Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1871-11-30
VOL. XVI.

W. ell, dunno, SAID NaDDy, twisting
the corner of her shawl obviously. Il
hadn't thought ont in that light, l must
say. It's so aggravatin' to have such
man for husband. Besides, / dunno's
he'd come back now if / wanted him to-"
Hasn't he been back at all?"
"Why, yes, he come back once, for
pair of pantaloons. But didn't take no
notice of him."
"Now, Nabby, you may depend upon
it, it wasn't the pantaloons he was after.
He wanted to see if you wouldn't relent.
If he comes again, be little pleasant to
him, and I'll warrant he will stay. Give
him another chance, Nabby. Josiah isn't
the worst fellow in the world, by any
means. He has his redeeming traits, after
ALL l believe he will do better, If you
will try to help him. You know Josiah
Is one that bears encouragement, Nabby. "
''Well, Squire, Pll think it over. Any
how, Tn obleeged to you. You talk so
sorter comfortin' to body. Your mothers
own son just the same good heart,
cheese, Squire ~
"Try me, and see, Nabby," said the
Squire, smilingly, not impervious to Nab
by's compliments. Nabby made her exit
just as Mrs. Hosley rushed in, full of
wifely indignation that the Squire had
! been allowed to see "client."
Nabby's home was over at the Cor
ners," three miles from the village. She
walked rapidly along in the fast thicken-
ing darkness, with the steady, strong gait
becoming the self reliant woman that she
was. Yet even her unimaginative nature
was not proof against the depressing in
fluence of the chilly, raw November
evening. The wind whistled through the
bare tree branches, which croaked and
groaned mournfully, and waved wildly
up and down in the dim light overhead.
! The wind seemed to cherish special spite
against Nabby 1t blew her bonnet off
and her hair into her eyes, struggled madly
with her for her shawl, took her breath
away, and firmly resisted her every step.
Finally, it began to send spiteful dashes of
cold rain-drOps in her face-rain that
/ seemed almost to freeze as it fell.
Josiah used to come after me with an
umbrella when was caught out in the
rain" thought Nabby. eHe was always
real kind and good to me, after all l
dunno's he ever gave me a cross word in
his life, even when he'd ben drinkin'.'
Here the driving, sleety rain and pierc-
ing wind pounced down upon Nabby with
renewed fierceness, hustling her madly
around in fiendish glee.
All dWlu1 AlSHt " pe HoHleless, Nao-
by" something seemed to say.
| don't care, said Nabby to herself,
beginning to feel cross again and general
1y i'll used as she grew wetter and colder.
9 1t serves him right. He's made his bed,
and he can lie In 1t.
AT the Corners, the hight streaming
cheerfully out into the night from other
homes made Nabby $ little house look par
tlcularly gloomy and unnVltlng. Naopy
! fumbled under the mat Tor the door Key,
fumbled with stl11ened hngers 1or the KEY
hole, and hnally succeeded IN uniocKlng
the door, felt her way IN through the little
entry.
There is always something uncanny
about going alone at night into dark and
shut up house. Even people OF the best
regulated minds experience vague suspl-
clon OF something behind them, sense
OF possible ghostly hands about TO cluteh
them in the darkness. Nabby was wo-
man, like Mrs. Edmund Sparkler, with
9 no nonsense about her.; but neverthe-
! less cheerful tale she had read only yes
terday in the Chfonscte, about q burglar
and a lone woman, kept coming into her
head. and she carefully avoided the thick
! blackness OF the corners and the pantry
] door as she CROPPED around the kitchen
1 for candle. OF course the fire had gone
out.
Two heads are better than one, 1t 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 utterance
L suspect she was thinking what good
supply of kindlings Josiah always kept on
hand for her, and how much more COM
Portable 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 a
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
into 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
mechanic, not very rich yet it is very
true; but, with good trade and such a
wife as Nabby, there seemed nothing to
prevent his figuring as lone of our first
citizens"
Any body can be somebody in this
J country if they are only determined But
that was exactly the difficulty with Josiah.
He never was 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-contempt, of utter Encouragement
| and despair drove him lower and lower,
i and he sank down supinely into the
{ Slough of Desmond without effort OF
hope.
By beautiful dispensation of Proyi
: dence, whenever a poor, shiftless, good
for-nothing man is sent into our world
5 some active. goahead little woman is in
' variably fastened to him to tow him along
t through. and keep his head above water
! It's for the best. of course What would
! become of the poor fellow without her
E At the same time. She sometimes finds i
a little hard.
: Nabbv was ambitious and proud-spir
tied, willing to work hard. to save. to dc
' her part-anxious to get on in the werlt