Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-11-18


kitchen for q candle. OF course the fire mad
gone out
&" Two heads are better than one, if one is a
sleeps head, Nabby might have been heard
mntterlng out IN the wood house as she stopped
painfully down picking up chips; by which orac-
ular utterance suspect she was thinking what
good supply Of kindlings Josiah always kept
on hand for her, and how much more com(orta-
bic ii was in the old times coming home To- a
welcome. 1--I
For Josiah cherished the most profound admit
ration 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 counting days, before the bright
ness and quickness Of the black eyes had de-
generated 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
ant, good natured young fellow that every one
liked; young mechanic, not very rich yet, IL
Was true; but, with good trade and such wife
- Nabby, there seemed nothing to prevent his
Touring as ''One of our first citizens"
Any body can be somebody in this country if
they are only determined But that was exactly
the difficulty with Josiah. He never was de
termned about any thing. He fell into the
habit of drinking because he lacked suffi cient
strength or will to avoid it. Then Nabbys
sharp words, and his own missrabl sense of
meanness and seif-contempt, of utter dis
enlargement and despair, drove him lower and
lower, and he sank down supinely into the
Slough OF Despond without effort or hope.
BY a beautiful dispensatiOn of Providence,
whenever a poor, shiftless, gOod-fOr- nothing man
Is sent into our world, somo active, goahead lit
tie woman is invariably fastened to him to tow
him along through, and keep his head above
water. Its for the best, of course. What would
become of the poor fellow without her? At
the same time, she sometimes finds it a little
hard.
Nabby was ambitious and d-spirited, will
ing to work hard, to save, to do her part-anx-
ious to get on in the world and stand well among
the neighbors. The fact. gradually realized,
that in her husband she had no help, no support,
only drag and burden, and finally a disgrace,
had been a disappointment imbittering her
whole nature. To have a husband that no one
led - 81 Could" was dreadful.to Nabby. Per-
haPs 1t 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 rudy light and warmth with which
the kitchen now glowed could not fend of the
drearness of the night. The rain "tapped with
ghostly fnger-tip upon the window-pane," and
the wind howled and walled around the house
like the spirits OF the lost pleading to be once
more taken back into human life and warmth.
Such a wind stirs in even the happiest heart a
vague sense of loss, of change, Of all that goes to
make up the manifestations of life. Dead
sOrrOws creep forth from their graves on such
chambers of the heart.
Nabby could not help wondering where 10
siah was tonight. 1t was so lonely sitting there
with no one to speak to, listening to the moan
ing wind, the creaking of the blindes, the loud
ticking of the clock.
"And Thanksgivin' a comm, ," thought Nab
by. " A pretty Thankgivin' / shall have!"
The wind walled and walled, and Nabby
thought. The very fact of having "freed her
mind to the squire had relieved her long pent
up indignation and now she felt more sad than
angry. Up before her seemed to rise a picture
OF her life: the youthful dreams and hopes, the
changes and disappointments, 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 impossible
IT was for one of his weak nature to resist, I'M
aided, the temptation which would cost q
I'm afraid Pve ben a little too sharp with
Josiah, - thought she. "Pve sorter took II for
granted was saint and he sinner, and scolded
him right along down hill. A nice saint am!
As proud and high-strung as Lucifer himself!
oh dear!" sighed Nabby; "a pretty mess I've
made Of living! If we could only 60 back and
begin over again, seems to me things would 20
better"
just then there was a faint noise, like the
clicking of the do0r-latch. Nabby started and
looked round. All was still again-no one visi-
preston that some one was near her, that odd
sense We have OF another's individuality near us
through not present.
There's some one hangin' round here, I
know" said she to herself.
Nabby was one who always met things half
way. Accordingly, she walked to the outside
e out into
kh, sorry. Once he had started to go in, but his
courage falling. he fingered in dubious hesta-
ton on the doorstep.
"why don't you come in, Josiah?" said Nab
by.
al didn't knows you'd want me, Nabby,"re
Piled Josiah, with all the meekness becoming
returning prodigal.
"Want you? OF course / do" said Nabby,
heartily: "a Come right along in. I'm goin' TO
nave griddle,eakes for supper, and you must
were one OF JOsiah's favorite weaknesses, and
Nabby knew il.
Josiah came in. II he ever gets into heaven,
probably his sensations will not be one whit
more delightful than they were now, as from
the bleakness and gloom of the night, the for
lornness of his wretched wanderings, he came
into the cory brightness OF the kitchen, and felt
that he was home once more. How good the tea
smelled! The fire roared and snapped, the tea
kettle boiled and dubbed and bobbed its lid up
and down, and from the griddle the savory odor
Josiah's face, shining with mingled heat and
happiness as he turned the griddle-cakes, was
something worth seeing.
ready. 1t seemed so pleasant to set the table for
two again, to have some one to praise and appre-
eiate her cooking. The November wind might
was gone. In place of all the bitter sadness that
had hung heavily around her heart was a warm
feeling OF happiness, of comfort and hope.
A. All the explanation they had was this; Josiah
ceedingly awkward and knObby bundle.
I've bought something for you, Nabby,"
said he.
Tie something" undone, proved to be
very handsome britannia teapot That teapot
must have known it was peace-offering, with
such preteTnatural brightness did il shine and
ghsten- Something in Nabby's eyes shone and
gistened too, although she winked hard, and
scorned the weakness of a pocket-handkerchief
Thank you, Josiah ;" she said; sit's a regu-
lar beauty, and shall set lots by it,"
Which, 30 long as they understood each other.
was, perhaps, as well as if Josiah had made a
long-worded speech OF repentance and reforma-
ton, and Nabby another of forgiveness.
wish could say that Nabby never scolded
Josiah again. But L can't. However, she
drew IL mild, and there was a general under
standing between them that this was only sort
OF exercise made necessary by habit-a barking
10y DO means involving biting. And Josiah was
SO accustomed to IL that he would have missed il,
and not felt natural without being wound up
and set going for the day by Nabby.
One day, later IN the winter, Nabby was wash
ing for Mrs H0sley.
I" So you've taken Josiah back again after
all?" said Mrs. HOsley.
well, yes, have" said Nabby, giving a
last twist to the sheet she was wringing out
. Josiah msynt be very much to brag of; but
then, you see, he's my own, and all Fve got.
Were gittin' to be old folks, Josiah and me, and
We may as wei put up with each other the little
while we've got TO stay here"
" How has he been doing since he caue ha