The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1873-07-31
NOT A DIVORCE.

iAN ~ Il IA Ii v AIAOAIHa
81 declare, if that man hasn't gone
off and left the gate open again al
the horses and cows in town1l be il
the yard before night !" and dropping
the mat she was shaking at the door
Hannah Bray went out to shut the
gate.
1t was heavy, and sagged on its
hinges, and she was obliged to tug
with all her might to set it in its proper
! position, while to raise it sufficient to
fasten the latch was impossible. She
therefore propped il up with a stake
and returned 10 the house.
Was ever a woman so tried 2" So
liloquized she, as she thrashed the
doormat to and fro. GIVE the great
est mind to go off to Chicago aud get
a divorce, and leave Christie to shirk
for himself; he'd be in the poor-house
in a month, and then perhaps he d
know how to prize me, the thriftless
vagabond !"
Mrs. Bray's complaints were not
entirely without foundation for II
her husband was not a vagabond he
certainly was thriftless, and that, to a
woman of her temperament, was the
worst that could be said of any man.
But on the other hand she did not
pause to consider how much this and
other failings of her better-half were
due to her own shortcomings.
So hard it is for poor mortals to
hold the scales of Justice even, .espec-
tally when they themselves were con-
cerned.
II x.yoe la r.. x.,I,o,, NJ, Duo, ,o4,,rno5
home that night, tired and hungry,
for he had been all day chopping in
the woods, and had dined from a small
tin pail which he carried in his hand.
Wipe your feet-wipe your feet,
man." was the first greeting he re-
eeived as he opened the door. "What
do you think the mats there for?
He obeyed meekly, and regarding
his wife with his large brown eyes,
which had no other expression than
one of simple good-nature, he per-
eeived that a storm was brewing, or
rather that it had been brewing for
some time, aud was now ready to
burst forth. He deemed it prudent
to ignore the discovery, however, and
looked cheerful.
Well, Hannah, how have things
gone with you to-day 7"
"None the better tor you," answer
ed she. "Good gracious, why don't
you put your hat in the Water-pail
and done with it !" for he had taken
it off and laid it upon the pump.
80, 1 didn't mind," began he apollo
geticaIly.
"You never do mind if L had a
boy ten years old as needless as you
are, I'd-Pd-"
"What would you do 2" asked he.
"Kill himl" said she emphaticaIly.
A low chuckle was Christie's only
answer-the most exasperating one
the great, good-natured fellow could
have made.
30, it's enough to discourage a.
saint, the way things go on!" said
Hannah, taking the teapot from the
stove and setting it on the table with
an energy which would have endan-
gered its existence had it been made
of any material less fragile than tin.
"Why, what's wrong now?" asked
her husband, drawing a chair to the
table and beginning to fill his plate
with the food placed before him.
FsWhat's wrong What ain't wrong?
you'd better askI Everything on the
'RAACO 10 dL SlACS anu BCNOuSs L I1G
chimney smokes so 1 can't hardly see
out of my eyes in the first place; and
there's an awful hole in the roof-the
garnet was all afoat the last time it
stormed; and to-day / was in the
pantry stirring up a loaf of bread and
a great piece of plastering came
whack on to my head; it's a wonder
it HADN'T killed me-"
e -
know the plastering was loose" OBJ
served Christie.
80, no; nothing ever is your fault
-ofcourse not, sBid she sarcasticaIIy
FHI 'spose tisn't your fault that the
gate is off the hinges; though if I've
told you of it once I've told you forty
times"
"That gate ought to be. mended,
that's a fact I'll speak TO carpenter
about it tonight" said Christie, meek
ly.
$50 yon always say, but you never
do it. OF all the slack-twisted, pro-
crastinating provoking men that eyer
lived, you're the. beat" said Mrs.
Bray, with sudden transition from
actual transgressions to general de-
pravity.
OuCu3 ulIlO IlIIGS Oul VI LeHJ WAS
Christie's reception when he came
home from his daily toll and so far,
no doubt, your sympathies are with
him; but now, mark! When he had
finished his supper he rose from the
table, took his hat and strobe off as
fast as his long legs could carry him
not TO the carpenters, but to the bar
room of the "Rising Sun" There,
in front of a comfortable fire. sur
rounded by boon companions, with a
pipe in his mouth and a mug of flip
at his right hand, he forgot the trials of
sagging gate and shrewish wo-
mans tongue, From the conversation
which ensued, when, under the genial
influences of the occasion, the compa-
ny had grown happy and communi-
cative, it would seem that he was not
the only one who had come there to
find refuge for domestic unpleasant
ness.
Isn't it good thing, now" said
Abram Wicks, " that when matters
are kind o. out of tint at home a man
can jist drop in here and find it all
straight and comfortable? a health
to the landlord, say l ~
The toast was drunk with enthusi-
asm,
But, Abram," said Christie, "set-
ting his mug back on the table, 81
never heard tina. you was hen-peck-
ed husband"
Hen-peckedl Jupiterl no; I'd
like to see the woman that would hen
peck mel No, jennings temper is
well enough, but she's slack, Christie,
awful slack"