Orangeburg times. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1872-1875, 1874-06-25

poou mue lIOm nome, knew bue
governor. This, to Tony, with his
prison experience before him, was q
tremendous fact. What would happen2
The governor took him by the hand (:
"Now. my man. I am glad this is as
it is. And am glad that you have
such wife. Try the world again, and
let me hear from you"
That night Tony Hardscrabble's
awoke in him hundred new sepsa-
baby, such sweet little girls, such we'll
formed healthy boys. And they were
all his. BE would try the world again,
and he laughed as he Thought how he
would astonish the people.
The shop was open the next morning
and Tony was at work. How his veins
swelled over the motion of free man |!
The story had been told and retold, and
Tony was the hero of the hour. Every
body had something to say about his
wife. She was clearly Gudging from
the evidence offered, which Tony accep-
ted without Guestion) the best woman
in the neighborhood, and Tony was very
proud of her.
For o few weeks affairs moved in
the old way at Tony's. Thea one Sab
bath, there was departure. Tony and
his wife and children went to church.
this was their first appearance, and
Tony was complimented. He declared
they needn't make any fuss over him.
He didn't care for church, but his wife
did. She had remained at home good
many years to please him, and now he
was attending church to please her. He
was hard case himself, but he wanted
his children to be like thsir mother,
and he guessed they would anyhow.
But he was going to help her now. And
then Tony would drop his voice:
Just think of it She made nine
teen trips to get me out of that scrape,
and spent ninety-fve dollars, all Of
which money she raked together her.
self. BY jinks, get to thinking about
it sometimes when I am at work, and [
pound n horseshoe all to flinders before
[ know what / am doing. She's won
derfnl woman, sir, and-aud she's my
wife. She can run the boat to suit her
self now, sir."
Tony meant what he said. His wife's
individuality was the controlling one ut
the Corners. In time there was carpet
on the floors, end then, wonder Of wous.
ders to Tony J. common but pretty
pattern of paper on the walls. Tony
became Jack-of.all- to his wife.
Couldn't he make picture frames,
brackets, and other ornamental and use.
full articles for the house?" OF course
he could, and he took great delight in it.
He couldn't sit down and tell his wife,
in words, how much he was surprised
Mt her better self, nor how grateful he
felt, nor how much he loved her, but
he could work it out, and all his spare
time has devoted to doing things that
he imagined she wanted done. He was
simple and awkward in springing his
surprises on her, or in discovering what
she desired, but the very simplicity of
his action made his acts the more pleas
ant and touching to his wife.
Tony became proud of his house. He
would shoe horse with the old skill
and carefulness rs to det lis, and would
talk as much while doing it, but now
all the talk was about his own home !:
and when the work was done he would
maneuver to Ii We his customer 90 in
and look und, as he expressed it :;
would take him in to show him new
hour-ba he had mado, or new
rat-trap, when all the time he meant to
show him the paper on the walls, the
carpet on the floors, aud the general
features of his cozy little homo. He
was always inviting people to dinner
now, too. BE made childish parade
OF his wife and her accomplishments.
This became habit with him, and.
.iaconsoiiousiy, people encouraged him
in it.
Tony was no longer a freebooter, and
made no moro raids on Sunday. He
" hooked" o more roasting ears or
watermelons. He carried off no more
rails, and was never accused of shooting
other peoples chickens or hogs.
AS the improvements ut the house as
sumed definite shape, imp ovements
were iraugurated at the shop. The
rambling old building was Strengthened
up and frightened up: the fences were
made new, the garden fourished in
proper season, and m air of comfort
pervaded Tony's corners.
Tony went to church regularly and
always took the whole family; and at
church he made much of little things.
He devoted moro attention to keeping
his children quiet than to the sermon.
The children always had their pennies
to put in the contribution box, and the
day the baby accomplished the feat OF
dropping bright five. cent coin in the
box without grabbing for the other
coins already in was an hour of triumph
for Tony. There was something pathetic
about these little oddities that appealed
to all the tenderness tn. re was in peo-
ple's hearts.
In time, Tony would have been indig-
nant had any one asserted that he was
not member of the church. He
wasn't clear in his mind as to when he
"joined," but new customs had crept
into his home, new thoughts into his
mind, and new sentiments into his
heart. People said there was great