Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1872-02-15
From Harper's Baxar.
NABBY'S HUSBAND.
A knock at the souire's door.

An eager "come in' from the squire,
to whom any outside diversion is an
inestimable boon, he having just reach
ed that uncomfortable stage of mascu.
line convalescene when life becomes q
burden not only to the so-called "pa.
tient' himself, but also to those unlucky
feminine relatives whose duty 1t is to
of6oiate as his administering angels"
Mary, the servant, came in.
"Please Mr.. Hosley, 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 ar
answer"
"Show her right up Mary" said the
squire alertly, Frightening up visibly,
like war horse who scents the battle
afar of. Not all the cozy comforts ol
his surroundings, the " Sleepy Hollow.
ness" of his easy chair, the pleasant
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
thoughts OF business. But now the
moral police force, represented by his
wife and daughter, being luckily off
duty, there was nothing to prevent his
seeing his probable client.
Show her up, Mary" said the
squire: cheerfully, Strengthening him.
self, 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 you2 How do
you do2"
eyes, squire, it's me-" said Nabby,
dropping down, with a heavy sigh, into
a chair; " and I don't do very well."
Nabby was a short, squarely-built
woman Of fifty, with considerable grey
in the coarse black hair drawn stiMy
and uncompromisingly back under .
bonnet five years out of date. She had
sharp black eyes, and resolute, 20
ahead manner. Evidently q hard
working woman, yet in looking at he1
you could not help the conviction thai
something more than hard work hac
plowed the deep wrinkles which raj
across and across her forehead, ani
threatened to lift her eyebrows up K
her hair.
Nabby had lived with the squire's
mother fifteen years-from the time
when Mrs. Hosley took her in, a tel
year old orphan, who was, as the good
old lady sometimes expressed it
"mors plague than profit" until sht
grew into the steady and reliable hand
maiden, who, finally, with every one.
good wishes, married young Josial
Gould, and set up in the world for her
self. Old Mrs. Hosley had long sine,
gone to her reward, but the family still
kept up friendly interest in Nabb,
and her fortunes, the squire in particu
lar being her "guide, philosopher, and
friend" in all the emergencies o1
life.
"Why, what's the matter now, Nab.
bys' said the squire, good naturedly.
care you sick ~
eyes, I am," said Nabby emphatic.
ally, with snap of her black eyes.
I'm sick to death Of Josiah. can't
stand it any longer, and I've come to
talk to you about gettin' divorce
You see he's been CROWN worse now
for a good while. I've KEEP it to my.
self pretty much, because I was asham.
ed ont, and then KEEP hopin' he'd dc
better. Eve talked and talked to him.
and said and done everything woman
could, but it seems that the more
talked the wores he grew"
I The squire looked at Nabby's rather
sharp, hard face, and perhaps was
hardly so surprised as Nabby expected
that Josiah had not been reformed b,
the vigorous stalking to :" he had I'M
doubtedly received.
Z" He grew more shiftless and GOOD
for-nothin," continued Nabby, "till
finally, he didn't do much but se
around the kitchen fire half boozy. I
there's anything I hate" burst ou
Nabby, "it's a man forever sett;n
round the house underfoot. And Cher,
l was takin' in washin', and a.slavin
early and late, to be kinder decent an,
forehanded, and him no better'n a den;
man on nay hands, so for as helpin' an,
was concerned, and 50 1 told him. tim
and again. He worked just enough t.
keep himself in drink. He knew h
could'n get any of my money for that
But I stood it till about q fortnigl,
: ago. I'd been workin' hard all da
helpin' Miss Barber clean house, an
1t seemed as if every bone in my bod
, ached, l was 50 tired. come alon
home thinkin' how good my cup oftea'
taste. The first thing I see when I open
Ell the kitchen door, was old Hank Sla
, ter settin' there in my rockin' chair.-
7 He and Josiah were both drunk asa
hogs" said Nabby, slandering an in
I nocent animal in her haste for simile
, They'd tracked the mud all owe
, my clean floors. The cookin' stove wa
+ jammed full of wood roarin' like NJ
possessed. I wonder they hadn't bur1,
, ed the house up before got there
: And they'd got my best teapot out t
heat some water and the water bile
, away, and the bottom came out. Bu
the worst was to see my husband a cor
sortin' with such scum of the earth q
that miserable, low-lived Hank Slater
. l tell you, squire, was mad. I Jus
flung that kitchen door wide open, an
, seZ:
"' Git out of this house, Josia
Gould, and don't never let me sec you
face inside ont again.
: "Scz lie, meek as Moses, 'Whcr
. shall 60 to, Nabby9"
r Sez /" don't care where va
go to, 80 longs you don't come ne;
me. I've always been respectabl