Connecticut western news., 1871-12-01
NABBY'S HUSBAND.
mock at the souire's door,

A knock at the squire's door.
 An eager "come in" from the squire, to whom any outside diversion is an inesti- mable boon, he having just reached that uncomfortable stage of masculine convales- ence when life becomes burden not only to the so-called "patientn himself but also to those unlucky feminine relatives whose duty it is to officiate as his ministering angels"
 Mary, the servant, came in.
 "Please, MT. Hosley, there's woman down stairs who says she must see you. She's been here before slnce you were sick, and now she won't take no' for an answer" :"
 "Show her right up, Nary" said the squire, alertly, brightening up visib1y, like the war-horse who scents the battle afar of. Not all the cozy comfort of his sur roundings, the "Sleepy Hollowness" of his easy-chair, the pleasant pictures on the wall, the wood fire which, now that the wintry twilight was settling down over the bit of gray sky left visible by the cur tains' heavy folds, danced and flashed all over the room in rosy shadows, could re- concile the squire to his enforced seclusion. Secretly he pined for his dingy old den of an office, and chafed at the doctors restric- tons, which as yet forbade all thought of business. But now the moral police force, represented by his wife and daughter, being luckily off duty, there was nothing to prevent his seeing this probable client.
 "Show her up, Mary" said the squire cheerfully, straightening himself, and as- suming as much of legal dignity as dress ing-gown and slippers permitted. l..
 Mary disappeared. Presently the door opened again. "Why, Nabby," said the squire, Sis it you2 How do you do?
 Yes, squire, it's me, i" said Nabby, drop ping down with heavy sigh into chair "and don't do very we'll"
 Nabby was a short, squarely built wo- man of fifty, with considerable gray in the coarse, black hair drawn stiff1y and uncom- promisingly back under bonnet about five years out of date. She had sharp black eyes, and resolute, go-ahead man. ner. Evidently a hard working woman yet in looking at her you could not help the conviction that something more than hard work had plowed the deep wrinkles which ran across and across her forehead and threatened to hit her eyebrows up to her hair.
 Nabby had lived with tho squire's mother fifteen years-from the time when Mrs Hosley took her in, ten-year-old orphan who was, as the good old lady sometimes expressed it, "more plague than profit, ) until she grew into the steady and reliable handmaiden, who finally, with every one's good wishes, married young Josiah Gould and set up in the world for herself Old Mrs. Hosley had long since gone to hel reward, but the family still kept up c friendly interest in Nabby and her fortunes the squire in particular being her " guide philosopher, and friend" in all the emer. gencies of life.
 "Why, what's the matter now, Nabby p said the squire, good-naturedly. "Art you sick 2"
 "Yes, am," said Nabby, emphatically with snap of her black eyes. "I'm sick to death of Josiah. I can't stan it any longer, and Pve come to talk with yol about gittin' divorce. You sec he's beI a-growin' worse and worse now for a gooc while. I've kep' it to myself pretty much because was ashamed ont, and then kep' hopin' he'd do better. I've talked and talked to him, and said and done ever, thing woman could, but 1t seemed as i the more talked the worse he grew"
 The squire looked at Nabby's- rathes sharp, Lard face, and perhaps was hardl, so surprised as Nabby expected that Josial had not been reformed by the vigorou "talking to" he had undoubtedly received
 "He grew more and more shiftless ant good -for-nothin', continued Nabby, "till finally, he didn't do much but set rount the kitchen fire, half boozy. If there' any thing 1 hate," burst out Nabby, "it' man forever settin' round the hous, underfoot. And there I was a-takin' il washin', and a-slavin' early and late, to b, kinder decent and forehanded, and him n, better'n dead man on my hands, so far a helpin' any was concerned. And so tolt hun, time and again. He worked jus about enough to keep himself in drink He knew he couldn't git any ot my none, for that.
 tBut. I stood it till about fortnigh ago., I'd been workin' hard all day helpir Miss Barber clean house, and it seemed a if every bone in my body ached, l was S tired. I came along home, thinkin' hoy good my cup of tea d taste. The frs