Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1860-03-16
From the New York News from Home.
81 Thought 4 Wouldm,t.''

were at work at their DencneS, on OPP
posite sides Of o cabinetmaker's shop.
They were both about twenty-five years
of age both married, ard healthy and
intelligent. One of them stopped his
work, turned round towards the other,
and leaning against his bench, thus
addressed him:
"Dick, I always thought you were
quick tempered-you used to be when
you were boy. Now, I think I am
not quick tempered but if the boss
had talked to me as he did to you yes
terday, I believe should have knocked
him down, let the consequences be what
they might"
"Well, Tom, I am quick-tempered,"
replied the person accosted as Dick,
"and, as to knocking old Scoldem
down, had my thoughts about that
matter, too" 60 ~ ''> '.'-' .
''To be sure, I reckoned you were
right mad enough, when I saw your face
a. white as sheet, I" said Tom, 'fbut l
should like to know what your thoughts
were on this Solemn OCCASION as they
say"
Dick laid down his chisel, and turn
ing around, folded his arms and re-
Piled
81 thought I would, and then !
thought I wouldn't. When old Scold-
EN- first found fault with me, and began
to scold me, and finally got angry and
abused me, merely because I would not
ans wer him in the same style, l thought
no, it was no thinking, for it was
only an impulse-it occurred to me
that if I should only just smash his hat
down over his bloated face, and then
give him one good blow under the left
eye, which should tumble him among
the shavings, rather promiscuously, it
would be serving him just about right,
for I was terribly angry. But then
thought and it was thinking, for it
came after the impulse, and restrained
i1-then I thought that he was great
deal older man than I was, and had a
wife, and sons and daug hters grown up
and married, who would be very much
shocked and panied to hear that he
had been treated in this way and
thought, too, that Twas in his employ,
and could quit him at any moment il
his service was intolerable, and that il
would be disgraceful to me to have il
reported that had had fight with my
boss and I thought how bad Lucy
would feel if I was arrested for breach
of the peace, or even made myself liza.
bic to be, and so l thought I wouldn't
"Ah Dick" said Tom, "thoss
we're not exactly your feelings, Ireck'
on, when you took hold Of your ham
mer, and then pushed it away from
you. I believe I was white as you
just at that moment, for I expected
you would drop him, sure"
"You are mistaken, Tom," replied
Dick, II did not take hold of the ham
mer from any impulse or design to us'
it, but 4 thought wouldn't have i
where I could siese it and strike hin
without stirring out of my tracks ant
so I pushed it over the end Of the bench
and it fell among the shavings, and i
took me a long time to find it when
wanted it again" 4.a ".
"Well,'' said Tom, 81 don't believ'
I could have stood what you did, any
how. But you use that expression
Il thought I wouldn't as if it was
sort of favor.te one have you adopted
it as motto for your coat-of- arms,
should like to know %
"Sorter some, some sorter not 8
they say out West" replied Dick
laughing "but it is said that all tn
highest modes of thoug ht have ster
eotyped expression, and that is tn
reason, for instance, why those VIII
speak the English language are Away
seeking for that liberty expressed il
the great phrases which are SO com
monty used in books, speeches AM
newspapers. So I confess l have 20
one little pet phrase, which, when l an
in action, reads-'I think I WON'T ant
when l am bordering over what I didn'
do, signifies Il thought wculdn t.
And l think this phrase over a grea
deal, and confess it does me good.
will tell you how got into it.
"About q year ago, l went home ont
damp, slushy, thawing night, rather
late for supper. Old Scoldem had beer
very cross that day, and very insolent
and that, with the unpleasant weather
made me feel cross, too, very. Well
I got home, the fire was almost out, tn,
room uncomfortable; but supper wa
ready, and we sat down at the table,
Lucy did not seem inclined to talk
little Jimmy was fretful the tea wa
weak and cold, and the toast wasn'
made right. I felt very much annoyed
and-I thought I would justtell Lucy
in confidential sort Of way, that til,
tea was only slops, and that the toas
wasn't fit to be thrown to the pigs; ant
that I would then Tut on my hat and g
off to the Odd Fellows Lodge earle
than usual, and thus serve her right
But then looked across the table a
Lucy, who sat their holding her baby
eating nothing, and looking pale ant
weary and I noticed, too, that littl
Jimmy looked flushed, as he sat there
in his arm chair and it occurred t,
me that it was just possible that my
wife might be feeling i'll, and that lit
tie Jimmy was affected by the weather
just like older folks, and that, perhaps
this damp air affected the draught Of
the chimney. I asked Lucy if she was
i'll, and she said for six hours she had a
terrible nervous headache. SOL