The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1872-07-04
JOHNS WIFE.

Miss barbara Snyder set in her
Straight backed chair befose she fire,
her feet on the fender, her head droop-
ing, her eyes closed-to tell the trnth,
althoughkshe would have dignantly y
denied it Miss Barbara. Snyder was
asleep Her maid, a hard featured,
middle. aged woman, was moving
Aabout theroom, putting Il in order,
as she did fifty times day, as her
mistress commanded, aud watching
her furtively to see that she did NOT
fall into the fire.
s-s@E ssJane,2 said Miss Barbara, sudden
" waking and setting bolt upright
and i am sure he will-donst let him
IF T1 A Cd
No, ma'am," answered Jane, very
submissiyeIys lsfE u sg III ttEs
s'Tell him he has seen me for the
e3fi last time-the hypocrite I4to pretend
TO be always SO fond Of me, and then
/ / 81 marry some empty headed dolI-baby.
Be sure and send him away, Jane
-ksff ~ es, ma'aTn." 3i95 ~ 5atsksss :
"A sudden commotion in.ihe lower
FL . 6hall Interrupted them; q few bars OF
popular air whistled in mastery
tfEi 4manner, rapid clatter Of boot heels
on the stairs, and then q young gentle
81 Imam, who might have sat as the mod
el for modern Hercules, rushed in
IL = 1tAu 1okt4IS +.OtCE On du OLbOlnDu, up
setting chair, and making sconfusion
=. worse than eonfounded7 in the. quiet
room, dashed at Miss Barbara and
Di1 took her by storm. i5A -
Congratulate me z. he cried, after
inlprinting q half-dozen kisses on her
Withered cheek. "Aunt Barby, she is
S&t the dearest-"s
- ia had recovered from the shock lit
tie, and as Jane had retired, she fold
ed her mittened hands tightly togeth-
er and turned upon him with Ne
- phew John !"
.ol There ;waa a comicalS expression of
despair on his face at this nnpropi-
tions beginning, but he said nothing.
ssNephew John, am badly disap-
pointed in you! 1 am notangrywiih
you, but / am deeply grieved-"
+. Why Aunt Barby |" The blue
4 eyes of her listener opened wide, bnt
IN ssh8 siIeneed him BY statel y GESTURE.
u A l'PleaseH be quiet. I wish 10 speak.
= have done my duty by you. John,
here was a little tremble in her
voice as she said this, but she went on
grimly-'and now that you were just
coming to manhood'-John was
twenty -six-'and had begun to trust
in You little, you desert me now for
IA doll-baby."
.sShe is not a doll-baby !" said the
young husband Indignantly. s.If you
only knew her you would love her
dearly" ss...I "a
ped decidedly. "Alr girls are fools
now-a-days-but no matter, you have
chosen between rs. My will is made,
and shall not change it, but you will
never be again to me as you were be-
fore.n1geyra ssfY FYgF4
There was a real distress in John
Burton's heart as he rose and stood
before her. "If you will only let me
bring her to see you" he pleaded. Il
am sorry you are so displeascd. Aunt
Barbara do not let this part u.s.
ssftsssY on have chosen.H The sphynx
could not have looked more unmoved,
Il ordered them not to admit you
You need not come again,
s4l 'If you viii only hear me"
"But l won't. Good afternoon"
And so John Burton LETT her, with
her face, turned away from him and
{ her handsstill clasped before her. g
Miss Barbara Snyder was proud,
Miss Barbara Snyder was wealthy.
Miss Barbara Snyder was fond of her
own way, but still she was woman,
and in her heart of hearts she loved
John Bartons her handsome nephew,
dearly. His mother, her only sister,
had died when he was child, and his
father dying soon after, Miss Barbara
had, in fashion, adopted him. She
entrance into her house: She had
watched over him and made him her
one object in life. He had been the
one gleam of sunshine in her lonely
life, and to his honor be it said, he
had never been unworthy of the love
and confidence which she gave to him.
"Aunt Barby" was to him the only
-, 46o alf
people marvelled at the affection of
the bright faced young fellow for his
grim old aunt,sit it was genuine and
true. -
He had gone through college in
thoroughly satisfactory manner. and
afterward had settled down into as
steady and Trustworthy q young busi-
ness man as there was in the city, and
for three years had behaved entirely
according to his aunt's wish in every
respect. * - ~
One day, however, the peace and
tranquility of Miss Barbara's house.
hold was hreken@np by whisper
which came to her ears--Je ohm, her
John, was sspaying attention to some
bodyl She was at first incrednlous,
but as the days went by, she was fore
ed to believe it, for, one night, John
sitting near her, with his yellow hair
shining IN the fire light, told her with
much confusion and embarrassment
that he twas going to be married"
Miss Barbara was good woman,
but she was very whimsical. little
selfish, and. above all, very jealous of
her own dignity, and the knowledge
that John had asserted his indepen-
dence and actually planned out his fu-
ture life without consulting hers be-
forehand, was a very hard thing for
her 70 bear. She was not patient nor
forgiving, aud theresult of Johns coil-
fidence Nasa very unpleasant scene.
She who had never spoken to- him
harshly before, overwhelmed him with
hard, bitter words, and then, when he
was gone, wept herself asleep over
his 1ingratitude," as she called it.
When at last he was really married,
her anger knew no bounes, and his
first visit to her after that event end
ed as we have seen.
The days passed away slowly after
John, with his bright face and ring
ing voice, was banished, and Miss
Barbara, half-regretting her harshness
was often tenn pied to send for him
again, but her obstinaey, or sspride,"
as she called it, prevented her, and so
she fretted and worried until Jane
was almost driven distracted by her
irritability and unreasonableness. She
was SO cross, so hard to suit, and SO
lawful savage" as John would have,
said, that Jane became at last entirely
worn out, and one day when her du-