The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-06-26
TONY HARDsCRABBLEs WIFE.

TONY HARDsCRABBLEs WIFE.
Tony Hardscrabble was carpenter,
blacksmith, mender of tubs and barrels,
and Jack-of-all- trades for the rural
neighborhood in which he lived. His
little shop in which he made horse
shoes, shod the farmers horses, sharp
| ened plOwshares, made tables, doors,
| desks, cupbOards, bureaus, and occa-
| sionally coffins in which he pounded
away at wonderful pork and vinegar
barrels, and tightened up dilapidated
| old tubs and casks--this little shop was
| situated at point in the woods where
an old road crossed a new one, and was
| in itself a queer, patchei-up, new and
old building. Tony owned no corner
lots, but no one intruded upon him.
| His little house, the gay, hewn locs
| divided by seams of white plastering,
| seemed cosy and comfortable; and
| while the shop opened on the road the
house stood back among the trees.
| North, south, east and west were neigh
| bors within quarter or half mile range,
and the neighborhood was thickly set
| tied. But no one saw the advantages
| of corner lots near Tony's shop, not
even the spectators and wise men of
the village three miles distant, and
| Tony was sole resident at the Corners,
| where he had garden patch that did not
| flourish and family that increased rap
idly. Tony had a fair skin where it
shO we'd above his elbows and below the
collar band of his shirt COLLAR he dis
dained to weary, but his face had dark,
grimy look. He was strong without
being stout, and was fond of displaying
his sire 9Th and prOwess. His face was
that of a daring, resolute man, and his
neighbOrs never took much comfort in
looking at it. Tony was handy man
and, as the country people said, was
not afraid of work. He never received
much ready money, but he his pay
in shape of corn or -four or pork, or
money in good time. The people who
patronized him did not neighbor with
him, however. They knew little about
the family, but they inferred that Mrs.
Hardscrabble had a hard time of it.
She was a goOd-natured, round-faced
woman, who was always busy indoors,
and who seemed to take great comfort
with her children, all of which was
mercy, the good old women of the
ueighborhoOd thought, rs she had little
comfort in her husband.
Tony's wife in those days did not
make much of an impression. People !
caught only glimpses of her, but they !
knew she was a comely woman. While |
other women of her age in the neigh |
borhood were sallOw and broken down, |
Mrs. Hardscrabble was fresh, plump |
and strong. The face was attractive, |
buS had little character; and TOny's wife |
was classed among the supplemented |
drudges, and was frequently referred |
to as a woman who thought the world |
and all Of her children, but who had |
not an atom of spirit. Aud Tony was
good to her. That was all people could |
say about Tony's wife.
Tony had never been seen at church. |
He had certain loose ways and indepen-
dent notions that the people did not |
like. He considered that there was no
harm in taking a mess of roasting ears
from any mans cOrn-feld whenever he
wanted them. He thought the CARRYING
off of fine watermelons from some old |
farmers carefully-guarded truck-patch |
was good sport. He would take a fine
walnut rail from fence whenever he
needed seasoned walnut for framework
in his shop. He shot game IN season
as work DAYS. He had been accused of |
shooting fat young hogs and wringing
the nocks of other peoples chickens,
but only accused. He would take his
boys and go on nutting expeditions on
Sundays, and always had an abundant
supply of wild grapes, berries, nuts,
plums, etc. He was the freebooter rs
well as the JACKIE of-all trades of the
neighborhoOd, and was considered a
suspicious character.
So,when it was announced that Squire
Prim's house had been broken into and |
over a thousand dollars in money taken,
and that the smoke-hOuse had been
broken open the same night, and that
the hams and shoulders taken had been
found buried in the woods near Tony's
house. no one was surprised. Tony was
arrested, had a preliminary examina-
tion. was bound over to court, could not
procure bail, and was sent 70 the county
jail. His trial came off in due time, he |
was convicted, and sent to the peniten-
tiary for five years. People were agreed
that he got what he deserved, but they
were sorry for his wife. She was left
with six children, aud it was too bad.
Many of the good women of the neigh
borhocd could not find it in their hearts
to help her, as she persisted in asserting
her husbands innocence. She clurg to
the man with what these practical wo-
men considered a nonsensical, romantic
affection, and they had no patience with
her. Others honored her for her faith
in her husband and for her affection, al
though thev doubted not for moment
that Tony Hardscrabble was guilty as
charged. The wife ard her bows and
girls kept close to their home, grieving
as for husband and father dead. After
a few weeks, Mrs. Hardscrabble was
seen abroad, then at the county seat,
aud then, wonder of wonders this
woman, who had never been a mile from
her home since her marriage, went to
the state capital. Few of the men would
such a journey. Tony's wife
received the compliment of being a
plucky woman. In due time a notice
appeared in the county paper that an
application would be made for the par
don of Tony Hardscrabble. This the
people deliberately and emphatically
frowned upon, and comparatively few
signed the petition, although it was
presented to every man in the neiehbor-
hood by Mrs. H. herself.
Everybody was now talking about
- ony's wife. She was constantly going.
There were hints that she or her lawyer
had found new points of evidence. Dur
ing the year she went to the gov rnor
twelve times with her plea for pardon,
and was met with refusal every time.
And vet she persisted She went out
went out in butchering time,
Il l.. 1, /