The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1875-05-04
FINGER BETWEEN BARK AND TREE.

I came home in Z pickle-no doubt Of
that. My. face was bruised and bleeding.
one eye was closed and / could not see
very well out of the other. The skin was
off al my knuckles, and my left arm WAS
sprained and bruised to . most painful
extent. I ached internally whenever
drew breath. lAs,for my apparel, there
is but one word for it, and that isrags.
1t was ten minutes to seven, the hour
at which we dine, and the time Of year
was happily November, Sc that I sneaked
in unobserved by the neighbors. But l
met my wife on the stairs. She is 4: fine
lady, my wife isl fell lin love with her
because she was so like biscuit china. She
has noble blood in her veins. I believe. /
wish there was little more of it, and that
the temperature was little higher; but,
however, we cannot have every thing we
want, you know. ,.@.4
"Whatever is the matter, Wi'liam?" she
asked. 80
II have had thrashing," said I. Send
me up some old handkerchiefs, and don't
wait dinner for mel could not eat any
thing ..~ ~. $50 $50
"How provoking! There are ducks,and
never can carve them"
''Have one cut up out of the room. I
could not help ,ysu if came, for my left
arm is useless"
'Shall send for the doctor?''
''Oh, doar, no. He could do nothing
there are no bones broken.''
l remained in the house all day, and
took constitutionals by night for !. fort
night, keeping as much as possible out of
my wife's way. Not that I flattered my
self that she cared much for my personal
beauty being disfgured, but because her
remarks irritated me. She hoped that it
would be a lesson to me not to engage in
street brawls; she wondered that I liked
to lower myself by. fighting with common
men; and so forth. If a stranger could
have heard her, he would have imagined
that l was rufianly bully, who deli ght-
ed in assaulting his fellow citizens, and
who had at last caught Tartar. Now, I
am the mildest and meckest of men, with
horror of physical force which ap-
proaches the pusillani nous. was the
victim of a newspaper article and a prov
erb. The article was severe upon the
conduct o. some people who had allowed
a woman to be murdered in their neigh
borhood without interfering; the proverb
averred that the bully was always cow
ard.
The proverb had always been accepted
by me without investigation; it was q
vague idea floating in my mind; but the
impression made by the article was
recent and strong. had been reading in
my office that very afternoon. and had
shared the writer's indignation. My
direct path lies through slums, but I al
most invariably take it. The smells are
bad, the sights are seldom appetizing; but
you cut off half mile, and can generally
walk quickly, the traffic not being great
or the pavement blocked. But on this
particular evening there was a crowd in
Goose alley. Some Of the inhabitants of
that populous block Of buildings had quit
ted their dens, and stood hatless and bon.
netless in the street, but left plenty be.
bind them to I'LL the windows. Not that
there was any great excitement, only a
somewhat languid curiosity; and yet
violent screams proceeded from the center
of the knot of loungers: screams of fem
mime information, which drew me to the
spot, recently impressed as was by the
article. The screaming proved
to be woman, her clothes torn. her hair
down, her face covered with blood, and
savage brute of a man was showering
blows upon her with his clinched fist and |
all his might.
"Murder! Police! Help! Save me
Oh, Tom, have mercy!'' she shrieked.
But no one interfered, and mercy was
not the expression in the ruffian's blood |
shot eyes.
"Whcre are the police!'' I shouted. |
But no one answered. not even echo !;
and, indeed, the question was immaterial, |
since they did not happen to be there.
1t was evidently my duty, according to |
the paper which had spoken, to interfere. |
confess that did not quite like the |
task. The man looked very strong. But |
Indignation eked out my valor ; for having
knocked the woman down, he was now !
proceeding to kick her, the surrounding
spectators evincing increased interest,"
some of them going so far as to take the !
pipes out of their mouths I; for experience |
told them that kicking was likely to lead |
to a sensation trial. and probable hang
ing.
''Besides,'' thought I, II have only
got to bluster-.-bullies are always |
cowards.''
So stepped forward, and shouted out
in as firm voice as could command:
''Let the woman alone, you brutc!'
I honestly believe that literally saw
ed two lives for the fellow was in the
act of aiming deliberate kick with his
heavy boot at the woman's ear, as she
lay on the ground, just as though her
head was football, and he about to make