The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-12-01
NABBY'S HUSBAND.
From Harpor's Bazar.

A knock at the sQuire's door.
An eager come in" from the squire,
to whom any outside diversion is an in
estimable boon, he having just reached
that uncomfortable stage of masculine
convalsscence when life becomes bur
den, not only to the socalled patient
himself, but about those unlucky femi-
nine relatives whose duty it is to Off.
ciate as his ministering angels"
Mary, the servant, came in.
Please, Mr.. Hosley, there's woman
down stairs who says she must see you.
She's been here before since you were
sick, and now she won't take no for
an answer"
"Show her right up, Mary" said the
squire, alertly frightening up visibly,
like the war-horse who scents the bat
tie afar off, Not all the coy comfort
of his surroundings, the " Sleepy Hol-
lowness' 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 curtains heavy
folds, danced and flashed all over the
room in rosy shadows, could reconcile
the squire to his enforced seclusion.
Secretly he pinned for his dingy old den
of an office, and chafed at the DOCTOR
restrictions. 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, Strengthening him
self, and assuming as much Of legal
dignity as dressing-gown and slippers
permitted.
Mary disappeared. Presently the
door opened again. " Why, Nabby,"
said the squire, " is it you? How do
you do ?''
" Yes, squire, it's me-" said Nabby,
dropping down with heavy sigh into
a chair "and | don't do very WE'LL
Nabby was short, squarely built wo-
man Of fifty, with considerable gray in
the coarse. black hair drawn stifiiy and
uncompromisingly back under bon
net about five years cut Of date. She
had sharp black eyes, and a resolute
go-ahead manner. Evidently hard
working woman yet in looking at hel
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 lift her eyebrows up tc
her hair.
Nabby had lived with the squire's
mother fifteen years-from the time
when Mrs. Hosley took her in. a 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 handmai
den, who finally, with every ones good
wishes, married young Josiah Gould.
and set up in the world for herself.
Old Mrs. Hosley had long since gone to
her reward, but the family still kept up
afriendly interest in Nabby and her
fortunes. the squire in particular being
her "guide, philosopher, and friend" in
all the emergencies of life.
"Why, what's the matter now, Nab.
by?" said the squire, good naturally.
" Are you sick ?'
eyes, am" said Nabby, emphati-
cally, with a snap of her black eyes.
" Pm sick to death of Josiah. | can't
stand it any longer, and I've come to
talk with you about gittin' divorce.
You see he's ben a-growin worse and
worse now for good while. I've KEEP
it to myself pretty much, because | was
ashamed ont, and then | KEEP hopin'
he'd do better. I've talked and talked
to him, and said and done every thing
woman could, but it seemed as if the
more | talked the worse he grew"
The squire looked at Nabby's rather
sharp, hard face, and perhaps was
hardly so surprised as Nabby expected
that Josiah had not been reformed by
the vigorous talking to- he had un-
doubtedly received.
" He grew more and more shif'less
and good-for.nothin', continued Nab
by, "till. finally, he didn't do much
but set round the kitchen fire, half
booty. If there's any thing ! hate, :"
burst out Nabby, otis a man forever
settin' round the house underioot. And
there was a takin' in washin, and a.
slavin early and late, to be kinder de
cent and forehanded, and him no bet
tern n dead man on my hands, so far
as helpin any was concerned. And SO
] told him, time and again. He worked
just about enough TO keep himself in
drink. He knew he couldn't git any of
my money for that
But / stood it all till about fort