The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1875-06-10
SMITHS STORY.

She grabbed her worries up and Ned.
And resumed my pork and beans.
SMITHS STORY. @
My story is about Smiths wife; and
mind you, Smiths wife ism my wife, be
canse I'm a bachelor but unless I'm very
much mistaken there Is another Smith in
town-perhaps two. Smiths wife was a
little round woman-not fat, but just
pleasantly plump; there was a nice round
ness about her eyes, and cheeks, and
shoulders, and arms good full curves to
her red lips and pinky shelly ears; and
though you would never have thought OF
calling her handsome, or even pretty, she
was decidedly nice. She was a shrewd lit
tie body, too, with plenty of firmness; and
If it had fallen 10 your lot to have once
heard her say, "Oh!'' you would never
have forgotten il. e.. -.
Now, pray don't Imagine by the word
exclamation, ejaculati0n-'Ohw L mean a
half scream or hysterical cry. Nothing OF
the kind. "Ohr' with Mrs. Smith ex-
pressed as much as five minutes of some
peoples conversation; for it was accom-
panied by long and curious tightening
of the lips, and sometimes meant a very
great deal. as Charles Smith, of the Inner
ii .
he knew il before he had been married one
month of the twehiy-four to which at the
time present his matrimonial life had eX-
tended. ...r .-yr r.F.F.F.. .E..r
But Smith wife was no oTartar-nothing
of the kind again-but a most agreeable
little body, paSsiOnately feDd OF her hus-
band. though somewhat troubled by a
bOnyness that had commenced making its
way into her home It was not a regular
skeleton grinning in a cupboard. Oh,
no; but Just an odd loose bone or two.
over which she kept Stumbling, in cOnse-
quence of the great truth discovered by
Shakespeare, who advises ladies to "sigh
no more because ''men were deceivers
ever" IL "a. ------
"You won't be late this evening ?''
Charley Smiths wife said to her dapper
little man one morning, as buttoned up in
his frock and overcoat he re-entered the
breakfast-roOm for the farewell kiss before
leaving Bayswater for the shades of Fleet
Street. .....
Well. no." he said-"unless there's
pressure, nv love, aud then we mustn't
grumble: for pressure means profit, and
profit seaside and silk-dresses, eh? There,
goodbye" g
"But, just moment, Charley. You
will try and be backg' ru FE
ITO be sure" he cried for, with the
nice, gentle, appealing, loving look, he
could say none other. But there-it's
ju { ten.n
"Yes, dear, know; but do try and be
back. l do so like having you with me OF
an evening"" ...
And little, round. plump hand held on
by buttOn-hole, and little, round cheek
was laid against MIR. Smiths shoulder.
Yes, yes, yes, yes" he said rather
testify. II like coming home only busi-
ness pressure, you know
But there's so much pressure now,
Charley"
"Good sign, my dear, and-there-I
must 60"
"But it presses so hard on me, Charley;
and it seems as ifyou were tired coming
back home"
"why, what stuff, to be sure Take
your finger out of that buttOn-hole, or
you'll drag it, Z
al did want You so badly last night,
Charley; and like you TO enjoy yourself,
but not always TO stop away of an even
ing" .il.t-
"Now, how can you beso- uureasona-
ble?" -. -..f .- -.. va
"Mrs. Lane came in last night. and Mr..
Lane called for her about nine, and they
stopped and had tea and Mr.. Lane said
he saw you 90 into the Alhambra."
Me, Alhambra? Poohl absurd nom
sense nonsense mistake altogether. But
there, | must CO." -.rs.r--r
"Ohi' said Mrs. Smith; and as her
lord hurried away. that tightening of her
lips was visible, and the little woman
looked dull and sad as she heard the door
close. 90.
Smith did not get back to dinner that
nighr, nor yet 10 tea; and in fact, il was
half-past one when he returned home in q
cab smelling very strongly of tobacco
probably the weed consumed as a sedative
while some abSuuse brief was studied.
But Mrs. Smith said nothing. not even the
next morning. when her husbands head
ached badly. all she did was to make the
tea spoonful stronger, and wait in hopes
ofa little frankness upon her husbands
part. q
But she waited in vain, for Smith had
promised TO give up bachelor life and
friends; but only 10 have a very severe
relapse, brought on by his weakness in
never being able TO say MOI
"Dld you see brother William last
nights said Smiths wife, one morning
after Smith bad been detained by pressure
his chamber. a.
William. No.. Did he cali on me?''
" No. said Mrs. Smith. quietly; "he
said he went into Evans for a chop, and
you were with couple OF friends half
way up the rOom.'
"N0w. really.n exclaimed Smith. "this
is a dead too bad. What did l tell you
when | came home last night?" -
When you come home this morning"
Well, morning if you IKE. / call ii
ali night whileif's dark. Didn't Ite1 you
Twas busy at my chambers?' ~
Yes, dear" said Mrs. Smith.
"Then how could it be me at Evans
It's mistake altogether, as I've told you
before. Il must have been that fellow
from Gray's Inn he saw-Stubbles, 4 think
his name is. Good deal like me-mocks
me in dress, too. Been mistaken for me,
and I've had lawyers clerks addres sing
me for him half a score of times. Re
semblsnce is wonderful when we have on
our wigs and gowns
II don't think should be deceived, -
said Smiths wife. quietly.
You, my dear-poohi No. OF course
not. Not likely" said Mr.. Smith, as he
reached the door; but he turned for an
instant as his wife gave utterance 70 hei
fayorite ejaculation .s-r. fnp srail
"Oh!'' issf .1a Essl- se~
For the next two or three weeks Smiths
wife looked very quiet and serious; those
little rounded lips of hers were pressed
together until they appeared quite thin
and then there came q morning when snt
sat over her breakfast reading cutting
from the Times Of the previous day, which