Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1872-02-08
NABBY's HUSBAND.


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
convalescence when life becomes bur-
den not only TO the so-called patient
himself, but also to those unlucky femi-
nine relatives whose duty it is to oflici-
ate as his ''ministering angels"
Mary the servant, came in. .
"Please, Mr.. Hosley, there's wO-
man down stairs who says she must see
you. She's been here before since you
was sick, and now she won't take "no''
for answer"
"Show her right up, MarW said the
squire, alertly, Frightening up visibly,
like the war-horse who scents the bat
tie afar off. Not all the cozy comforts
of his surroundings, the "Sleepy Hol-
lowness' of his easy chair, the pleas
ant 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 pined for his dingy old den
of an office, and chafed at the doctors
restrictions, which as yet forbade all
thought of business. But now the NOR
al police force, represented by his wife
and daughter, being luckily on duty,
there was nothing to prevent this prob
able client. .f.
"Show her up, Mary said the squire.
cheerfully, Strengthening himself, 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, sis it you? How do you
do2' ... ....
s'' Yes, squire, it's me,'' said Nabby,
droppi ng down with a heavy sigh into
a chair; ''and don't do very WELL"
Nabby was Il short, squarely built
woman of fifty, with considerable gray
in the coarse, black hair drawn stiffiy
and uncompromisingly back under a
bonnet about fifty years out of date
She had sharp black eyes, and reso-
lutte, go-ahead- manner. Evidently a
hard-working woman; yet in looking
at her you could not help the convic-
ton that something more than hard
work had plowed the deep wrinkles
which ran 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 ter
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 handmaiden
who finally, with every ones good
wishes, married young Joshua Gould,
and set up in the world for herself. Ole
Mrs. Hosley had long since gone to hel
reward, but the family still kept up ;
friendly interest in Nabby and her for
tunes, the squire in particular being
for her "guide, philosopher and friend
in all the emergencies of life.
"Why, what's the matter now, Nab
by ?" said the squire, good naturedly
"Are you sick"
"Yes, l am" said Nabby, emphatical
ly, with snap of her black eyes. "rn
sick to death of Josiah. | can't stant
it any longer, and I've come to tall
with You about gittin' a divorce. Yol
see he's ben a growin' worse and wors
now for good while. I've kept it t.
myself pretty much, because l wa
ashamed ont, and then KEEP hopir
he'd do better. Eve talked to him, an
said and done every thing a woma
could, but it seemed as if the more
talked the worse he grew" .
The squire looked ut Nabby's rathe
sharp, hard face, and perhaps was hard
ly so surprised as Nabby expected tha
Josiah had not been reformed by th
vigorous stalking to- he had undoubt
4 edly received.
"IIe grew more and more shif'les
and good d-for-nothing," continued Nal
by, "till, finally, he didn't do much bl
set round the kitchen fire, half boOZ,
If there's anything l hate" bust OF
Nabby, "It's man forever settii
round the house mderfOot. And thel
was a-takin' in washin', and a-slavil
I, early and late, to be kinder decent an
: forehanded, and him no better'n dea
man on my hands, so far rs helpin' an
was concerned. And so ! told hin
time and again. lie worked just abol
enough te,keep himself in drink.
He knew he couldn't git any of m
) money for that.
f But stood it all till about Il for
night ago. I'd been workin' hard q
day helpin' Miss Barber clean hous