Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1875-09-16

could pierce an egg shell,
My life was somewhat harrassed, II,
doubt. for my wife developed turn for 10
| eating smells.
Jack. where have you beeuy" sh,
/ would say, repulsing me suddenly ate
| the first kiss with which she always re
celved me coming from the office at night
and which poiteness / was always ex
| pccted to return where have you been 2
with a keen fash and quiver of eye ant
eyelid.
"Why, Nan?"
because you smell of machinery"
by George" (dear reader, forgive the
expletive. never swear, but man must
have some safety valve), IL wouldn't hav,
your nose, Nan, for five hundred dollars =
And | wouldn't be without 1t tor five
thousand. Tell me, now, haven't you
been somewhere?"
"les, have been to several some where's
| reluctantly admit. Mrs. Gardiner, that
went to Smiths printing office to see about
some billheards, and spent half an hour
Studying out their new press"
Il thought so," was her satisfied rejoin-
der. II know the smell of machine oil
very WELL"
Another time am greeted with another
shudder.
/ "What is it now. Nam inquire, in a b.
ject tones of dismay.
II smell cigars in your whiskers.'
surprising | reply. II do not re-
member having hidden any there
Nonsense! | mean smoke, OF course -
Nan, | believe In Darwin now and for
ever. Your great grandfather 'must nave
been pointer. | stood on the platform OF
a crowded car, coming up town, with a
man who smoked all the way. and the wind
was fair 20 smoke me, too"
1T IS bad 10 have a nose sometimes,
says my wife, releclively.
But il woulc be worse 10 have none
jack,
/ must confess that at times Nan, like
mo-. other warm hearted, bright and SEN
siiiye women, was the least bit jealous
not that she ever thought | really loved
ANYBODY else, but she wanted 10 be fret
In my thoughts always. Like ev cry wom-
an. too, who is jealous aud exact Ing, she
always inveighei against those traits as
the very worst woman could possess
and thanked the Lord with Pharisaic ferv-
or, that she never INDUCED in either. Now
like women generally; their society Is
agreeable, their dainty ways pretty to be-
hold, their tricks and their manners inf
nitely amusing; and think beautiful
-lAA u AllI lbpNs bthullIll tAiI& III Aiit
world. love TO study the pictures these
sweet creatures present; the wavy gloss
or golden flufilness OF their hair, the softly
rounded and tinted cheeks. the white fore
head, the smiling crimson lid, the lovely
eyes, the delicate dress and shining alorn-
ments-they are like flowers with souls /
delight 10 study them; but love my wife,
and she is my wife, which means a great
deal to a decent man. ! would see the
whole race OF pretty girls drowned rather
than have my wife, aud sometimes | feel
H. Il she ought to know ~ but you can't eX-
pect everything of a woman, any more
than of Il man; so did not notice Nluou' !,
freaks Of this sort much. Among our ac-
quaintances she chiefly reyiled aud abused
a Little woman whom | had known several
years-a pretty child always, but 80 very
pretty that you forgaye her being fool
when you looked at the clear eyes, the pic
turesque hair. the infantilc dlmples, the
red, white, gold aud blue OF Nellie Rivers
baby face, and heard her good natured gig
gle. Nan always held her up as a pattern
OF "the sort OF women men always admire
p-ss,y 1901. aduing, o,vn .I- ha-
Dand adores her" And never contradicted
these statements, for what j. the use: One
excellent receipt for family peace Is,
Never argue with your Wife
Blu: one sunday Nan was TOO III or too
idle TO 80 TO church. She talked vaguely
about headache. knew very well what
hat meant; her new bonnet had not
,ome home the day before. and 1t was
hot sunday in May. | len her on the
lounge with new book and salt bottle.
looking very lovely in her delicate rose
aud white wrapper. and not al all Ill, aud
went my way.
\ certain circumstance detained me half
an hour alter service, and when | opened
he door, hot and tired, but charmed to see
he cool, fresh salad and scarlet lobster ar
ranged for lunch beside pitcher OF iced
claret, Nan at once came between me and
his vision Of bliss 10 hot and thirsty
nan.
"Wlsre have you been:" she cried, with
gushing emphasis. Il have worried so.
hought you had iit or sunstroke." And
With these words she threw herself into
ny arms and received due greeting; but
hardly had my lips met hers when she
lrew herself of suddenly, and glared at
ne.
Jack said she, sternly, "you have
been home with Nell Rivers. know It."
DO your" returned |, coolly. Are you
quite sure?'
Perfectly, sir. | smell amber lavender,
md nobody else in these days uses that
)id fashioned stun On, Jack and me sick
1t home. Very we'll"
| sat down in the nearest chair and
shouted with laugeter. This was, indeed.
what Mr. Weller, junior, would have call
ed rum go Mans eyes blazcd, and
laughed the more.
Then she burst into tears, and with effec.
i've aid from fresh aud delicate handker-
lot ~ rod hnr f,...a ,,l -.
"Come, Man. said .'this is sheer stuff
md nonsense. What If l did 90 home with
Nelly Rivers:''i
at is-is-isn't that she sobbed .sBut
you must have stayed there long time, or
)een very-well-very near TO her, to have
your coat smell OF amber lavender"
| will do my wife the justice to say that
She blushed holly at these last words. as
she ought TO have done. | rushed at once
IntoIthe facts.
You are quite right, my dear''-and let
me ask moment to bless that delightful
phrase. MY Dear" which says so much
In so little according to its inIonaton and
Emphasis. No man can be called, plausi-
ply, brute, who says my Dear" to his
wife. Yet am sure Nan felt my Just in
hignation and disgust far more deeply when
| said it, than if | had expressed my senti-
IneHts IN pure nervous SaXon-'yOu are
quite right, my dear. have been holding
Miss Rivers in my arms, with her head on
my shoulder at least fifteen minutes"
Nan looked at me; her great dark gray
eyes widened and darkened, her thin nos
trils diliated, the flush passed from her
face as she gazed.
know that looked serene, though un-
smiling, but did not speak.
Jack. what do you mean?'
81 mean that Nelly Rivers tainted dead
away in her seat in church. Nobody was
with her, so picked her up, luckily found
a carriage at the church door, carried her
home on my shoulder, and laid her, still
on the sofa, and then went
for the doctor, who says that it is an at
tack of the brain fever"
Poor little thing | didn't know she had
any brains"
"Nanon!'
And with that this inexplicable creature.
the veriest woman l ever saw. flung her.
self into my arms and cried worse than
ever.
am glad to say she did everything in
her power for poor little Nelly, and even
professed to be sorry when that beautiful
shining hair was cut Off