Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1859-02-13

Ieaulug, 20 ~eAeo ASA AoeSs
mildly.
mo, l don't know - YOU do" az
swered her husband "but it seems %
extra, like wiH stop it." he added,
IN = tone that showed plainly enough
he wished to stop the conversation.
II shall take the paper" remarked
his wife, "If have to 60 ont washing
to pay for it,"
This was not spoken angrily, but 90
firmly that Mr.. Heath noticed it.
though u no means remarkable for
discernment in most matters. It sound
ed 80 different from her usual quiet "as
you think best" that he actually stop
ped moment to consider whether it
was at ali likely she would do - she
said.
Mr.. Heath was . kind husband, -
that indefinite description is generally
understood; that is, he did not beat
his wife, and always gave her enough
to eat. More than that he had . certain
regard for her happiness, which already
made him feel ashamed Of his decision,
but like many other men who have
more obstinancy than wisdom he
could not bear to retract anything, and
above all to be convinced he was wrong
by a woman.
However, with . commendable wish
to remove the unhappiness he caused,
he suggested that as the papers were
carefully filed, and she had found them
interesting, she could read them over
again, beginning at January, and taking
one week clear through the year
they would just come out even, he con-
cluded, as if it we're singular fact that
they should do so.
Notwithstanding the admirable prop
osition he still felt some uneasiness. 1t
followed him as he walked to the pas
ture, and it made him speak more
sharply than was his wont, if the cows
stopped while he was driving them
home, to crop the grass where it looked
greenest and sweetest On the sunny
slope. 1t troubled him till he heard
his wife call him to supper, in such a
cheerful tone, that he concluded she
didn't care much about the newspaper
after all.
About week after this, As Mr..
Heath was moving one morning, he
was surprised to see his wife coming,
| dressed "a If for a visit.
"Tm going" said she, ITO spend the
day with Mrs. Brown; l leave plenty
for you to eat;" and so saying she
walked rapidly on.
Mr.. Heath thought about it just long
enough to say to himself "she don't 60
visitin' to stay all day, once a year
hardly, and it's strange she should 60
in hay time"
Very long the day seemed to him ;
to 60 in for luncheon, dinner and sup
per, and to have nobody to speak to +;
to find everything 80 still. The old
clock licked stiller than usual he
thought, the brood Of pretty white
chickens, that were almost always
peeping round the door, had wandered
off somewhere, and left it stiller yet ;
he even missed the busy click Of the
knitting needle that was apt to put him
out so, when he was doing any fig.
uring.
II am glad" he said to himself, as
he began to look down the road at
sunset, "that Millicent don't 60 q visit.
in all the time, as some women do,
there she is just coming"
"How tired you look" SAID he as
she came up; "why didn't you speak
about it, and I'd have harnessed up and
come after you"
I'm not very tired" she answered ;
but her looks belied her /; indeed her
husband declared she looked tired for
day or two after.
What was his amazement to see her
60 away the next Tuesday in the same
manner as before.
To his great dissatisfaction, every
thing seemed that day to partake Of bis
wife's propensity from going from
home. A man don't want cold food in
hay time, said he, as he sat down to
dinner. In the same grumbling mood,
he recounted his mishaps Of the morn
ing, which seemed to have been much
after the manner set forth in certain
legend Of olden time; for he embel-
lished his recital by allusion to
''rhe sheer's in the meadow,
The cows are In tbs oLrn.''
Adding that they wouldn't have been
there, if Mrs. Heath had been at home,
because she'd have seen them before
they got in and halloed. She would
have seen the oxen, too, before they
got across the river, and saved him the
trouble Of getting them back. But
after tracing all these untoward events
to her absence he said to himself con-
sclingly, II guess she won't 60 any
more, she always was a home body"
Mrs. Heath did 60 again though,
and again, and the day she went for
the fourth time, her husband took
counsel with himself as to what he
should do to "stop her gadding." Seat
ed on the door step, in the shade of
the old trees, he spent an hour or two
in devising ways and measures, talking
aloud all the time, and having the sat-
isfacton Of hearing nobody dispute
him.
ut is hard to think Of her getting to
be visitin' woman" said he, land it's
clear it amt right. Keep her at home,
I've read in the Bible, (old Richard's
Bible knowledge was somewhat confu-
sed, quotation varied slightly from the
scriptural phrase "keepers At home" ~
but it says too" he added, with the
true, sincere man, ''that husbands