woman. Mr. Sampson
appeared pleasant enough out Of doors, but for all
that he might be a tyrant at home"
Thus was poor Mrs Sampson defended in spite of
her tongue. But, whatever they felt called upon to
| say in behalf of Mrs. Sampson in the presence Of
their husbands, their symputhies actually alto
gether on the side Of Mr. Sampson. Every good wife
wrenthed her face into tho becoming smile when
she accosted Mr. Sampson, merely out Of instructive
good nature; far be it from to insinuatc that it
TO contrast with the thin lips and sour vsage Of
| his good wife. Seeing the state Of things be-
gan naturally to study the counenance OF the poor
man as he passed by my window, in order to read
the lines Of care, the burrows Of misery, and cringng
| air Of n hcnpecked man. But, truth TO say, such
things were to be seen. lie generally passed with
careless sturdy tread, hummng tune picking his
teeth. As for wrinkles, his hale, good natured hand
some face, looked as if it might bid defiance to them
| for many years TO His bright open eye looked
as if il had never twinked with any thing but good
humor; and, instead Of being the most miserable, at
sat him down for the happiest man in the village
OFF, Ne bought oftener gingerbread and candy for
| his children or new gowns for his wife. When,arm
and arm they trudged along to meeting on Sunday,
no man seemed busly chat with his wife, and
! no woman looked prouder Of her husband The
cret seemed to be in having good-natuaedly accom-
modaed hmselfto the disposition Of his wfe,without
compromising his independence. After all, it de-
| ponds less upon external circumstances than
own dispositions, whother are happy miserable
! in this life. 81 .t5
In process of time the shoemakers wife died ,leav-
| ing her husband to follow her TO the grave with
many children followed MIR Rodgers to the stake,
and whether that nine or ten we leave the reader
to determine Contrary to the expectation Of every
one MIR Sampson mourned long and truly for his wife,
She had been thrifty housewife and neat careful
| mother, and used were husband and children to
severe discipline, that was doubtful whether they
would know how to act without it. ai ...
But SORROW like all other things in, this sublunary
world, must have an end The children were grow
ing disordery, and were losing that tidy appearance
that had always characterized them. Nothing in the
shoemaker's snug domicl went right. The good
housewives the village of B. were busy in making
second match for poor Mr. Sampson; and, like Pru-
dent women, they all pitched upon one Of the very
| untpodes of poor Mrs. Sampson, who was de and
! gone. Susan Gowen mild, good-natnred and
"smart,'' and all eyes turned upon her as the
future Mrs. Sampson. She was just the right age,
had little property, and all declared he could never
do better; and Mr Sampson, like reasonable man.
| believed what every body suid and married her.
This time at least, the neighbors had no reason to
complain. The second Mrs. Sampson was mirror
of patience, the neghbors, who happened in about