Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-11-25
80, rsrsd IN dubious hesitation on

;s1Ks fingered in dubious hesitation or
the doorstep. rEa 0@ :.Lo, a;d
'.eWhy don't you come in 'osaah' Sa'0
Nabby. Nah.
by.r replied Josiah, with all the meekhess
becoming returning prodigal:
"Want your Of course do, SAID Nap,
by, heartily. Come right IN m gol n,,
70 have gridd!e-cakes for supper, ana you
must tend em while ct the tabie.
Griddle-cakes were one OF JOSIAH i"Noi
he weaknesses, and Nsbby knew it.
Josiah came in. Ii he ever gels ili'o
heaven probably his sensations will not De
one whit more delightful than they were
now. as. from the bleakness and gloom
of the night, the forlornness OF MS Wrelcn-
ed wanderipos, he came into the coy
brightness of the kitchen, and felt that he
was home once more. How good the tea
smelled, The fire roared and snapped, the
tea.kettle boiled and bubbled and bobbed
its lid I'D and down, and from the griddle
the sayorv odor of the cakes assembled like
a homely incense. Josiah's face, shining
with mingled heat and happiness as he
tnrned the griddle-cakes, was something
worth seeing. ae.L
Nabby stepped briskly around getting
supper ready. 1t seemed so pleasant to
cot the table for two again, to have some
one to praise and appreciate her cooking
The November wind might howl its worst
now. Its hold on Nabby was gone. In
Mace of all the bitter sadness that had
hung heavily around her heart was warm
feeling of happiness, of comfort and hope.
All the explanation they had was this:
Josiah drew forth from under his shabby
coat an exceedingly awkward and knob
'I've bought something for you, Nab
by said he.
The something" undone, proved to
be very handsome britannia teapot.
That teapot must have known it was
a peace-offering, with such preternatural
brightness did it shine and glisten. Some
thing in Nabby's eyes shone and glistened
too. although she winked hard, and scorn-
ed the weakness OF pocket-handkerchief.
s.Thank you. Josiah" she said; ''it's a
regular beauty, and shall set lots by it. "
Which so long as they understood each
other. was perhaps, AS we'll as if Josiah
had made a long-worded speech of re-
pentance and reformation, and Nabby
another of forgiveness.
WISH say tihS ANScpy 49, ~
scolded Josiah again. But can't How
ever, she ''drew it mild" and there was
general understanding between them
that this was only sort Of exercise made
necessary by habit-a barking by no
means involving biting And Josiah was
so accustomed to it that he wonld have miss
ed it, and not felt natural without being
wound up and set going for the day by
Nabby. '''
One day, later in the winter Nabby
was washing for Mrs. Hosley.
$50 you've taken Josiah back again.
after all Pr said Mrs. Hosiey.
f"Wen. yes, have" said Nabby, Civ
inga last twitch to the sheet she was
wringing out. "Josiah mayn't be very
much to Drag of; but then you see, he's
my own, and all I've got. We're gittin'
to be old folks, Josiah and me, and we
may as well put up with each other the
little while we've got to stay here"
Glow has he been doing since he came
back P"
'.Erstrate. HES walked as straight's a
string ever since. He's u good provider,
now he quit drinkin', and a master hand
for fxin' up things around the house, and
maxim it comfortable. | tell you what
It's. Miss Hosley, we've got to make
'lowance for folks in this world, We can't
have 'em always jest to our mind. We've
got to take 'enl jest as they are, and make
the best on't''
I'm glad to see you so much happier
and better contented, Nabby."'
''Well, used to fret and complain a
good deal because things hadn't turned
out as expected 'em to; but lately I've
thought good deal about it all, and I've
made up my mind that there's consider
able comfort for every one in this world
after all. We maynt git jest what we
want, but we git sometbin.p
In which piece of philosophy j believe
Nabby was about right. >.