The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1860-12-19
THE TWO WIVES.

N. Dodge is a good mar; he pays his taxes,
pay the minister for preaching and praying for
hin and christening the children he pays the
basr and butcher literally, he buys the "cun-
nigest" little CATERS for little May, which rejoi-
ce the heart OF Mrs. Dodge exceedingly. Mrs.
Ddge comes down in the morning with such
petty wrappers; the children are all starched
nd irOned-we mean their aprons, trowsers,
ptticOats, frocks and jackets, of course, not the
hing skins of the poor thiBgs-till they set out
k spinning. tops. Then the coffee is so good,
he rolls are SO nice that everybody says Mr..
Ooge is the happiest man alive.
o. course he is. Why should not Mr.. Dodge
be ahappy man? Mrs. Dodge does not scold or
fret, she does not talk about the coal nor the
work, nor the cook. If the truth must be told,
she does not talk at all The highest exercise
of eloQeuce in which she vas ever known to
indulge was in exhibiting black spot upon one
corner Of the forehead of the baby, eleven
months dd, who. with the aspiring propensities
OF Young America, had crept up stairs slowly,
by the size of the bannisters, while the nurse
was trying on her mistress bonnet before the
looking glas.
Mrs. DOde, told, in livid words, her emotions,
as she hearo the small soft brain of her child
bnmp, bump, from stair to stair, expecting to
ind 1t at the foot, nothing but mass of jelly
how she ran ont and picked him up, and how
black he was il the face, and how she sent the
nurse trampins and how she sat down at the
foot OF the stairs and cried as if she would never
stop CRYING
When Mrs. Dodge had exhausted her sensi.
billties and rhetoric both at the same time, she
subsided into plain Mrs. Dodge, with the clean
apron and orderly husehold.
Mr.. Dodge read hin newspaper. slipped his cof-
fee, and CALCULATED inrardly, 81 am the happest
man alive" as he did so he heaved deep sigh.
Mr.. Dodge did not know why he sighed. He
had nothing of which 20 complain. All his do.
mestic surroundings wee just as they should be,
positively good. Mrs. Dodge, the children, the
table. the house, all were the very best of her
kind. And Mr.. Dodge knew it all, and felt it,
and returned thanks dulyfor it, and vet be could
not help profound sign in view of all these
blessings. Not that the sig' was at all prophetic,
like that of the Moor, whoe cup was overflow.
ing with its breaker brim q happiness, and he
exclaims,
II il were now II de
Iwere now to be most happ., for my soul
Hath her content To absolute that not
Ano;' er cDmfort like 20 the>esucceeis
N unknown fate.
No, Mr.. Dodge's sigh proceed from no such
SohSSiOu>bcSS, Out I0tiicT iFOul ascESS OF Sacdn.
cy, as he had a great spare cham.er in his heart
which might never be furnished
Then he saw young Mr.. Hubbad, the carpen
ter, with his pretty wife. standing y the window
of small house opposite, where vas rose tree
and a geranium in full bloom. Tie little tidy
wife (she did not use near as much ssrch as Mrs
ID was reading something from theuewspaper
with her hand upon her husbands shuder. ant
Mr.. Dodge saw that both were animated Wher
she had done reading, they talked together ant
laughed, and both seemed greatly in concert
and there was a movement as the husbad went
towards the door, that said just as plailas any
words, "kiss." and Mr.. Hubbard went at with
bound. "How bright and happy youg Mr.
Hubbard seems thought Mr.. Dodge.
1t was very plain Mr.. Hubbard went outwitf
kiss and not with a sigh. Mr.. Hubbard I'D .
wife who could talk and think. In other wods
Mrs. Hubbard had ideas in her brain, and lr
Hubbard went out to his work with his he<