The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1871-03-02


days they came to a river, across
which there was a fine bridge, over
which a great caravan of loaded mules
was just passing; and these having
nearly all passed over, one of them
got stubborn, as We often see them
do, and refused to take anoth-
er step in advance. HereupOn
the muleteer took a tough stick
and began to strike him to make him
go; but the mule turned toward this
side of the road and then to the other,
but by no manner of means would he
be induced to cross the bridge. The
muIeteer only applied the stick with
more severity than ever, striking
the mule over the head and various
parts of the body, but all to no pur-
pose. Melissa and Josepho seeing
these things observed tothe driver:
"You wicked rascal, you, what are
you doing? Are you going to kill the
poor brute? Why don't you try to
manage him by kindness? he'll be
more apt to go treated in that way,
than by whipping him the way you're
doing"
To this the mule-driver responded,
''You know your horses and L my
mule; just let me manage him my
self, will your
And so saving he -enDnmanead heat
ing him at such a rate that the mule
was tlast obliged to move on, so that
the muleteer proved what he had be-
fore asserted.
The two young men, being now
ready to move on, enquired of some
good old man, who was sitting at the
entrance, what this bridge was called: |
"Gentlemen," the good man re-
sponded, ''this is the Goose-bridge."
This answer reminded Josepho of
the words of Solomon, as soon as he
heard it, and turning toward Melissa,
said:
"pII tell you, my friend, this coun- |
sci of King SoIomon's is likely to be
a valuable one yet, for it appears that
he knew that I did not know how to
fog my wife, and this mule-driver has
taught me what to do"
After few days more they at length
arrived in Antioch. Josepho invited
Melissa to remain with him for few
days. He was quite coOlly received
by his wife, but he told her get up just
such a supper as MellissO might order.
The latter observed the kindness of
JosephO, and soon made up his mind
as to what he would have.
The wife, instead of doing what she
was reques to do, did not at all pre-
pare what Melissa had ordered; but,
as size was accustomed to do, got up a
set of dishes as much to the contrary
as she knew how. When Josepho
saw this, ne angrily said:
''Did not tell you how to get this
supper?"
His wife, turning upon him with
naughty air, replied:
"What do you mean, sir? Why
don't you sup if you want to SUPP
Suppose you did tell me to prepare
this meal some other way, it's just as
want it and that's sufficient, and if
that isn't satisfactory, just let itstand,
that's all"
Melissa was astonished at the wO-
mans reply, and mildly reprOached
her for her conduct, as she retreated
from the room. JOsepho hearing this,
said:
"Wife, do you know what you are
doing? Depend upon it, am not go
ing to put up with this any longer"
and turning to Melissa he said: "My
friend, we shall now see what virtue
there is in SOlomon's advice. But 1
beg you to remain calm and seIf-pos-
sessedin what you are about to see, and
not regard what am about.tO do as a
joke, and in order that you do not, out
Of compassion, interfere in the mat
ter, just keep the mule-driver inmind,
that we reprimanded for beating his
mule.
81 am your guest, +" replied Melissa,
''and shall by no means interfere in
what might be agreeable to you"
Josepho having procured a round
stick, taken from an oak sapIing,
went into the room to which his wife
had repaired, after having left the Ia
ble in a rage. Seizing her by her
/ tresses he brought her to his feet, and
then began to fog her in good earnest
with the stick he had procured for the
purpose.
/ At first the woman began to yell,
then threaten, but finally, seeing that
Josepho was not going to be brought
/ to terms in this way, she threw her
self on the floor before him, and begged
him for the Lords sake not to kill
her, and said, among the rest, that she
would never do any thing against his
will and pleasure as long as she lived.
Josepho, however, was not inclined
to stop here, but only applied his
stick with more effect than before,
beating the good woman at such a
rate that every bone and muscle Of her
body ached with pain from the many
bruises she had received. He now
turned 70 Melissa saying:
Tomorrow we shall see of what
value the advice of going to the
'Goose-bridge' was"
Then the two travellers, after finish
ing their supper, retired.
The woman gathered herself up as
well as she could, and throwing her