The Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1834-184?, 1845-08-14
FOR THE SAKE OF THE UNION
THURSDAY, AUGUST Ia, 1915.

E
on 1 them, even as much so, as upon the
chords OF their own guitars or harps.
The squeals, groans, means and agonizing
cries OF their tortured victims, however hor-
rifying TO others, is to them the sweetest mu-
sic that ever fell upon human ears. Hike a
married woman for her benevolent DISPOSE
ton in taking but one heart 10 keep in per-
petual torment, while TO all the world besides
she processes 20 be but part and parcel of the
less half.
"Married woman,n ~soliloquised T., arising
Eem my chair, "lets see-may be she wants
my professional ser~vices--wishes 10 be d.
vorced from a1~hen-pecked husband, who, for
the first time in his life, has raised spirit
enough TO tell her that she was a shrew.-
'Welk well, | will perpetrate one benevolent
act IN any life, by making one man happy"
Arising al this sage conclusion, | pushed my
fingers ~thfoughmy hair, put OH a profession
al look, and entered the sitting room. Stand
ing by the window on the opposite side of The
room was a lady TO all appearances young,
and belonging to the supper ten thousand"
for she was dressed a la mode, and seemed
10 have The bearing Of naughty beauty sud
denly thrown fromher highposiiion by some
calamity or disappointment. She was stand
ing withhef back TO me in a meditaiive, SEN
timental attitude, and seemed 10 look des-
pondingly upon the child that she held in her
rms 1l
9"HaveI the honor of addressing the lady
who requested my presence here said /.
with my blandest smile and latest imported
Partisan bow.
"My husband! my husband!!' said she,
dashing forward and catching me around the
neck before | had a chance to dodge.
"AIadame, really-trnly-most certainly
you are mistaken in your man,'' said |, feel
ing The full force of my embarrassing situa-
ton, and trying gently TO disengage myself
from a lovely pair Of arms. But the more |
tried the closer she nestled.
"Oh! my husband, why have you kept a.
way from me so long? For five long-Iong
months have not seen you. | have looked
and | have prayed for you, but you did not
even write TO me. | know you mast have
been sick or you would have written. Yes,
[ kHop you would; and here is our child, ii
looks so much like you-the very image
but you have never seen it,"
/, a young buck of two and twenty, mar
ried, and a father-it was incredibIe--it was
preposlerous! Had | been dreaming all my
life, aud Just walked up 10 find myself married
ana Tue daddy Of a signalling baby By
heavens, il could not be, nor would | let il
be SO. My situation was becoming more and
more embarrassing every moment. People
passing and repassing the door would look
in. and hearing the p~laintive tones of my
would-be-wife's voice, take a stand so near
as 10 hear every word that passed between
US. Some young men who were acquainted
with me actually sauntered into the room and
seated themselves. | was getting desperate
| would explain 10 her in few words her mis-
take.
"Madam | must say to you that you are
either crazy Or blind if You do not perceive
that | am not your husband. am a stran-
ger to you, and will swear before high beav-
en- that | do not ~recollect of ever seeing you
before"
She raised her head from my breast and
looked into my face, with we'll feigned aston
ishment depicted in he c~ountenance. took
agood look at her--she was a lovely being.
"Ohi my husband do you really intend
saying that you do not know me-wil you
deny your own wife-she whom you vowed
TO guard and protect at the alter of the old
chapel in Louisville. No, know you wont.
have suffered much in silence. When our
a~cquaintances asked about you, | told them
that important business kept you absent from
me-"
| was at the end Of my string, for she would
presist in my indemnity. | looked al her a
gain and saw that her eyes were ~suifused with
Tears, looking at me very imploringly. Inev-
er could Withstand woman's tears, especially
when ~springing from such beautiful eyes as
hers. My heart melted. thought that ]
might not have another chance of getting so
pretty a wife and so cheap. Then | could
Immediately have the delightful sobriquet of
|"a man of family.' Il
l was about falling on m knees and ac-
knowledging my Inconsistency, and ask herf for
%giveness, when the little pocket.edition of
humanity that she held in her arms raised its
voice 10 a pitch on the scale of music SOME
where between the scream of a panther and
The whistle of a railroad engine, and forever
put that delectable notion out of my brain.
"Look at papa, look at papa, darling
never seen your papa before. Look, my
dear! dou't you think tia handsome childe
Come, kiss papa /! if you don't, Twill foryou,
honey;'' and she planted kiss on my rough.
bearded cheek that sent a thrill thro' my
whole system. Hooked at the child, it was
ted-haired, freckled, squint-eyed, weazen-
faced, and sallow complected-eyidently The
.-I-a-4 - - .-ls.-.I 1.o. -o1,
felt a terrible nausea at my stomach that