Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1872-02-15
woman, and I don't want any of Hank
Slater's friends round nv house,


let him go to the bad without a struq
gle, You feel a little vexed with hin
now, and I don't blame you. It i
hard, very hard. But you know yo7
took him for better or worse D.
you think, yourself, 1t is quite right t,
break your contract because it prove
the worse for you-because you are tn
stronger one and he the weak one O
the two? That don't strike me as goot
Bible doctrine, Nabby. We that ar,
strong ought to bear the infirmities O
the weak, and not to please ourselves
you know"
Well, dunno said Nabby, twist
ing the corner of her shawl obviously
!" I hadn't thought ont in that light.
must soy. It's 80 aggravatin' to hav'
such man for husband. Besides,
dunno's he'd come back now if I want
ed him to-"
Hasn't he been back at all"
{" Why, yes, he did come once, for
pair of pantal0ons. But I didn't tax,
no notice of him."
"Now, Nabby, you may depend upo,
1t, it wasn't the pantaloons he was af
ter: He wanted to see if you wouldn'
relent. If he comes again, be littl,
pleasant to him, and I'll warrant he viii
stay. Give him another chance, Nab
by. Josiah isn't the worst fellow in tn,
world, by any means. He has his re
deeming traits, after all. believe h,
will do better, if you will try to hell
him. You know Josiah is one tha
bears 9 good deal Of encouragement
Nabby."
"Well, Squire, I'll think it over
Anyhow I'm obliged to you. You tall
SO sort of comfortin' to q body. Your,
your mothers own son just the sam,
good heart. Would you be able to ca
some of my cheese, Squire Z"
60 Try me and see, Nabby," said tn.
Squire, smilingly, not impervious tt
Nabby's compliments. Nabby mad,
her exist, just as Mrs. Hosley rushed
n, full of wifely indignation that th,
Squire had been allowed to see ,
"client."
Nabby's hcme was over at *the cor
ners," three miles from the village
She walked rapidly along in the fast
thickening darkness, with the steady
strong gait becoming the self-relian
woman that she was. Yet even he1
imaginative nature was not proc
against the depressing influence Of tn,
chilly, raw November evening. TIL,
wind whistled through the bare tire.
branches, which creaked and groanet
mournfully, and waved widely up anl
down in the dim light overhead. Th.
wind seemed to cherish special spite
against NaDby. It blew her bonnet of
and her hair into her eyes, struggled
madly with her for her shawl, took hel
breath away, and firmly resisted he,
every step. Finally, it began to send
spiteful dashes of cold rain drops il
her face-rain that seemed to freeze
her as it fell.
"Josiah used to come after me witt
an umbrella when I was caught out il
the rain, thought Nabby. "He wa.
always real kind and good to me, afte]
oil. ! dunno's he ever gave me eros.
word in his life, even when he'd beer
drinkin'."
Here the driving, sleety rain poured
down upon Nabby with renewed fierce
ness, bustling her madly around i,
fiendish glee.
Gan awful night to be homeless
Nabby," " something seemed to say.
II don't care" said Nabby to her
sell, beginning to feel cross again, AM
generally i'll used as she grew colde
and wetter. cit serves him right
He's made his bed, and he can lie il
it,"
At "the corners, " the light streamin,
cheerfully out into the night from othe
homes made Nabby's little house ioo]
particularly gloomy and uninvitino
Nabby tumbled under the mat for tn
door-key, fumbl ed with stifening fin
gers for the key-hole, and finally sue
ceeded in unlocking the door, and fe]
her way through the little entry.
There is always something duncan
ny y about going alone at night into
dark and shut-up house. Even peopl
of the best-regulated minds experieno
a vague suspicion of something benin,
them, a sense of possible ghostly hand
about to clutch them in the darkness
Nabby was woman, like Mrs. Edmun
Sparkler, with "no nonsense abou
her ;" but, nevertheless, cheerful tai
che had read only yesterday in tn
men, kept coming into her head, an
she carefully avoided the thick black
ness of the corners and the pantry doc
as she groped around the kitchen for
candle. OF course the fire had gon
out.
"Two heads are better than one,
one is a sleeps head" Nabby mil 81,
have been heard muttering out in tn
wood-house as she stopped painful
down picking up chips; by which oi
acular utterance / suspect she wa
thinking what good supply of kind
ings Josh always kept on hand for he1
and how much more comfortable it wa
in the old times, coming home to
house bright with light and warmt]
and Josiah's welcome.
For Josiah cherished the most prc
found admiration for Nabby-an ad
miration not unmingled with awe. H
thought her most wonderful woman
She was just as beautiful to him as i
the old counting days, before til
brightness and quickness of the blac
eyes had degenerated into sharpness
before the smiling mouth had acquire
it's hard, firmly set expression, befor
there were any wrinkles in the smoot
forehead. People thought Nabby ha
done well in marrying Josiah Gould
a pleasant, good-natured young fello,
that every one liked; young mechanic
not very rich yet, it was true but wit
good trade and such a wife as Nabb,
there seemed nothing to prevent hi
figuring as Zone of our first cit
zens."
Anybody can be somebody in th
country, ii they are only determined
: But that was exactly the trouble wit
y Josiah he never was determined abo,
anything. He fell into the. habit
=. =. drinking because he lacked suf1iciel
strength Of will to avoid it. The
: Nabby's sharp words, and his own mi
cradle sense OF meanness and se]f-col
tempt, of utter discouragement and de-
pair, drove him lower and lower, and /
sank down supinely into the slough .
despond without effort or hope.
By beautiful dispensation of Prov
dence, whenever a poor, shifess, goo>
for-nothing man is sent into our Wort.
> > some active, go-ahead little woman
l invariably fastened to him to tow Iii
along through, and keep his head abo,
water. It's for the, best, of cours
, What would become of the poor fello
i without herr At the same time 81
sometimes finds it little hard.
Nabby was ambitious and prou.
spirited, willing to work, to save, to d
:: !: her part-anxious to get on in IL
: : world and stand we'll among her neigl
4 bors. The fact gradually realized th,
in her husband she had no help, n
\ support, only drag and burden, al
r finally disgrace, had been II disal