The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-01-20

ing nome to house bright with light and
warmth and Josiah's welcome.
. ror JOSIAH cherished the most profound adj
Hlratlon Tor Nabby- an admiration not I'M
mingled with awe. He thought her most
wonderful woman. She was just as beautiful
to him now as in the old counting days, before
the brightness and quickness of the black eyes
had degenerated into sharpness, before the
smiling mouth had acquired its hard, firmly
set expression, before there were any wrink-
les in the smooth forehead. People thought
Nabby had done well in marrying Josiah
Gould-a pleasant, good natured young fell
low that every one liked; young mechanic,
not very rich yet, it was true; but, with
good trade and such wife as Nabby, there
seemed nothing to prevent his figuring as
zone 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 |
never was determined about anything. He |
fell into the habit ofdrinking because he lack |
ed 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, and he sank down supinely into |
the Slough OF Despond without effort or hope.
BY beautiful dispensation of Providence, |
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 water. It's for the best, of course.
What would become of the poor fellow with
| out her? At the same time she sometimes
| finds it little hard.
Nabby was ambitious and proud-spirited,
willing to work, 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 f.
nally disgrace, had been disappointment
embittering her whole nature. To have a
husband that no one respected, that even the
boys around town called Isl Gould.' was
dreadful to Nabby. 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 boil
ed. But even the ruddy light and warmth
with which the kitchen now glowed could not
tend off the dreariness of the night. The rain
tapped with ghostly fnger-tip upon the win
dow-pane," and the wind howled and walled
around the house like the spirits of the lost
pleading to be taken back into human life
and warmth. Such wind stirs even in the
happlest hearts vague sense of loss of
change, OF all that goes to make up the unsat-
isiactoriness OF life. Dead SORROWS creep
1ortn rom their graves on such nights, and
stalk up and down the echoing chambers of
the heart -
Nabby could not help wondering where Jo-
siah was tonight 1t was SO lonely sitting
there with no one to speak to, listening to the
moaning wind, the creaking of the blinds, the
loud ticking of the clock. =
ana Thanksgivin' a-comin',' thought
havep' ei'''i
Inc wind walled and walled, and Nabby
thought. The very thought of having ssfreed
ner nina to the squire had relieved her long
pent,up Indignation, and now she felt more
SAD imam angry. Up before her seemed to
rise picture OF her life; the youthful dreams
ana hopes, the chances and disappointments,
the love turned into wrangling. She even
thought Of Josiah with pity. For the first
tlme she put herself in his place." and real
ized how almost impossible it was for one of
MS weak nature to resist, unaided, the temp
tatlon which would cost a stronger will no eff
fort 80 -. VI
Pm afraid I've been little too sharp with
JOSIAH thought she. 'Pvetorter took it for
granted was saint and he sinner. and
scolded him right along down HILL A nice
saint am! As proud and high strung as Luz
offer himself! ooh dearv' sighed Nabby:
"a pretty mess Eve made of living! If we
could go back and begin over again, seems to
me things would 60 BETTER"
just then there was faint noise, like the
clicking of the door-latch. Nabby started
and looked around. All was still again-no
one was visible. Yet Nabby could not rid
nerseh OF the impression that some one was
near her, that odd sense we have of another,s
ind NV, near us though not present.
Ihere's some one hangin' round here, 1
know" said she to herself
Nabby was one who always met things
halfway. Accordingly she walked to the out
SIDE door, and, opening it quickly, peered out
into the darkness. There stood Josiah-wet.
sheepish, sorry. Once he had started to 20
IN but his courage failir G, he fingered in dubi-
Gus hesitation on the doorstep.
why don't you come in, Josiah ?'' said
Nabby.
1 81 didn't knows you want me. Nabbv.,,
replied Josiah, with all the meekness becom-
ing returning prodigal.
Want you? Of course 1 do,'' said Nab
by heartily. Come right in. Pm goin' to
have griddle-cakes for supper, and you must
tend 'em while I set the table, Griddle-
cakes were one of Josiah's favorite weakness
es, and Nabby knew it.
Josiah came in. The ever gets into hea-
ven probably his sensations will not be one
whit more delightful than they were now, as
rom the bleaknesS and gloom of the night
the forlornness of his wretched wanderings,
he came into the cosy brightness of the kitch-
en-, and felt that he was home once more.
How good the tea smelled! The fire roared
and snapped, the tea-kettle boiled and bub-
bled and bobbed its lid up and down, and from
the grid,d!ie- the savory odor of the cakes as
cended like homely incense. Josiah's face.
shining with mingled heat aud happiness as
he turned the. griddle-cakes, was something
worth seeing.
Nabby stepped briskly around getting sup-
per ready. 1t seemed so pleasant to set the
table for two again, to have some one to
praise and appreciate her cooking The No
vember wind might howl its worst now Its
hold on Nabby was gone. In place of all the
bitter sadness that hung heavily around her
heart was a warm feeling Of happiness, of
comfort and hope.
All the explanation they had was this Jo-
siah drew forth from under his shabby coat
an exceedingly awkward and knobby bundle.
i've brought orething for you, Nabby,''
said he.
The something undone proved to be
very handsome britannia teapot. That tea
pot must have known it was peace offering,
with such preternatural brightness did it
shine and gisten. Something in Nabby's
eyes shone and glistened too, although she
w1nked hard, and scorned the weakness of a
pocket-handkerchief .nDr EEt1
"Thank you JOSIAH" she said; It's reg
ular beauty, and 1 shall set lots by ito
Which, SO long as they understood each other
was, perhaps, as well as if Josiah had made a
long-worded speech of repentance and refor-
nation, and Nabbv another of forgiveness, |
wish could say that Nabby never scoId- |
ed Josiah again. But can't. However she
drew it mild'' and there was general un-
Outstanding between }hem that this was only
sort OF exercise made necessary by habit.
barking by no means involving biting And
Josiah was SO accustomed to it that he would
have missed it, and not felt natural without
being wound up and set going for the day by
Nabby. - s 92 ~
One day, later in the winter, Nabby was
was washing for Mrs. Holsey.
$50 you've takin Josiah back again, after
all (? said Mrs Holsey. ''Well, yes, have,'
said Nabby, giving last twitch to the sheet
she was ringing out "Josiah mayn't be
very much to brag of; but then, you see he's
my own, and all that I've got. We're get
tin to be old folks, Josiah and me, and we
may as well put up with each other the little
while we've got to stay here.'
How has he been doing since he came
back?'' e''-''o
'First-rate. He's walked as straight as a
string ever since. Hes good provider. now
he's quit drinkin', and master hand for fig
in up things around the house, and maxim
Uncomfortable. tellyou what tbs, Miss Hosley.
we've got to make 'lowance for folks in this
world. We can't have 'em always Jest to our
mind We've got to take 'em Jest as thew
are, and make the best ont"
Pm glad to see you so much happier and
better contented, Nabby."
"Wel, l used to fret and complain a pood |