Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1861-02-26
From the Home Journal.
THE HUSBAND TRAP.
BY A YOUNG CLERGYMAN.

/ hid myself behind log in western
swamp, waiting for ducks. Hunters gen
orally 20 after their game; prefer read
ing or enjoying the scenery, until it comes
TO be shot in a regular and reasonable way.
Ducks must be as fond of nature as of
acorns and tadpoles; the sequestered lake
elet near which | was ensc0nced, one of
their favorite resorts, being surprisingly
picturesque. Silver gray trunks of enOr-
nous dead trees were reflected 10 its sur
face as in polished black marble, which
broken into rippling graves Of light by the
purple green or golden drake, or the plain.
er but not less lovely duck, made too ex-
quiSite picture to be broken by noise,
unsaVury smoke. blood, broken wings or
feathers. Every thing around me was rich
and strange; the arrowy polished tubes of
tho cane, the thick. black vines, like an
acondas, hanging, as 1t were from the
skies the light open fret-work of swamp
foliage above, from which many birds
poured forth fute.likG and actually chro-
matte waTblings; comic birds, uttering
quick, ODD notes crimson and azure birds,
not down in the oritholngies and myster
iOus wood peckers, sounding as if all fairy,
land were carpentering. | was resolving
in my mind, indeed, to take up my abode
III this enchanting solitude, when the dis
covery of an immense old hollow stump
Of cottonwood decided me- 1t was perfect
miniature paiacc--its style, | named on
the spot, the anti-arabesque. The guarded
roots spread in triplet pedestals, ike paws
of mammoth lions, and in its knots and
excrescences might be discerncd the faces
and forms of beasts, monsters, hvdras and
chimeras dire. Here, beneath roof of
plated cane and bark, might pass my
ia IS in peace was only eighteen and
subject to terrible fits Of misanthropy y
Even The winds should not disturb my
contemplation. Aquione Nutus, Eurocly
don. the storm wind, all are forever kept
out Of these peaceful wales by the strong
and stalwart cotton wood and oak.
The son If Sheik Mohammed Ali HAHN,
relates with infinite ndiretee, how that,
having determined 10 lead hermits lie,
he went about searching for suitable
cave. Certain family considerations oper
ated adversely to Mr.. IIazin's design. /
was not so sublunery. Hungry certainly
was, and my first care beiug to provide
dinner, and not wishing to disturb my
beautiful duck-ponG, | searched the river
fats for wild geese. This, proved literally,
q wild goose chase. As usual with game,
its willingness t. be shot seemed inversely
az to It's value. Re-enterlng the timber,
to hunt smaller and surer quarry, what
was my astOuishment at behUlding, wind
ing along cow-trail, grave orderly
procession Of these very wild geese follow
ing after a middle aged, severe locking
woman, who was leading them towards
a clearing
why, Madam, you seem to be able to
bewitch those animals, | have been trying
to get within mile Of them all the morn
ing
Wal, my boy he rustled round anon
'em. and canght these one way or another
| bring them IN every night to feed, on
account Of pOssums and coons, which is
mighty bad among the poultry. reckon
you're a preacher
Nut yet
Il thought you was preacher, sure
You amt doctor?
Mo-
Then walk in and take chair. NV
old mans poorly. He's stopped work
ever since last fall, and this Spring the
garden was took down with cOckle- burs
and dock, and me and my little girls
been cutting steamboat wood, but the
steamboats, don't run much now-thar
amt been no rise this two months. Jane,
drive them hogs away from the styew. /
don't know what I'll do if thar amt nc
steamboat soon. want to go up town
bad to get some groceries,
What is the matter with your bus
band2'
'Fe- oh, fever and ague. l under
stand
oh, it's some here, you'd better believe
You might almost cut it in chunks.
thought my old man would have pegged
out last night but he held on wonderful
You don't mean to say that be is dy-
ing?
i don't mean nothing shorter. AuC
I'm moughty sorry to lose him. He clare
all this field back of the house, and then
there two fields in the bottom lie KEEP
three acres aging to Joe's one. but b,
warDt patchin' to Joe cutting timber
| Poor Joe. l buried him in the fur eorne
ofthe turnip patch
You buried him.
Married him one year, and buried hin
the next
| And what did he die OF!
'Feyeranager.'
Twas shocked at the mechanical man
ner and facile emphasis diminishing will
geonetrical rapidity towards the las
syllable) with which she uttered thi
fearful word.
Joe wsrn't much at hoeing, but b.
could knock spots out of things with al
axe. He could cut more steamboat Woo
in day than Bill Sparkes could in
| week"
And who was Bill Sparkes 2 asked l
with dread presentment.
Bill was my husband too. lie hat
money, Bill had, and he entered two for
ties Of upland, and bought four head 0
cattle. Yonder's two of 'em now. I'm
gong tostake 'em up on the next boat, tt
swap for groceries,
] Did Mr.. Sparks die too?'
Now you don't think I'd gone anC
got married, aud him alive! O. course
he died. He was took down sudden
ketchin, drift wood My bow ran home
about it, and went down with Jane. anG
we hacked bin to the house and n.de