The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1872-02-22


g experience, that she must not sa!
I too much on Saturday night; 81
= taking up the money, she went int
=, the bedroom TO get her bonnet anC
t shawl, and then with a woman'
! curiosity, looking to see how muct
he had given her, was surprised
: to find three of four shillings more
} than she usually received.
81 wonder whether he knows how
much he has given me?" said Mary
! but fearing if she returned to ask
he might want it back, she quickly
passed down stairs, and out into the
street, afraid every moment he
would be after her for the extra
shllings. She had not gone far be.
fore she heard some one running
fast behind her, and in a moment she
looked round, thinking it was he,
but it was only a little boy playing;
so on she went, and quickly visited
the different shops, and being a
thrifty body, spent her money as
wisely as possible, the extra shillings
enabling her to add to the comfort
of the family during the next week.
When she returned laden from
market, she found from what the
children told her, that father had
been out almost all the time, and
she feared, after all, he had gone in
search of her. However, when he
came in soon after, nothing was said
on either side, and thus the night
was ended. Ut is strange how
drink chills the intercourse between
man and wife; is it not p
Sunday was spent in Johns usual
manner; in the morning he went
out for walk, and after dinner,
Staid at home to read the paper /;
when the shades of evening gather
ed around, he strolled out and did
not return until after ten o'clock.
(How many thus waste Gods holy
day through the cursed drink y
This being regular thing with him,
no notice was taken of it, yet Mary
thought John quiet and dull, and
once asked him kindly if he was
well, but he said he was all right, so
she did not venture to question him
again. All the next week passed
away at home without any pereept-
ible change; but John not liking to
return home sooner than usual, went
on the next Monday night to
Temperance meeting, and was SO
much interested that when another
meeting was announced to be held
not far from there, next evening, be
decided to go, and from what the
speakers said of the good it had
done them, he signed the pledge.
On Saturday, when the bell rang,
and John went to the Office for his
wages, he felt a thrill of joy after re-
ceiving them, and retired to quiet
corner of the workshop. Looking
at the sovereigna' and a half =
which lay in his hand, be said, SIT
is many a long day since could
say that ye both belonged to me
and now 1 have got ye, I'll take
good care that I don't part with ye
unless 1 get plenty out of ye;;" and
clasping his hand, and putting it
and its contents into his pockets,
you might have heard him say, 81
will buy my own cherries, that I
will"
Mary was much pleased to see
him return even sooner than the
week before (fOr reasons known to
our readers), and soon placed the
tea before him, and while bustling
about the room, and doing her best
to keep tho children quiet, she felt
almost inclined to say how pleased
she was, but checked herself, lest he
might, when giving her the money,
stop some for the last weeks mis-
take.
When be had nearly finished his
meal, he said, "Here, Mary, you'll |
be wanting to go a marketing d.
rectly, I suppose; there is the
money" throwing it into her lap. I
Her heart was ready to sink when
she felt the money fall. "Ah," she
thought; che has soon stopped the
overplus of last week; :" but, think
ing by the light of the fire it looked
rather yellow, she went to the win
dow (for it was a narrow street in
which they lived, where the day
light never fairly entered the room
except by accident, or when a streak
of sunlight shot its ray down among
them) "Can it be possible ?" she
thought: Ga sovereign and a haIfl"
while an utterance of surprise escap-
ed from her, as she said in a whis.
per, els all this for me, John?"
"Yes," said John, "and I hope you
will spend it we'll"
81 hope" said Mary, trembling,
.'you have not done anything wrong
to get so much, John ?" Ii
"No, my lass" said JohH, while
his heart trembled with emotion, "I
have done wrong long enough, and
[ am going to do right for the fu-
5ure."
"But," said Mary j
" Never mind, Dow," said John, ,
'get your bonnet and shawl; lot US I
both go to market" 6
Mary did not need a second order