Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-11-13
'' WHAT 2"
Mrs. Squills Discovers that SquiIIs
Has Been TO a Prize.Fight.

FROM the ST. Louis Republican.
| was out little late the other night,
said Squills, SO took home dozen fried
If Mrs. SquillS has one weakness stronger
than another, it is for dozen fried, nice
and brown, and not too much batter
set the paciticatOrs down oil the outside
mat, so as not to burst too gorgeOusly on
her all at once, but directly got into the
room | knew there was something up.
Mrs. Squills had piled up all the pillows
in heap and was propped up, reading.
Good evening, my dear"
Mrs. Squills replied not She is a woman
Of good deal of natural dignity, said
SquillS, when she's getting steam up. The
silence was becoming oppressive, so | re-
marked in tones that were deferential:
Lodge kept unusually late, my dear"
| thought this was a good time to intro
dUce the dozen fried, said Squills. but the
storm burst.
80 you went to the prize-fght, Mr..
Squills."
pledge you my sacred word and honor.
said SquIlls, | think the baby could have
knocked me down with a feather. Nature
OvershOCked, failed to sustain the legs Of
her SquillS, and | sat down.
''Went to the what, my lOve?'
Don't prevaricate. Mr.. Squills. In the
depths of your degradation be a man. How
did come to know it? That is my bust
ness, Mr.. SqIills. | know it, and that
ought to be enough for you."
1T was, said Squills. land some over
How you can sit there. and look me in
the face'-I wasn't looking her in the face,
said Squills, far from it-"and not sink
through that three-ply into the front par
lOr, Mr.. SquillS, is a miracle. A nice lot Of
friends you've picked up! Mister Benja-
min McLOOney and Mister Patsey OAllen.
How do l know their names? | Tread about
them in the Republican, Mr. Squills. How
should knOw?'
The next thing, you'll be a stakeholder
or a second. Bother! No bother about it,
sir. Where's the difference, | should like
to know, between your paying five dollars
and You didn't pay five dollars? Don't
tell me you didn't. And there's Tom wants
booting. What? You think you're getting
the bOOting. Don't cause me to despiSe
you, Squills, under such awful circum-
stances. And Gussy wants winter bon
net to match her dress, and the house wants
painting next spring, and all the GOALS not
in, and the pew rent is due, and Charlie
ought to have a quarters dancing. and
what's that? You got one for dollar?
What?''
You should have heard that ''what?" said
Squills.
"DOyou dare to sit there and tell me
that you sneaked your way into dog fight
for a dollar. 1t wasn't dog fight? Yes,
Sneaked is the word, Mr.. Squills; defraud-
ing those poor fellows who were trying to
make few dollars to support their fami-
lies. | should be ashamed. Oh that the
mother of children should live to hear that
her husband had snealled his way into a
dog fight for a dollar"
1t was too much for her, said Squills, and
she sunk back in among the pillows.
If ever there was moment in the story
of woman's wrongs, when dozen fried
could be introduced as atOnement for the
past and indemnity for the future, said
Squills, that moment had arrived. | placed |
the dozen fried before her, and said affec-
tionately. Fanny
She looked round and said: '1Squillsr' |
The appeal was too touching to be success
fully resisted, and l never saw the mother |
Of family hoist in a dozen fried at two |
o'clock in the morning with greater deter
minatiOn.
The next morning | had to shell out for |
Tommy and Gussy and the pew rent.