The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-11-06


A CONTRADICTORY CoUPLE-Married life is
happy or unhappy, just as people make it; and
II there be one thing more than another which
turns Elysiun into Tophet, it is mutual contra
diction. The wife likes to live in town, and the
husband IN the country; she likes the Their
mometer at seventy degrees, and he at forty
two. She likes music, which he hates, and
hates dancing, which he loves-and so very
cataad dog life they lead. Here is sketch OF
a nice couple, inimitably told.
/" do believe" says he, taking the spoon out
of his glass, and tossing it on the table, 4" that
OF all the obstinate, positive, wrong headed
creatures that ever were born, you are the most
so, Charlotte"
Certainly, certainly; have it your own way,
pray. You see how much I contradict you,''
rejoins the lady.
"Of course, you didn't contradict me at din
ner time-oh no, not you," replies the gentle
man.,
eyes, did" says the lady.
Oh, you did--you admit that" cries the
gentleman.
"If you call that contradiction, do" an.
swers the lady; "and L say again. Edward,
that when l know you are wrong, l will con.
tradct you. / am not your slave"
"Not my slave" bitterly answers the hus.
band land you still mean to say that in the
Blackburns's new house there are not more
than fourteen doors, including the door of the
wine-cellar?"
Il mean to say" retorts the lady, beating
time with her hair brush upon the palm of her
hand, "that in that house there are fourteen
dooss, and no more"
| well, theD," cries the gentleman, rising in
despair, and pacing the room with rapid strides,
this is enough to destroy a mans intellect,
and drive him mad!"
By and by, the gentleman comes to little,
and, passing his hand gloomily across his fore.
heae, reseats himselfin his former chair. There
is long silence, and by this time the lady be-
gins:
as appealed to Mr. Jenkins, who sat next to
me On the sofa in the drawingroom during
tea"
Morgan, you surely mean," interrupts the
gentleman.
81 do not mean anything of the kind" an
swe, ed the lady.
Now, by all that is impossible and aggrava
ting to bear" clenching his hand, and looking
upwards in agony, "she is going to insist that
Morgan is Jenkins"
"Do you take me for perfect fool? Do
you suppose / don't know the one from the
other? Do you suppose L don't know the man
In the blue coat was Mr.. Jenkins ?" says the
LADY;
man, with groan " a man who would suffer
death rather than wear anything but brown"
"Do you dare to charge me with an un-
truth " demands the lady, bursting into tears
Il charge you, madam" retorts the gentle
maii. starting up, "with being a monster of
contradictions monster of aggravation-a-
a-t-Jenkins in blue coat Why should |
thu be doomed to hear such statements?"
(oNoUERING BY KINDNESS. once had a
net ,hoor-s clever man-who came to me one
day and said, esquire White, want you to
cor e and get your geese away"
Why" says l, "what are my geese doing?"
They pick my pigs ears when they are eat
ing and drive them away and l will not have
What can do ?" said I.
lou must yoke them"
That have not time to do row." said /.
do not see but they must rum"
If you do not take care of them, SHALL"
sal the shoemaker in anger. "What do you
sa, Squire White 2"
| cannot take care of them now but will
pa for all damages
IWell," said he, "you will find that q hard
thipg, guess"
No off he went, and heard terrible suuall.
thsee Of them were missing. Ny children went
and found them terribly mangled, dead, and
thrown into the bushes. "Now," said /, call
keep still, and let me punish him" In a few
days, the shoemaker's hogs broke into my corn
saw them, but let them remain a long time
AT last drove them all out and picked up the
corn which they had torn down, and fed them
with it in the road. BY this time, the shoema-
kst came up in great haste after them.
~ Have you seen anything of my hogs2"
s,l5d he.
Yes, sir; you will find them yonder, eating
some corn which they tore down in my feld."
:" In your feld2"
Yes, sir" said l /; "hogs love corn, you
know; they were made to eat it,
!" low much mischief have they done?"
80, not MUCH" said l.
: Well, of he went to look, and estimated the
dsmage to be equal to bpshel and half of
oerp.
& o no." said I; cit can't be-"
Yes" said the shoemaker, and will pay
yen every cent of the damage"
The shoemaker blushed, and went home. The
n,,xt winter, when we came to seitie ne saoe-
maker deseruinsd to cay ne for my corn.
No." said l, :" shall take nothing"
After some talk, we parted, but In a few
d .ys met him on the road, and we fell into
conversation, in the most friendly manner But,
hen ] started on, he seemed 10th to move,
a, I'd paused. Fer moment, both of us were
silent. At last, he said:
al have something laboring on my mind"
"Well, what is it."
Those geese. ] killed three of your geese,
a I'd / shall never rest until you know how
{ Ell; am very sorry" And the tears came
il to his eyes.
80, WE'LL" said !, "neyer mind; suppose
KY geese were provoking"
never took anything of him for it; but
hen my cattle broke into his fields, after this,
he seemed glad, because he could show how
tAtient he could be-