Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1872-02-15

TIN, MOWER COUNT
( Meantime Nabby had succeeded in
starting the fire, and, having changed
her dress, satdown to dry her feet while
the tea.kettle boiled. But even the
! rrdtly light and warmth with which the
} kitchen now glowed could not fend cfl
the dreariness of the night. The rain
tapped with ghostly finger-tip upon
, the window pane" and the wind howl.
ed ana walled around the house like
} the spirits of the lost pleading to be
taken back into human life and warmth
Such a wind stirs even in the happiest
hearts a vague sense of loss, of change,
of all that goes to make up the unsat-
isfactoriness of life. Dead sorrows
creep forth from their graves on such
nights and stalk up and down the echo
ing chambers of the heart.
Nabby could not help wondering
where Josiah was tonight. 1t was so
lonely sitting there with no one to
speak to, listening to the mourning wind,
the creaking of the blinds, the loud
ticking of the clo.k.
"And Thanksgivin' a-comin',"
thought Nabby. "A pretty Thanks
givin' shall have!"
The wind walled and walled, and Nabby
thought. The very thought of having
freed her mind" to the squire had re
lieved her long pent-up Indignation,
and now she felt more sad than angry.
Up before her seemed to rise picture
OF her life; the youthful dreams and
hopes, the changes and disappoint.
ments, the love turned into wrangling.
She even thought of Josiah with pity.
For the first time she "put herself in
his place, and realized how almost i'm
possible it was for one of his weak
nature to resist, unaided, the temptation
which would cost stronger will no
effort.
"Pm afraid I've been a little too
sharp with Josiah" thought she.
GIVE sorter took it for granted was a
saint and he was a sinner, and scolded
him right along down hill. A nice
saint 1 am! As proud and high strung
as Lucifer himself! Oh, dear |" sighed
Nabby; q pretty mess I've made of
living! If we could go back and begin
over again, seems to me things would
go better
Just then there was q faint noise.
like the clicking of door latch. Nab
by started and looked around. All was
still again--no age was visible. Yet
Nabby could not rid herself of the i'm.
preston that some one was near her,
that odd sense We have of another's in
dividuality near us. though not pres
sent.
''Theres some one haAgin' round
here, know" said she to herself.
Naoby was one who always met
things half way. Accordingly she
walked to the outside door, and, open.
ing it quickly, peered out into the
darkness. There stood Josiah, wet,
sheepish, sorry. Once he had started
to 60 in, but his courage failing, he lin
gered in dubious hesitation on the
doorstep.
"Why don't you come in, Josiah 20
said Nabby.
Il didn't know you'd wantme, Nab
BY" replied Josiah, with all the meek
ness becoming returning prodigal.
Want you2 OF course do. " said
Nabby, heartily. "Come right in. I'm
going to have griddle-cakes for supper.
and you must tend 'em, while I set the
table" Griddle cakes were one of
Josiah's favorite weaknesses, and Nab.
by knew it.
Josiah came in. If he ever gets into
heaven, probably his sensations
will not be one whit more delightful
that they we're now, as from the bleak
ness and gloom of the night, the for
lornness of his Hretched wandering, he
came into the cozy brightness of the
kitchen, and felt that he was home once
more. How good the tea smelled -
The fire roared and snapped, the tea
kettle boiled and bubbled it's lids up
and down, and from the griddle the
savory odor OF the cakes ascended like
homely incense. Josiah's face, shining
with mingled heat and happiness as she
turned the griddle"cakes, was some
thing worth seeing.
:Nabby stepped briskly around get.
ting supper ready. It seemed so pleas
ant 20 see the table set tor two again,
to have some to praise and appreciate
her cooking. The November wind
might howl its worst now. It's hold on
Nabby was gone. In place of all the
bitter. sadness that had hung heavily
around her heart, was warm feeling OF
happiness, comfort and hope.
All the explal alton they had was
this: Josiah drew forth from under
his shabby coat an exceedingly awk-
ward and knobby bundle.
1--we bought something for you,
Nabby," said he.
The "something" undone proved to
be very handsome Britannia teapot.
That TEAPOT must have known that il
was piece-otfering, with such prefer
natural brightness did it shine and
glisten. Something in Nabby's eyes
shone and glistened too, although she
winked hard, and scorned the weakness
of a pocket. handkerchief.
"Thank you, JOSIAH" she said, "I,
is q regular beauty and I shall set lots
by it."
Which, SO long as they understood
each other, was, perhaps, as well as il
Josiah had made long -worded speech
of repentance and reformation, and
Nabby another of forgivenuess.
! I wish l could say that Nabby never
scolded Josiah again. But 1 can't.
However, she "drew it mild" and
there was general understanding be-
tween them that this was only sort oi
exercise made necessary by habits
barking by no means involving biting.
And Josiah was SO accustomed to il
that he would have missed it, and moi
felt natural without being wound ur
and set going for the day BY Nabby.
One day later in the winter, Nabb,
was washing for Mrs. Hosley.
$50 you've taken Josiah back again
after all 2" said Mrs. Hosley.
"Well, yes I have" said Nabby
giving last twitch to the sheet sht
was wringing out. "Josiah mayn't b,
very much to brag Of; but then, 70,
see, he's my owr, and all I've got
We're getting to be old folks, Josial
and me, and we may as we'll put u,
with each other the little while ",
have got to stay here"
''How has he been doing since h,
came back2"
"Firstrate. He's walked straight a,
.. a string ever since. He's good provider
. now he's quit drinkjn', and O maste
: hand for fixin' up things, around til,
!. house, and maxim it comfortable.
y tell you what 'tis Miss Hosley, we'v
got to make 'lowance for folks in thi
: world. We can't have 'em always JUS
to our mind. We've got to take Zen
jest as they are, and make the bes
> ont"
I "rm glad to see you 50 much hap