The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1857-11-04
o MATTI DID IT.

a WHO girl was Matte Lee. knew
her when she was fifteen; s e was the
first In every frolic: a f~avorite with the
master; yet the scholar who, Uftener
than any of the rest, caused a shade to
rest upon his brow. l knew her when
a grown-up young lady; she was first in
every party of pleasure: a favorite with
all the gentlemen yet a coquette, who
%eftener than any other caused a shadow
to fall upon their hearts. l knew her,
tee, when, q true-beartcd woman, she
gave her hand and heart to Richard
Forrest, the editor of one of cur village
newspapers. Now, Richard was a fne
fellow, but, like many other "nice ytung
men," had one bad habit-he would
smoke. This habit annoyed my friend
Matte quite as much as it would have
done most young ladies' but she DID
not commence curing him of it as they
would have doue-with prayers and
tears, entreating him for "the love he
boreher," togiVe up the ''noisome weed"
not she. Matte took a plan less
threadbare. and it was in this wise:
They were boarding, and had a nice
room, the second story front. On e GER
tain evening. just before dark. Matte
busted herself with putting the room in
perfect order-placed every chair where
it belonged, aud arranged the books On
the table and the mantle ornaments in
the most tasteful manner. After taking
q careful survey of the room, and salts
fling herself that everything vas as it
should be, she. went 10 a bureau and took
from one of the drawers a small package,
= 49,. o-z.. fE-,-o
new Jewel, probably" you will say,
"with which she Intends adorning her
s;lf to meet her lord" She carefully
~unrollcd tho paper and took from it 4
new, spotless tobacco pipe then open
ing at one end a little roll of carefully
sealed silver paper, she commenced stuff
ing the pipe with fne Gu. tobacco. How
strange her little wkite fingers looked,
diving into the hateful stuff The pipe
well filled, she laid it carefully on the
table, placed q match beside it, and sat
down to await the coming of her "better
half"
Soon she heard the street door open,
and a well-known footstep in the hall
below. Quickly lighting the match, she
applied it to the aromatic | erb in the
,Ii9e, seated herself, and when her husband
entered, sat quietly blythe stove, wreaths
of blue smoke curling gracefully over
her head, Which was thrown back in that
peculiar position Of enjoyment which
gentlemen ssssmo when inhaling the
weed.
Mr.. Forrest had opened the door with
Visions of -Mattie's smiling face looking
lovingly on him, floating through his
mind. How different the picture that
met his astonishcd gaze! On hearing
the door open Matte looked up, and
taking the pipe deliberately from her
mouth, bade hel husband good evening,
as if nothing had happened, and then re-
sumed her smoking. Richard regarded
her with feelings of surprise and horror
for a mrment, and hen gave rent TO his
feelings IN words:
"Why, Martha, what am I to Think?
Have you suddenly lost your senses 2"
81 do not see any very strong evidence
of such being the case" answered the
lady addressed then, as If just compre-
hending the cause of his astonishmcnt,
che Immediately asked-''Is it possible,
Richard, that you did not know of my
habit of smoking? Did did non of
bur family te,i you :"
It may be well here to state that my
friend Matte was not always as scrupu-
1ous 10 adheriDg to the truth as she
might have been; at least she did not
think it very Objectionable, under most
circumstances, ''to do evil that good
might come"
Each particular hair of Richards head
seemed to stand on end, in contemplating
the tale unfolded by that word habit
The only audible mani e~station he made
of the state of his feelings, was an en-
phatic impossible % accompanied by a
Hook of pious horror.
"Wby impossible, my dear sir I? Had
Z acquired the habit lately, | should
only have been treading in your foot
steps: thereby showing my willingness
to be. guided, as adatiful wife should.
by the i~uclinasions of my husband, and
Iasdabie desire to consult. 10 all things,
histastes; but / have no such commend
able motives to- offer. l was influenced
wholly by a desire to please myself. /
used TO think before we were married
that I would give up the practice, and
never let Eeu know it had been; buI
sinee I have found how muoh it odds to