The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1857-08-20
Select Gole.
Mr.. HenbOdy's Happy Thought
BY WILLIAM o. EATON,


vided his time about equally betwee
! watching his wife and playing on the flute
He may have inherited passion for mu
sic, and wished to seem worthy of his Pa
gan name; but, whether or no, he wa
assiduous in his attentions 10 the flute
and though he was very poor player
kept his mouth and fingers going upon
with such lnveteracy, as greatly to dis
turb the nerves of Mrs Henbody and thu
neighbors. So she often scolded him, fo
a bore,
That's the way, Harriet Whenever
try to take little comfort you are mis-
cradle. Ny flute is my friend, and there
fore you hate it, Can't you let me have
this little relief in the midst Of the
wretchedness you cause mel
You are the cause of your own unhap.
piness, by your unlounded suspicious -,
| am sorry ever gave up my maiden
name to become Henbodyl And then
to be disturbed by such musicl'
Let me alone, woman, and let me toot.
You don't know how to toot. You
ought to have tutor replied she.
Pity your mother hadn't tutored yOu,
in the way that you should go! Then |
should have had IA good, steady, constant
wife, and not been driven to melancholy
and despair And he went on playing,
regardless of the wry face she made.
Il declare | see no end to this double
torture, she exclaimed Nothing but
flutation and reproach, from one week S
end TO another,
Am | not a good husband, ma s'am?
No, you are notl You don place any
confidence in mel
You don have to labor, Harriet
i do labor-under your confounded
Jealousy. | mean to 90 and consult MIS-.
Sly, the fortuneteller, and see if she can't
see anything better for me in the future
'ForIune.tcIer! pshaw! humbug Bet.
ter consult your conscience! You'll get
little satisfaction from either, though
'As much as you IL get from that hor,
rid flute! retoreed Mrs Henbydy, rush
ing to the glass to see if rage had much
distoried her really beautiful visage. i
shall go TO see her this afternoon, at four
0 clock, if IN alive, she added, arranging
her curls coqueltishly. I'm anxious 10
know what s going to become of me-
Il can lell you hat!-going to ruin as
fast as possible, Mrs Henbody, And I'd
like to know what is going to become of
me?
Ugh! Nobody cares, you ugly crea-
ture, replied his wife, twitching her el.
bows in huff, and bouncing out of the
room
Henbody for awhile kept on huling,
with his legs crossed, when suddenly he
started up,
Ahappy thought-a very happy tho'tl
| Il find out all | can; We rghtto l Il
see Mrs. Sly beforehand ana put her on
the right track. These telling
people will do and say anything for mon
ley. Ill bribe her; and my coot of a
wife, who is goose enough 10 believe in
such things, will doubtless tell her enough
to give me a clue to her real doings-
lperhaps say enough to justify divorce
EWho knows?'
This question was asapparently put to the
ute and the surrounding furniture; but
'they meade no answer, and Mr. Heubody
soon after repai,;;ssd 10 the house of Mrs
-, She was an elderly lady, with a
globe of forehead and very iosas.
wtfieh seemed sharpened for the ex
psEss purpose Of piercing into the future.
She had one Of those hawklike, derisiye
boxing eyes--lwo of them--which be-
long to double-dealers, and aid them in
seeing the soft side of other people and
taking advantage Of il. She picked up a
iolerabe living, at fifty cents time,
from the miscellaneous stream of credu-
Iops humanity which glided by chance
over her Threshold; and perhaps this en-
couraged her to invest 50 largely in the
arucle Of snuff, in the use Of which, like
Napoleon. she was protuse and dirty.
You are the iortune.leller, pre-
sume2' said Mr.. Henbody, brushing up
bis hair, as he took seat before her.
Il am sir replied the prophecies, sol
EMMY. The divine gift youchsafed t.
the chosen seers of old has been given tc
me, to direct the unwary, to enIighten
the blind. end TO encourage the despond-
ing
7At.6fty cents head said Henbody,
interrupting her; 'isn'tit?
She looked grave for moment, at the
1irreyerent interruption; but seeing that
her visitor was disposed TO be matter OF
fact, she softened down her assumed aus
terity and replied.
That is the regular price--though we
make discount for families
We? Are. e.tbere more than one OF your
said Mrs. Sly. smiling at the
question. i use the term zoe in common
with royalty and the editors
'And.you have perfectrigh ght to do So.
considering your extraordinary gift and
the fact that when you speak not only for
yourself. but also for the Fates-and for
s,ries.ioa., for what Iknow!
~ help laughing put.