The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1873-07-31
WHOLE No. 25S.

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sisetionabl 5 BE sts4e, IN sEsa sisls 4 way ol
! tying q handkerchief over her head
. f'to keep the dust out, she said, and
this she seldom removed till she ex-
; changed it for her night cap at bed
time. So she had gone on, ren0uhc-
ing all that was attractive in her per-
son or her home, meeting his attempts
} at cheerfulness with sharp words and
sour looks, giving herself up to work
!, and money getting as an end, not as
a means, till at last things had reached
their present state. And now ChFistie
was going to die, and that would be
the end.
1t is remarkable that in these refec-
tions Christie s shortcomings had no
place and yet not remarkable, for
suppose that, in the final review OF
life. what the conduct of others has
been to us will seem of little impor-
tance compared with what our con-
duct has been to them and in the day
of Judgment it will be our own sins
for which we must render an account
not those of our neighbors. As to
the divorce, which few hours before
Hannah had thought so desirable, 1T
appeared to her now the meaFeSE abb
surdity. This man was her husband,
and would be, though all the laws III
the United States should affirm to the
contrary. God had ordained thegtie
between them, and. Healone could
annul it. ..sr
For days and weeks Christie's
chances for life and death were evenly
balanced then the balance turned in
favor of life, and the surgeon said it
was his wife who had won him back
! fu- fN,,,a :
long suspense was over, Hannah came
down stairs arrayed in a becoming
dress, with her hair hanging in ring
lets at the back of her head. AT the
kitchen fire sat Mrs. Hawkins. What
the two women said to each other is
of no account; but this is what Miss
Hawkins said to the bakers wife, on
whom she made her next call: a
"Well,I didn't think it of Hannah
Bray; l snum l didn't, ] knew she
was high str0ng critter, but did
suppose she had human feelin2s There
was that poor man all hvin' lone,
| 'cept little Nance Ryan, that amt big-
germ pint o. cider, She was settin'
| by the bed and Hannah nowhere to
be seen. l should a. went in and sot
by him myself, only he was asleep
SO tiptoes back into the kitchen and
waits. Whilst 1 was waitin' I just
| took occasion to look into the pantry.
There was the cat layin' right on the
moldin' board. [ prefer not to have
cats feathers mixed up in my bread ;
but, thinks |, it's none O. my business
so let her be. Well, kept hearin'
somebody steppin' round up stairs
overhead, and the floor creakin' and
the bureau-drawers opening; could
not think what was going on, so,
thinks |, I'll just step up and see. 1t
seemed to be my duty, you know-a
| heighbor so-but [ hadn't more'n got
started before | heard footsteps COM
in down stairs. So dropped into a
chair, and in come Hannah Bray
Then see what it was that had took
her so long for, as true as you live,
she had ON her Sunday goWnd, and
her hair all hanging down. in acurls, as
if she was goin' to a ball, or, what's
more likely, as if she was lo0kin our
for another husband before this one IS
out Of The way. I declare / wouldn't
8 believed is Il T hadn t a. seen
Why, / sheaEtl anHa1 a been a
real good Dnss," said the bakers wife.
'EAbram wicks said So"
"Abram .Wicks A good deal he
knows about it! p said Miss Hawkins,
tossing her head. 'No, depend on it,
that Woman's lookin' forward to bein'
left a widder. If was her husband,
I'd get well out o. spite, and then be
divorced the fust thing L did"
And Miss Hawkins version of the
matter was the one generally accepted
among her neighbors. But the same
occurrence may wear a different as
pect when regarded from different
points of view. si18lt af
Having shut the door on Miss HaW- I
kins, Hannah went to her husbands |
bedside, and seeing that he still slept, |
quietly dispatched little Nancy Ryan I
to the kitchen and took her place
By-and-by Christie aWoke; he fixed |
his eyes on Hannah's face, and a smile |
ilIumined his wan features. 10
F' Why, Hannah" he said. sFyOu look
just as you used to in our counting |
days" tst Fl ~.
returned Hannah.
g Not a bit of it; did you do it to I
please me, Hannah 2" III i.ll
OF course l did; there's nobody |
else L want to please-not in compar-
ison." s5e
What, when I've been such bad
husband to yon?" 1881 as 5s .H9aaql
You bad husband? You never
spoke a cross word to me in your
life" tii4~ e-i '#t'' = z
's May be not; but then I've done
worse; 1 haven't kept things just
straight about the premises, as you
know"
'tAnd I've kept them too straight;
SO that make us even" 81 'zltt'lE -1'
Christie smiled and lay silent few
moments; then he said e
u ought MT to have gone to the
Rising Sun SO Often"
Fl" Twas l drove you there with my
scolding tongue but Christie, I'm go
ing to turn over new leaf; Ill learn
TO rule my tongue, or I'll let you gag
me. o, drat the beastl he's been in
my flour barrell" referring not to her
husband, but to her cat, who Just then
came walking majestically into the
room, his black coat we'll sprinkled
with flour. Al she uttered the excla-
nation she darted toward him, i
Know not with what fell purpose, but
Christie's hand was laid gently on
hers while his peculiar silent chuckle
shook his frame.
'spose the poor fellow thinks it's
the faShlon TO wear POWDER, said he.
For an instant Hannah hesitated.--
Then the angry flush died from her
face, and Christie did what he had not
done for many long day before
drew her toward him and kissed her.
. After that she, quietly busted the
cat and washed the molding-board,
which she found had fortunately COW
cred the four-barrel and prevented
the catastrophe she had feared.
/ do not say that henceforth and
forever this couple were entirely free
from the troubles which beset mar
ried life, or that their failings were
overcome without struggle; but
do affirm that they were, in the main,
united and happy, and their love, IN
stead of diminishing, increased as the
years went on, The fiery ordeal
through they had passed had taught
fharn enc locro,, 81 ~ R1,al /