Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-11-25

NABBY'S HUSBAND.
CONCLUDED FROM YEsTERDAY.1

peot-feSu Sulaleu minus experience vague
suspicion of something behind them,
sense of possible ghostly hands about to
clutch them in the darkness. Nabby was
woman, like Mrs. Edmund Sparkler,
with ''no nonsense about her :" but, never
theless, cheerful tale she had read only
yesterday in the Chronicle, about burg
lar and lone woman, kept coming into
her head, and she carefully avoided the
thick blackness of the corners and pantry
door as she groped around the kitchen for
a candle. OF course the fire had gone
out.
1.-Two heads are better than one, if one
is sleeps head" Nabby might have
been heard muttering out in the wood
house as she stopped painfully down pick
ing up chips; by which oracular utter
ance | suspect she was thinking what
good supply of kindlings Josiah always
kept on hand for her, and how much
more comfortable it was in the old times
coming home to house bright with light
and warmth and Josiah's welcome.
For Josiah cherished the most profound
admiration for Nabby-an admiration not
unmingled with awe. He thought her
most wonderful woman. She was Just as
beautiful to him now as in the old court
ing days, before the brightness and quick
ness of the black eyes had degenerated in
to sharpness, before the smiling mouth
had acquired its hard, firmly set express
sion, before there were any wrinkles in
the smooth forehead. People thought
Nabby had done well in marrying Josiah
Gould--a pleasant, good-natured young
fellow that every one liked; young me-
chanic, not very rich yet, it was true but,
with good trade and such wife as
Nabby, there seemed nothing to prevent
his figuring rs lone of our first citizens"
Anybody can be somebody in this coun-
try if they are only determined But that
was exactly the difficulty with Josiah. He
was never determined about anything.
He fell into the habit of drinking because
he lacked sufficient strength Of will to
avoid it. Then Nabby's sharp words,
and his own miserable sense of meanness
and self-eontempt, of utter discourage
ment and dispair, drove him lower and
lower, and he sank down supinely into the
Slough of Despond without effort or hope.
BY a beautiful dispensation of Provi-
dence, whenever poor, shiftless, good
for-nothing man is sent into our world,
some active, go-ahead little woman is
invariably fastened to him to tow him
along through, and keep his head above
w
would become of the poor fellow without
finds it a little hard.
Nabhy was ambitious and proud-spirit-
ed, willing to work, to save, to do her
part-anxious to get on in the world and
stand well among the neighbors. The
fact, gradually realized, that in her hus-
band no help, no support. only drag and
burden, and finally disgrace, had been a
disappointment imbittering her whole ma
ture. To have husband that no one re-
spected, that even the boys around town
called "Si Could was dreadful to Nab
by. Perhaps it was hardly strange that
she grew hard and bitter
Meantime Nabby had succeeded in
starting the fire, and having changed her
dress. sat down to dry her feet until the
tea-kettle boiled. But even the ruddy
light and warmth with which the kitchen
now glowed could not fend off the dreari-
ness of the night. The rain tapped with
ghostly tinger-tip upon the window-pane,
and the wind howled and walled around
the house like the spirits of the lost plead
ing once more to be taken back into hui
man life and warmth. Such wind stirs
in even the happiest heart vague sense
of loss, Of change, of all that goes to
make up the unsatisfactoriness of life.
Dead sorrows creep forth from their
graves on such nights, and stalk up and
down the echoing chambers of the heart.
Nabby could not help wondering where
Josiah was tonight. 1t was so lonely sit
ting there with no one to speak to, listen
ing to the moaning wind, the creaking
blinds, the loud ticking of the clock.
And Thanksgivin' a-comin'." thought
Nabby. "A pretty Thanksgivin' l shall
have =
The wind walled and walled, and Nab
by thought and thought. The very
thought of having "freed her mindn to the
squire had relieved her long pent-up indig-
nation, and now she felt more sad than
angry, Up before her seemed to rise
picture of her lite; the youthful dreams
and hopes, the changes and disappoint-
ments, the love turned into wrangling.
She even thought of Josiah with pity
For the first time she 'put herself in his
place, and realized how almost impossi-
bic it was tor one OF his weak nature to
resist. unaided, the temptation which
would cost a stronger will no effort.
I'm afraid I've been little too sharp
with JOSIAH" thought she. 1--WE sorter
took it for granted | was saint and he
u SihhSi, Vit oNoiNeu uoW I'LL.
nice saint anu As proud and high
strung as Lucifer himself! Oh dear ~
sighed Nabby; "a pretty mess I've made
of living Ii we could only go back and
begin over again, seems to me things
would go BETTER
just then there was faint noise, like
the clicking OF the door-latch. Nabby
started and looked around All was still
agaiu--no one was visible Yet Nabby
could not rid herself of the impression that
some one was near her, that odd sense we
have of another's individuality near us
though not present.
There's some one hangin' round here.
know said she to herself.
Nabby was one who always met things
halfway. Accordingly, she walked to the
outside door, and. opening it quickly
peered into the darkness. There stood
Josah--wet, sheepish, sorry. Once he
had started to go in, but his courage fail