The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-08-04

for her to look into business matters, so no in
quiries we're made The truth, however, was
inadvertently thrust upon her. stranger had
called at her house several times within few
weeks and during one of his visits, the door
was slightly ajar, and she, being in an adjoin-
ing room, overheard the following
"They say you got good haul with the
widow. By George! fifteen thousand dollars
sets a man ON his feet, even though he hiss
some debts to pay"
A long pause ensued, then the stranger spoke
again;
!" You must pay me more than this befoEe |
leave. | must have one thousand dollars
more
al cannot raise that amount said Mr..
Sneeks al acknowledge the debt, Of course;
but cannot meet it fully at present"
"Don't put me off in that way: | am not
young one, TO be sucked in with such pre-
tensions. You shall pay me, or ! will expose
you, as sure as you're live man. That new
wife of yours shall know
Hush hush What's the nse of blabhing
you d. The epithet MIR. Sneeks would
have used seemed to die upon his lips He
walked nervously around the ROOM and ind
ing the door ajar, he closed il with much yio-
lence.
@That new wife shall know Shall know
WHAT" thought she. A chilling heaylness
of heart at once oppressed her; recoil OF
affection made her shudder After a time, her
thoughts reverted to other interests. "And go
my good old Jerry and MIR. Eldridges watch,
and the buggy, and other things, have gone,
to nav Mr.. Sneeks's debts. Now, that is
wrong, all wrong" unused the agitated woman.
She felt rery uncomfortable after hearing the
above; but she was such loving, trusting
creature, that many days had not passed be
fore her spirits regained their former tone
The affectionate part of her nature alone had
been developed Her husband seemed to doat
upon her, as at first; and she soon dismissed
all fears, that there had been anything wrong
in his former life. Occasionally that threat
would ring in her ear-"l will expose you"
but she consoled herself with the fiattering
junction." the best of men have been guilty
of indiscretion some time in their lives, and
presume this was nothing very bad"
Scarcely year had passed, however, before
| the wife found herself restricted In various
directions. Mr.. Sneeks interested himself in
great many little matters around the house,
that she had no idea before that men ever med
died with.
"What arc you going to do with that
bread 2" asked he, alluding to piece that
Alice, the kitchen girl, was putting into a
basket.
THAT is for Mother Shepherd" replied the
mistress in a gay good humor; and Alice"
added she, "get piece of the butter you
churned to-day and that little pie, and put
with it,"
care you sending food to that old woman
every day.
aNot every day send it as often as she
needs it, Ii is a very little, however, that she
does need from me- Mother Shepherd" con-
tipued Mrs. Sneeks "was our nurse. She
raised all my mother children, and we are
not only under obligation to take care of her,
but it is pleasure to do 80 She prefers being
near me, and never, while have any proper
ty, shall che suffer-
while you have any property" repeated
Sneeks, very sneeringly. "Now, ! tell you to
stop this will have nothing of the kind. |
am not going to support that old crone,"
Mrs. Sneeks turned around and looked him
full in the face to soc what he meant. His
brow was contracted, he looked snllen and de-
teru,ined. She stood Us il petrifed. The farm
Welded an abundance Of everything to eat, and
could she not have the privilege of giving bread
| to her dear old nurse-to her who had watch
ed over her in infancy and in her childhood
and from whom she had derived her own sub
sistence the first year of her life She made
no reply She knew not what to say. Sh,
was in a maze. She wondered how she go
there, and why she could not get out
Thepceforth the Mother Shepherds wants
were supplied privately. She lived abou
eighty rods distant and Mrs. Sneeks wa.
obliged to steal away and carry food, unknown
to her husband and during his brief visits t.
the lower part Of the farm, she would some
times send Alice with fresh loaf or some
other necessary.
"Go Just as quick as you can she would
say. "Now you must get back before Mr.
Sneeks comes home"
Sometimes she woul attempt to laugh about
it, and then add" You know, Alice, that Mr.
Sneeks does not like Mother Shepherd, 40 don'l
say word, but ran quick. ! will scrub while
| you are gone"
She began to feel, ere long that this was a
miserable way of living. She had never prao-
| ticed deception before, and she despised it.
| She lowered herself in her own estimatoD--it
was mean to do thus But what shall we say
of the spirit that brought her into oircumstan-
ces that forced her to act contrary to her own
convictions Of propriety?
Mr.. Sneeks appeared to have great passion
for trading but he generally made bad bar
gains. He urged the selling Of the house and
lot in town, and the buying of a lees valuable
place, to which his wife consented He sold a
large amount Of property, and bought cOmpar-
atively little. What was done with the balance
of funds, his companion never knew. He was
in the habit of visiting the city frequently,
which was only two hours ride, by railroad,
from his own home. Although he generally
said he should return the next day, yet he
often staid week, and sometimes fortnight.
This annoyed her exceedingly She knew that
he always went with his pocket-book well
filed, and came back with It entirely empty
but she cared less for that than his absence,
and the mystery that hung over his stay.
Mr. Snecks was not profsssed gambler, but
he played sometimes; neither was he an habit
ual tipler, nor notorious for his ditsolute hab-
it's; still, he had his "sprees" occasionally, and
very high ones they were. These were always
taken abroad; and then he not only spent all
the funds he had with him, but often involved
himself 10 a large extent In three years from
the time they were married, he had squandered
not less than FIVE thousand dollars that belong
cd to his wife.
What strange ideas those old English law.
makers had, 10 write down woman among mi
nors, idiots, SC, and then not throw sround
her property the safeguards that are thrown
around the Inheritance Of those classcs II sht
really is ignorant Of that which pertains to her
best interests-if she is foolish, and surrenders
in dream Of love, her possessions, under the
understandable belief that her future husband
can do no wrong--then she needs protection
Bot instead thereof she Is entangled in diff
cuItles while the bad man AyaiIs himself of tho
abundant facilities offered for evil-doiDg.
Mrs. Sneeks felt rather uneasy about their
pecuniary affairs, and often said to herself, al
woudor whether q woman can restrain her
husband from wasting her property Perhaps
ought to have needed my brothers advice
but It looked 50 absurd"
Iro BE Concluded IN OUR NEXT.