The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1871-12-08

A knock az the sanire'S door.
An eager '.oome inn from the squire, 20
whom any outside diversion is an inesti-
mable boon, he having Just reached that
uncomfortable stage Of masculine GONZALES
ence when life becomes q bardel- not only
to the so-called patient himself, but also
TO those unlncky feminine relatives whose
duty it j. 10 oficiAte MS Biz 'mipistering
Angels
(. Mary, the servant, came in. g
Please, Mr.. Hoslcy, there's n woman
down stars who says she must see you.
She's been here before since yOa were sick,
and now she won't take no. for an answer y
"Show her right up, Mary said the
squire, alertly, frightening up yiSibly, Ike
the war-horse who scents the battle afar
of. Not all the cozy comfort Of his sur
roundings, the . Sleepy IlullownessT oi his
easy-chair, the pleasant pictures on the
wall, the wood Gre which, now. that the
wintry twilight was settling down over
the bit of gray sky left visible by thScnr-
tains' heavy folds, danced and flashed all
over the room in rosy shadows, could re-
concile the squire TO his enforced seclusiou
Secretly he pined for his dingy old den Of
nm Office, and ehafed at the doctor'srestric-
tions, which rs yet forbade all thought Of
business. But now the moral police force,
represented by his wife and daughter,
being luckily or duty, there was nothing
TO prevent bis seeing this probable client.
"Show her up, Mary said the squire
cheenully, straightening himself, and as
suning as much Of legal dignity as dress
ing-gown and slippers permitted.
Mary disappeared Presently the door
opened again. Why, Nabby,n said the
squire, sis IL you How do you dol
"Yes, squire, it's me, ? said NAbby, drop
ping down with heavy Sigh into chair !;
"and I don't do very Wells
Nabby was short, sqdately built wo
man OF fifty, with considerable gray in the
coarse, black hair drawn stiifiy and uncom-
promiSingly back under a bonnet about
five years out Of date. She had sharp
black eyes, and resolute. go-ahead man
ner. Evidently hard-working woman !;
yet in looking at her you could not help
the conviction that something more than
hard work had pIowed the deep wrinkles
which ran scross and across her forehead,
and threatened to lift her eyebrows up to
her hair. = 80 1ELLG y :
Nabby had lived withthesqaire's mother
fifteen years-from5 the time when Mrs
Hosley took her in, q teR-yeaF-old orphan,
who was, as the good old lady sometimes
expressed il, more plague than profit, y
until she grew into the steady and reliable
handmaiden, who finally, with every ones
good wishes, married young Josiah Gould,
and set up in tnc world 1or herself Old
Mrs. Hosley had long. since gone to her
reward, but the family still kept up a
friendly interest in Nabby and her fortunes.
the squire in particular being her guide,
philosopher, and friend" in all the ener-
gencies Of life. o.4 ~ 4. ~ 4
"Wby, what's the matter now, Nabby 7n
said the squire, good -naturedly. 4 Are
you sick ~ .aia ll ii i
"Yes, am" said Nabby, emphatically.
with snap Of her black eyes. {" Pm sick
to death OF Josiah. I can't STAN il any
longer, and I've come to talk with YOU
about gittin' divorce. You. see heis ben
a-growin' worse and worse now for a good
while. I've kcp' it to myself lfpretty 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 il seemed MS if
the more talked the worse be grew
The squire looked ut Nabby's rather
sharp, lard face, and perhaps was hardly
so surprised as Nabby expected that Josiah
had not been reformed by the vigorous
talking to" he had undoubtedly received.
"He grew more and more shiftless and
good-for-nothin'," continued Nabby,, till,
finally, he didn't do much but set round
the kitchen fire. half boozy. III there's
any thing hate" burst out Nabby, "it's
a man forever settins round the house
underfoot. And there 7 was a-takin'' in
washin', and a-slayin' early and late, tobe
kinder decent and forehahded, and hin no
better'nJa a dead man on my hands, SO far as
hclpin' any was concerned, And so Ltold
hun, time and again Hs worked Just
about enough to keep himself in drink.
He knew Le couldn't git any OF my money
for that
"But / stood it till about fortnight
ago. I'D been workin' hard all day helpin,
Miss Barber clean house, and it seemed a.
s4* III