The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-01-20
SELECTED STORY.
[From the Bazar.l
Nabby's Husband.


whom any outside diversion is an nestlmaple
boon, he having just reached that uncom-
Portable STAGE of masculine cOnValeSence
,yhen life becomes burden not only to the
so-called sspatient' himself, but also to those
unlucky feminine relatives whose duty it is
to offciate as his ''ministering angels"
Mary, the servant, came in.
"Please, Mr.. Hosly, there's woman down
stairs who says she must see you. She's been
here before since you were sick, and now she
won't take no for an answer"
''Show her right up, Mary" said the squire,
alertly, Frightening up visibly, like the war
horse who scents the battle afar off Not all
the coy comforts of his surroundings, the
''Sleepy Hollowness" of his easy chair, the
pleasant pictures on the wall, the wood ire
which, now that the wintry twilight was set
ting down over the bit of gray sky left visi-
BILE by the curtains heavy folds, danced and
and flashed all over the room in rosy shadows,
could reconcile the squire to his enforced Sc
clusion. Secretly he pinned 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 moral police force,
represented by his wife and daughter, being
luckily off duty, there was nothing TO pre-
vent his seeing this probable client
''Show her up, Mary" said the squire,
cheerfully, Strengthening himself and assum-
ing as much of legal dignity as dressing
gown and slippers permitted.
Mary disappeared, Presently the door
opened again. .'Why, Nabby," said the
squire, 'es it you? How do you ?''
eyes, squire, it's me-" said Nabby, drop
ping. down with heavy sigh into chair,
'sand don't do very WELL"
Nabby was a short, squarely built woman
of fifty, with considerable gray in the coarse,
black hair drawn stifiy and uncompromising-
ly back under bonnet about five years out of
date. She had sharp, black eyes, and a reso-
lutte, go-ahead manner. Evidently hard
working woman; yet in looking at her you
could not help the conviction thut something
more than hard work had plowed the deep
wrinkles which ran across and across her
forehead and threatened to lift her eyebrows
up to her hair. rrU
Nabby had lived with the squirrels mother
fifteen years-from the time when Mrs. Hose
ly took her in, a ten-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
Josiah Gould, and set up for herself Old
Mrs. Hosly had long since gone to her re-
ward, but the family still kept up friendly
interest in Nabby and her fortunes, the squire
in particular being her 'fguide, philosopher
and friend in all the emergencies of life.
''Why, what's the matter now, Nabby ?''
said the squire. geod-naturedly. care you
sick?' -
''Yes, ann" said Nabby emphatically,
with snap of her black eyes. "I'm sick to
death of Josiah. can't stan it any longer,
and I've come to talk with you about gittin'
divorce. You see he's been a-growin' worse
now for a good while. I've KEEP it to myself
pretty much because was ashamed ont. and
then KEEP hopin' he'd do better. I've talk
ed and talked to him, and said and done every
thing woman could, but it seems AS if The
more l talked the worse he crew.
The squire looked at Nabby's rather sharp
hard face, and perhaps was hardly so surprised
as Nabby expected that Josiah had not beer
reformed by the vigorous talking to'' he hat
undoubtedly received. --.,--
He grew more and more shif,less ant
good for nothin'," continued Nabby, ''till
finally, he didn't do much but set round tn,
kitchen fire half booty. If there's anything
hate, " burst out Nancy, otis man foreve
settin' round the house underfoot Ant
there l was a-takin in washin', and a-slavin
early and late, to be kinder decent and fore
handed, and him no better'n dead man OF
my hands, SO far as helpin' any was concern
ed, and so told him, time and again. IT,
worked just about enough to keep himself iI
drink. He knew he couldn't git any of my
money for that"
but stood it all till about afortnight ago
I'd been workin' hard all day helpin' Miss
Barber clean house, and it seemed as if every
bone in my body ached, 1 was so tired.
come along home, thinkin' how good my cur
of tea'd taste. The first thing see when
opened the kitchen door, was old Hank Slater
settin' there in my rockin' chair. He and
Josiah were both as drunk as-as hogs,'' said
Nabby, slanderng an innocent animal in heI
haste for a simie. fJtsIrL
They'd tracked the mud all over my clean
noors. The cooking stove was jammed full
OF wood roarin' like all possessed. wonder
they hadn't burned the house up before l go
there. And they'd got my best teapot ou
to heat some water, and the water all bil'(
away, and the bottom came out But tn,
worst was to see my husband a-consortin
with such scum of the earth as that misera
Bile, low-lived Hank Slater. tell you, square
was mad. lust flung that kitchen dool
wide open, and SEE L:
Cit out of this house, Josiah Gould, ant
don't never let me see your face inside ONT
again.
60 'Sez he, meek as Moses, where shall
go to, Nabby? -
"Sez l, L don't care where you go to, SC
longs you don't come near me- Pve always
Deen respectable woman, and don't want
none OF Hank Skaters friends round my
house,"
''Well?' queried the squire, as Nabby's
narration came to pause.
tone, che went off. And he hain't come
back. And want divorce.p
Now Nabby,' demonstrated the squire,
you don't want a divorce. know YOU bet
ter than that. You are not the woman to
give Josiah up, and let him go to the bad.
without struggle. You feel little yexed
with him now, and I don't blame you. 1t is
hard, very hard. But you know you took
him for better or worse. Do YOU think
yourself, it is quite right to break your con-
tract because it proves the worse for you-b
cause you are the stronger one and he the
weak one of the two? That don't strike me
as good Bible doctrine, Nabby. We that are
strong ought to bear the infirmities of the
weak, and not to please ourselves YOU
know" @ -srEza % -
swell, 1 dunno" said Nabby. TWISTING the
corner of her shawl obviously. 81 hadn't
thought ont in that light, must saw. IT'S
SO aggravatin' to have such man for hus-
band. Besides, dunno's he'd come back
now if wanted him to-
Hasn't he been back at alp"
'Why, yes, he did come once. for a pair of
pantalsons. 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. he
comes again be little pleasanter to him. and
I'll warrant he will stay. Give him another
chance, Nabby. Josiah isn't the worst fell
low 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 a good deal of
encouragement, Nabby.''
"Well, squire, I'll think it over. ANYHOW
Pm obliged to you. You talk so sort of com
fortin' to body. You're your mothers own
son; just the same good heart Would Won
be able to eat SOME of my cheese squire ?''
Try me and see, Nabby," said the squire.
smilingly, not impervious to Nabby's comnli, |
ments. Nabby made her exit lust as Mrs
Hosley rushed in, full of wifely indignation
that the squire had been allowed to see a
"client' WV
Nabby's home was over at ''the corners,,.
three miles from the village. She walked
rapidly along in the fast-thickening darkness.
with the steady, strong gate becoming the |
self reliant woman that she was. Vet even
her imaginative nature was not proof aoainnt
the depressing influence of the chilly raw No
vember evening. The wind whistled tbronob
the bare tree branches, which creaked and
groaned mournfully and waved wildly nm and
down in the dim light overhead. The wind
seemed TO cherish special spite against Nab
by. IL blew her bonnet off and her hair into
her eyes, struggled madly with her for her
shawl, took her breath away, and firmly re-
sisted her every step. Finally it began ~
send spiteful dashes of cold rain-drons IN bor
face-rain that seemed almost to freeze ras
IL M teI, usod % .issza
brella when was caught out in the rain ;,