Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-03-30
MIR. AND MRS. NUDGKINS.

"John Nudgkins, if you don'tstop drink
ing there'n soon be an end to everything"
.Don't fret, Polly Nudgkins, don't drink
more'n alters did,"
sGoodness mercy! And s'pOse'n you
don'tl HaiDt you alters drinked enough
to kill a hog 2"
-'IS.tsHogs is bruteS, Polly, an they can't
stand what man can."
ri want to know if they bel My gra-
cious, if you don't come about as near bein
labrute as any thing ever saw, then my
eyes are deceptive. John Nudgkins, you
are w0rsein, brute A brute would not
IssOf, course they wouldn't, Mrs. Polly
Nudgkins, cause brutes don't know moth
in'.''
Polly Nudgkins, as was her wont, started
te1heap abuse upon her husbands head. and
he, as he had learned it was safest for him
to do, was prepared to bear it meekly; but
somehow, just then different spirit pos
sessed his wife. She had that morning seen
her cupboard bare, she had sent her child
rem of TO school hungry and ragged, and
.9auat poverty stared her ia the face upon
every hand. For the moment she felt sad
and down hearted, and thus weighed down,
she spoke in q tone and manner that was
strange to her lips.
rJohn, what are you coming to? We
have nothing in the house to ear, our chill
Glren Amt half!clothed, and things are
CROWN worse instead of better. What
sort. of an example are you settin' to your
little boyspa How do You think they'll
grow up? NV soul, John, if you don't stop
drinking, we shall all go to the poor house
John Nndgkins scratched his head. This
Apeeehz had completely taken him aback.
He had braced himself for torrent of
abuse, intending to hear it patiently
through, and then 60 and get something to
drink but he had no excuse yet for flight,
so he sat still and mute And the wife,
seeing what strange effect her words had
produced, continued in the same strain:
.sssJohn. only think how much better off
we might all be if you would only stop
drinking. Do you ever think of it 2"
3, John caught at an idea which had often
foated through his mind, but which he
never had the courage to present to his
wife. He caught it, framed it for speech.
and then, with some shrinking, as though
he expected the pent-up torrent to follow
its delivery, thus presented it:
Polly Nudgkins, I'll tell you what I'll
do. just as long as you'll go without look
ing cross look or speaking cross word,
SFH go without drinking q drop of rum.
There I'll stick to that-I swear | willi'
",John Nudgkins. you're foOl!'
:" 'spose am. At any rate, won't
deny it."
And with this, John picked up his rim
less hat and started for the door.
'sJohn, come back herei'
John stopped and looked at his wife. |
There, was anger upon her face, but doubt |
and perplexity were striving to overcome
it, With a mighty effort Polly lifted her
self above the angry tide.
John Nudgkins, are you in earnest?"
- g Polly Nudgkins, 1 am"
land will you keep your word"
] will. as true as preachin'."
g You won't drink another drop of rum
till I look cross look, or speak a cross
word 2"
"Iwon't, SO help meEJerusalem.'
Give me your hand, John. There
now go out and leave me alone. The gar
den wants weedin', and you might be dOin'
that, while I'm fixing up in the house"
Three glasses of the best old Jamaica
could not have brought such glow to |
Johns face as did those few words his wife |
had spoken. She had spoken to him of his |
neglected garden, and had done it kindly. |
He could not remember when such thing |
had happened before.
John Nudgkins was five and-thirty years
OF age;.and was house carpenter by trade. |
His father had been hard drinking man
and a profane man, and John had been |
brought up without any sort OF regard to |
moral or religious education. Very fOrtu-
nately for him, considering the influence |
that surrounded his childhood and youth, |
he was naturally kind-hearted and honest,
80 he instinctively went clear of any vices |
that beset his path. but his associations
were low. and he did not rise above them.
Polly Nudgkins had once been Polly |
Perkins. Her father died when she was
quite young-died from the effects ofstrong
dFink-and Polly had been brought up by
hard working, cross- grained mother, who
treated her children as though they were
so many animals, loving them in her way,
but never showing that she regarded them
as possessed of tender hearts and Important
souls. If Polly had good qualities of dis +
position they had never been nourished byI
her mother, but her muscles were trained
vigorously, for she was brought up to work.
The elder Nudgkins and Mr.. Perkins had
once been boon companions, and thus John
and Polly became intimate in childhood.
John grew up to be good looking man,
and Polly grew to be a buxom lass, and in
time John poposed and was accepted.
Some women said that Polly was fortu-I
nate. They said so because John was free-'l
hearted and handsome. They did not
know how very far short of making good
husband these qualities might come.
T'he people said John had gained prizel
In his wife. They judged her as they would
have Judged of an OK or horse-she was
worker.
And John and Polly were married. John
was free-hearted still and Polly worked.
But John did not make any change In his
old habits, and Polly brought to the mar