Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1856-07-10

visitors, who began TO be much more numer-
Gus than before. put on long faces, and in
eoDdoling strain, lectured on the trials Of the
marriage state, the necessity Of forbearance,
and the exercise of Christian patience, mingled
with sundy hints about the sovereign rights
OF the sex, and the best method OF managing
unruly husbands, With now and then half ex-
pressed sympathetic pity for her. She could
not for her life understand what this all meant;
and attribute it to every cause but the righ.
one. -.
Nor was Mr.. Pelew to escape this new and
unaccountable change of the current Of feeling
among his neighbors. towards them. The FIRST
symptom be saw was coldness and sbyness
on the part Of bis wife's relalives-some Of
them even refusing to speak to him. The fe-
male part Of her acquaintances should at him !;
and what was worse be thought bis customers
began to neglect him. Day by day it grew
worse !, at last his creditors began to push be
was alarmed-he had never before been asked
for money his credit had been perfect he
wondered aud waited for the issue it came in
half dozen prosecutions, Judgements and
exec cations.
II iS now time to rouse up. As these things
we're in progress, he appeared to be utterly sur
priseed. and 10 view them with perfect Increduli-
", being scarsely willing 10 believe the eVi
dence of his senses. Now he demanded the
cause Of this strange treatment, and with some
difficulty ascertaned, that it arose from the un.
happy separation about to take place between
him and his wife ! and the cruel man1er in
which be had used her. He demanded the au
thor Of the story. and was referred to an old
gentleman, who had told his informer. The
old man gave his wife-his wife her neighbours
wife, and 81 the tale was traced down through
about five and twenty months growing rather
less at each, until it came to MISS Polly Cav
--she had affirmed that she heard Mr. Pe!ew
and his vile in violent quarrel and even
ht ard distinct affirmation, on her part that
she would leave him.
MIR. Pelew now Bit upon an expedlent to
bring matters to close at once. He invited
all such Of his and his wife's relatives, his
neghbors. his creditors, &C.. as we've within
his reach to meet at his house on bushes ofthe
utmost importance. About twenty assembled
among them Miss Cav and half a dozen of the
principal mouth-pieces in the village. He then
stated to them his busness-recounted the sto-
rles he had heArd--traced them all down to
their origin, and demanded OF Miss P lily her
reasons for the report she had raised. Cornered
so Unexpectedly and suddenly she candidly
confessed that the only foundation for what she
had said was. that on the afternoon she had
paid the visit irst mentioned. she had heard as
she entered, Mrs Pelew say "Well sir 1 can
take care ofmyself" And she wished to know
If Julia Pelw would deny this. Julia replied
she would 'not--she bad barbecued pair OF
fine fat Quls for her husbands supper, and had
been helping him TO choice hit-he had pres
ed her to keep it herself, saying she was toe
kind and she did on the occasion, utter the
offensive words, "Well, sir. l can take care o.
myself" lo ..teH a. .>la
A burst OF astoniskment succeeded, Miss Cav
ran out of the room like woman who had
lost her senses. The worthy couple received
the congratulations of all the honest people
present: and though the knaves pretended to
be mighty glad the truth had come out it was
with grace that but half concealed their sor-
row.. Thereafter, not syllable was over lisp
ed about the before much talked separation.
But thus it is, gentle reader, that one half
Of tea table stores originate and who would
think there we're, still. as many rsedy to be-
leve them and trumpet them about, as there
were in Alesbury in Polly Gaw's time.