Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1843-10-19
The ShQen.aker agd his two wives,
BY Elizabeth Oakss Smith.

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gentle reader, you need not guess
Brunswick, nor Bethel, nor Bloomfield,
nor any other village beginning with a
! b, for ! will assure you beforehand you.
WON'T guess right nobody knows tho
identical place beginning with. a, B, ex-.
cept the writer. Well. every body was.
plying tho shoemaker, and as be passed
daily bY my window on his way 10 his
workshop, 1 involuniarily. drew down my
face in token Of commisserauon, though
why should do il could not for my
life have explained: Blu. everybody
said he was an unbsppy man q miser-
able man !; that his wife almost scolded
the life out ofhim, that she was the
biggest scold in the country, beat Kan
tippe Of fclassical memory all hollow /;
that in her fits Of passion she whisked
the poor shoemaker about very much
like n Vest India bamboo in tropical
hurricane. Never was such scold /;
her tongue might be heard the first thing
in the morning and the last at night
She was so constantly scolding she
would never take time to die, so the
poor shoemakers misery seemed inter-
minable. All the men were telling how
they would manage her iftbey had her
for wife and when half dozen Of
them collected at farmers house, the
shoemaker's wife was often the theme,
and many were the modes Of punish-
ment devised by those who had moi tho
shrew to deal with. 1t might generally
be observed on SUCH occasions that
those who were suspected Of being ben
peckcd, now fortified BY The numbers
present, generally talked mos. yalinntly
how they would manage ih.e ghoemaker's
wife ifshe belonged to them, now and
then casting furtive glances at their
busting good wives present But it
was plain y be seen the women did not
relish this theme when discussed by the
men. They would talk patheticallY Of
the hoemake, IS grievances among them.
selves, talk eloquently of the misery a
man must suffer in being tied TO such
termagent but no sooper did the un-
lucky husband attempt to harp upon the
same string than Tough u hornets nest,
all the women were out with palliatives,
and warm in the defence ofthe shoe
makers wife. Every woman had her
! peculiar trials. Mrs. Sampson, no
doubt, had hers as well us others. She
had 10 aesh on her bones, aud yss as
yellow as saaroR=j, was plain she was
sick womap. Mr.. Sampson appeared
pleasant enough out Of doors, but for all
that he nigh, be tyrant at home"
|, Thss wss pQeT Mrs. Sampson defcpa-
ed in spite Of her tongue. But, what
ever they felt called upon to say in be-
half of Mrs. Sampson in the presence Of
their husbands, their syippaihies were
actually altogether pp the side of Mr..
Sampson Every good wife wrenihed
her face into the most becoming smile
when she accosted Mr.. Sampson, mere
ly out OF instructive good paipre far be
il from me to insinuate that it was to
contrast with the thin lips and sour
visage of his oWn good wife. Seeing
4 the state Of things. began naturally TO
study The countenance Of tho poor man
as lie passed by my window, in order io
! read the line of care, the burrows of
misery, and cringing air OF hen
pecked man. But, truth to say, no
such things were to be seen. He gen
orally passed with a careless, sturdy
tread, hpmming tune or picking his
teeth. AS for wrinkles, his hale, good
naiured handsome face looked as fit
might bid defiance 10 them for many q
year to come. His brigb! open eys
looked as i i had meyer iwipkled with
anything but good humor and, instead
OF being the mos, miserable, at once
sa, him down for the hnpPicst pan IN 'he
village of b. No one bought ollener
gingerbread aud candy for his children
or noy gowns f9r his wife. When, W
in arm, they trudged along 70 meeting
on SUNDAY, 10 Won seemed more bu-'ly
to chat with his wife, and no w man
lsqked prouder Of her husband. Tho
secre, seemed to be IN his having good
nuluredly accommodated h''"seli TO the
disposition ofbs wife without co'npro'nls.
ing his own independence. Aicr all, n
depends less upon external clrepnsla!n-
ces than on our disposition, whether ~y
are happy or miserable IN this life.
n In process OF time the sboem"ksrs