The daily Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1855, 1854-11-13

came backsto his memory; and he crent to
bis bed like a criminal to the gallows.Shalf
afraid to fall asleep lest his mysterious com
panion should take q fancy 10 transform
him into q horse, get him shod at the
smithy, and ride him to witch netting
And, as if to make the matter worse, his
wife's affections seemed to increase just in
proportion as his troubles thickcncd upon
him. She aggravated him with all manner
Of caresses and cndearments This was the
drop too much. The poor husband recoiled
| from her as from waking nightmare His
thoughts turned to New England; he long
ed to see once more the old homestead, with
its tall wcll-swecp and butterliut trees by
the road side and he sighed amidst the
rich bottom lands of his new home, for his
fathers's rocky pasture, with its crop of
stiutcd mullens So one cold November
day, finding himself out of sight and hear
ing Of his wife, he summoned courage to
attempt an escape, and resolutely turning
his back on the west, plunged into the wild
erness toward sunrise. After hard and
long journey he reached his birthplace, and
was kindly welcomed by his old friends
Keeping close mouth with respect to his
unucky adventure in Ohio, he soon after
married one of his schoolmates, and by dint
of perscvering industry and, economy, in a
few years found himself in possession Of a
comfortable home.
But his evil star still fingered about the
horizon. One summer evening on returning
from the hay field, who should meet him but
his witch-wife from Ohio! She came riding
up the street on her old white horse, with a
piion behind the saddle Accosting him
in a kindly tone, yet not without something
of gentle rcproach for his unhandsome deser-
ton of her, she informed him that she had
come all the way from Ohio to take him
back again. -.
1t was in vain that he pleaded his latter
engagements it was in vain that his new
wife raised her shrillest circumstances not
unmingled with expressions of vehement in.
dignation at the revelation of her husbands
real position; the witch wife was memorable,
go he must and that speedily. Fully i'm.
pressed with belief in her supernatural
power of compelling obedience, and perhaps
NANUNihS LIOiC tidu w lLCllCTdlL lLSelI Tie I'll
fects of the unlucky Disclosure on the temper
of his New England helpmate, he made a
virtue of the necessity of the case, badt
farewell to the latter amid a perfect hurri
cane of reproaches, and mounted the white
horse, with his old wife Oh the pilion be
hind him. Of that ride Burger might have
written counterpart to his ballad
f. ''Tramp, tramp along the shore they ride, p &
~ q" Splash, splash along the sea-" $50 b
Two or three years had passed. ava,
bringing no tidines of the unfortunate lus
band, when lie once mere made his appear
ance in his native vilas, lie was not dis
posed to be very communicative; but fo
one thing, at least, he seemed willing to OK
press his gratitude. His Ohio wife having
40 spell against intermittent fever, had Eait
the delft of nature and had left him free; il
view of which, his surviving wife, after man
; Nesting due degree of resentment consent
ell to take him back to her bed and board
, and could never learn that she had cause
to regret her clcmency ,. ... a... -.