Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1870-10-26

when some of the children come home !;
and when I'm tired | sit down with my
knitting aud read-I can knit just As
well when Tn reading and feel so con.
tented. don't believe Queen Victoria
herself takes more solid comfort than l
do sitting by the east window. on sum
mer afternoon. reading my newspaper"
You are just as well off without it,"
answered her husbaLd, for want of some
thing else to say.
II never neglect anything else for
reading. do IL" asked Mrs. Heath, very
mildly.
mo don't know as you do" ans
wered her husband; but il seems an ex-
ira, LIKE shnll stop it," lie added 10
tone that showed plainly enough he
wishe'i to stop the conversation.
II shall take the paper" remarked
his, wife " if | have to go out washing
to pay for it,
This was not spoken angrily. but so
| firmly that Mr.. Heath noticed il, though
by no means remarkable for discernment
in most matters. 1t sounded 80 differ
ent from her usual quiet las you think
BEST" that he actually stopped moment
to consider wether it was at all likely she
would do as she said.
Mr. Heath was a kind husband, as
that indefinite description is generally
understood; he did not beat his wife,
and always gave her enough 20 eat.--
/ More than that. he had certain regard
| for her happiness. which already made
/ him feel half ashamed Of his decision;
/ but like many other men who have more
! nhstinacy than wisdom, he could not bear
&, to retract anything. and above all, TO be
convinced that he was wrong BY wo
man.
However, with commendable wish to
remove the un happiness he had caused,
be suggested that rs the papers were
carefully saved, aud she found them IN
teresting,she could read lh IN over again.
beginning at January. and take one
week clear through tho year-they would
just come out even, he concluded as If
il were singular fact that they should
do so.
| =. Notwithstanding the admirable prop
osilion. he still felt some uneasness. 1t
followed him as he walked up the pleas
ant lane to the pasture, aud 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 was greenest and sweetest on
the sunny slope 1t troubled him till he
heard bis wife call him to supper IN
such cheerful tone, that he concluded
that she didn't care much abou; the
newspaper after all.
About a week after, rs Mr.. Heath
was moving one morning, he was. sur
p,ised to see his wife coming out dressed
as if for visit.
II am going" said she ''to spend the
day with Mr.. Brown; leave plenty
FOR you TO eat;' and 50 saying she walked
rapidly on. e9
Mr.. Heath thought about it just long
enough To soy to himself +" she don't 90
visiting to stay all day once year hard
ly, aud IT is strange she should go in hay
ing time"
Very long the day seemed to him; to
90 in for n luncheon, dinner and supper,
and 10 have nobody to speak to; to find
everything SO still. The old clock click.
ed stiller than usual, he thought; the
brood OF pretty white chickens that were
almost always peepng around the door,
/ had wandered off somewhere aad left it
stilIer yet; he even missed the busy
click of the knitting needles that WAS
J apt to put him out SO when ho was do
ing figuring.
II am glad" he said to himself, rs he
/ began To look down the road at sunset,
"that MIllcent dou't go visiting all the
/ time rs some women do-there she is
| just coming"
How tired you look" said he, as
she came up: why didn't you speak
about il, AMI Id have come after you?'
II am not very tired" she answered,
but hsr looks beIied her; indeed her hus
bank declared she looked tired day or
| two after.
What was his great amazement to see
her go away the next Tuesday in
the same manner as before. .eI
To his great dissatisfaction everything
seemed that day to partake of his wife's
propensity for going away. A man
! don't want cold food in daytime said
he, rs he sat down to dinner. In the
same giumbIing manner be recounted
the mishaps Of tho m.rning. which
seemed to have been much after the
manner set forth in certain legend of
/ olien time; for be embrIIshed his recital
/ hv allusinn to-
/ The sleeps in the meadow,
The cows in the corn
adding that they wouldn't have been
there if Mrs. II . had bcen at home, be
cause she'd seen Them before they 90; in,
aud halloed. She would have seen the
oxe nbefore they got across the river, and
saved him the trouble of getting them
back. But after tracing all the unto
ward events Of her absence. he said 10
, himself, consolingly. :" guess she won't
90 any more-sho always was a home
body" ttt ~
Mrs. Heath did go again, though, and
again, aul the dav she went the fourth
tim l, her husband took counsel with him
self as. to what he should do to /. stop
her gadding." .ee
Seated ON the door step, in the shade
/ of the old trees. he spent an hour or two