Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1857-04-24
Mistellan&0ns.
CURING A bad HARrr.
by OLIVER OPTIC.

nullifying incrustations had gathered upon
the wick, which Susan superstitiously de-
elared were 'letters" for her; at any rate,
they made their light darkness, and if they
were letters at all, they were dead letters,
so that it became necessary to remove them.
81 wish you would bring me the lamp
scissors, Thomas. cannot see worth a
cent"
Ugh! to get up again! But "Lady Ded-
lock" was about to say something smart
and he was anxious to hear what it was.
"Now let us know what "Lady Dedlock"
has to say" said Tom, stretching himself
once more.
Susan continued the reading for five
minutes, and then stopped again.
any throat is all dried up. l wish you
would get some water. There is some in
the pail in the back ROOM"
Tom got the water, and Susan went on
again.
Tap, tap, tap.
"Some one at the door, Thomas"
"Takc the light, Susan, and see whoitis
"You go, Thomas"
Tom did 90. 1t was only man who
wanted to know where Mr.. Peter Pendle
ton lived.
Once more Tom was settled, but the fire
got down, and Susan wanted him to fix it
though the wood lay by the fire place.
81 guess | wont hear no more to night
Susan; 1 will go to bod now," said he, yawn
ing.
"There's only two more pages to end OF
the chapter"
81 am too fatigucd;" and Tom retired in
disgust.
Three years after.
Tom sat in the store smoking long nine
for nearly year he had spent his evenings
there, smoking and telling stories, till long
after bed time.
What for? Tom used to have such cozy
times at home evenings. Why didn't he
stay there instead of loafng with all the
rowdies of Spindleville.
We are sorry to say it. but Toms house
is no longer a pleasant place to him. HI
could never sit down there half an hou
without his wife asking him to do some
thing which moro properly belonged to her
and which she could have done just as wei
as he.
That very evening he had sat down be
fore the fire in his comfortable sitting-roon
to make out some bills against some of hi
customers. He had got the items of Mi
Pendleton's account on some paper, an
was running up the column of figures.
atom, 1 wish you would get a pitcher c
water; am almost choked," interrupte
Susan, who sat at the other side of the ts
bic, making little apron for the next baby.
"Forty one, forty-seven, fifty-two,' sal
Tom, continuing to add up the figures.
"The pitcher is on the table in the kitch
en- n .5.lsa
"Sixty-three, seventy-eight, eighty"
"Rinse it out, before you put it in tn
pail"
''Zero, carry eight"
"Come Tom, will youg" fr
81 am almost checked, y said Susan reael
ing over and taking hold of his arm. "GC
me some water, will your # tsar
"Get it yourself-eight, eleven, sixteen
'FThat is polite, must say" N
"Twenty-one, twenty-eight--" D
"Will you get the water, or not?"
"No l won,tT
at did not used to be so" snivelled ST.
san, "when ] asked you to do anything fc
me"
"Like darned fool 1 done it-eight, ele,
en-, sixteen--" ".'
"You are an altered man; you are o
now almost every evening" whined ii
poor wife. We pity her while VIC point oil
her fault.
"There p exclaimed Tom, closing his a,
count-book in a pet, and putting it back ii
to the secretary. 81 should as soon think
doing anything in Tophet rs here.p
Selling his hat, he rushed out Of tn
house, and made his way TO the store whel
we found him at the opening of this chal
ter.
He had not been gone moro that ha
an hour, before uncle Tim, her mother
brother a solid, substantial old farmer, wh
took great interest in Susan's welfar
made her call. msu ~ fi
The;poor wife's tears were scarcely DIR
and her eyes were swollen with weeping
She believed herself to be the most cruel
abused woman in SpiRdlesille-- martyr
1 the harshness and cruelty Of her husband
"Wheres Tom?p asked uncle Tim.
d "He's not at home. You know he new,
II -. -. Az ka....r D..