Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1857-07-02

understood, that is he never beat bis wife and al
ways gave her enough to eat. More than this,
he had certain regard for her happiness, which
almost made him feel balf ashamed Of his decis-
ion, but like many other men, who have more OBJ.
stinacy than wisdom, he was too proud to yield,
and above all, to be convinced that he was wrong,
by a woman.
However with cOmmendable wish to remove
the unhappiness he had caused, he suggested that
as the paper was carefully filed and she had found
them interesting she should read them all over
again, beginning at January, and taking one a
week clear through the year, they would come
out even, he concluded, as if it were a singular
fact that they should.
Notwithstanding this admirable proposition, he
still felt some uneasiness. It followed him as he
walked up the pleasant lane into the pasture, and
it made him speak more sharp than he was wont
to do if the cows stopped, while he was driving,
to crop the grass where it looked the greenest and
sweetest on the sunny slopes. 1t vexed him till
he heard bis wife call him to supper, in such a
cheerful tone that be concluded she didn't care
such wonderful sight about the paper after all.
About a week after this, as Mr.. Heath was
moving one morning, he was surprised to see his
wife coming out, dressed as il for visit.
"Tm going to spend the day with Mrs. Brown,
I've left plenty for you to eat" and SO saying
she walked rapidly down the road.
Mr.. Heath thought about it long enough to say
to himself, "she didn't go visiting to stay all Gay
once year hardly and it's strange she should 60
in hay-timel"
Very long the day seemed to him, to 60 in for
luncheon, dinner and supper, and nobody to speak
to; to find everything so still. The old clock tick
ed louder than usual, he thought--the brood Of
pretty white chickens, that were always peeping
round the door, had wandered somewhere, and
left it stier yet; he even missed the busy click
of the knitting needles, that were so apt to put
him out when he was busy doing any figuring.
'I'm glad that Millicent don't 60 visiting all
the time, as some women do" he said to himself,
as he began to look down the road at sunset.
"There, believe she is just coming"
allow tired you look" said he to her, as she
come up TO the house, "why didn't you speak
about it,and I would have harnessed up and come
after you"
"I am not very tired" she answered. but her
looks beed her: indeed, her husband declared
that she looked tired for day or two after.
What was bis amazement to see her 60 away
the next Tuesday, in the same manner as be
fore, without saying much about it before she
started.
To bis great dissatisfaction, everything seemed
that day to par.ake of his wiGe's new propensity
for going away from home.
"a man don't want cold food in ay.time," he
grumbled as he sat down alone. In the same
grumbIing mood he recounted the various mis-
haps of the morning, which seemed to have been
much after the same manner set forth in a Ger
tain legend of old time, for he embellished his
recital by despairing allusion to,
"7he sleeps in the meadow,
The cows in the corn"
Adding that they wouldn't have been there if
Mrs. Heath had been at home, because she'd
seen them before they got in, ard hoered. She
would have seen the oxen, too, before they got
across the river, and saved him the trouble of
bringing them back.
But after tracing these untoward events to her
absence be said to himself consoliugly, "but l
guess she won't go any more, for she always was
home body"
Mrs. Heath did 60 again, though; and the day
she went, her husband took counsel with him.
self, as to what he should do to stop her gad-
ding. Seated on the door step an hour or two,
devising ways and measures, talking aloud all
the time, and having no one to dispute him.
"It is hard to think OF her to be a visiting
woman" said he, "and it's clear it amt right
keep her at home;" I've read in the-(old
Richards Bible knowledge was somewhat confu-
sed, and his quotation was varied slightly from the
scriptural phrase "keepers at honey but it
saws too," he added, with the candor of a sim
cere man, "that husbands must get great store
by their wives and treat them well. won't
scold Mcent I'll harness up and 60 over after
her and tell her how bad it makes me feel: anu if
that don't do, I'll--try something ese."
In accordance with praiseworthy resolution, he
might have been seen about sunset, hitching his
horse at Mrs, Browns door, for surely enough,
Mrs. Heath's visits had all been made at tho same
place. Going to the door, he stopped in amaze
ment at seeing his wife in the kithen, just taking
off a great wooIen apron, and putting down her
sleeves, which had been rolled up iffor washing.
He listened, and heard her say as she took the
money from Mrs. Brown, 'Fit won't be so that
oan do vour washing aoain ~