The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1877-11-08

before The nameIeSS ptsDy naQ Deen In
| its green grave year father had set out
for Brazil in merchant vessel, leaving
this short adieu to his wife:
You can say have gone South on business,
Mehetable, but you must know shall never
come back. T am tired of living in torment,
and you will be glad to part with one who could
never please you. So farewell. Yours at COM
mand, JONATHAN JARVIS.
Mother was frantically angry at
first. She raved in her own chamber
over what she termed a mortal insult,
but, as day after day came on, and her
loneliness and weakness grew over her,
she began to see things more honestly;
and when news came that the ship had
foundered at sea and all hands perished,
then she was entirely prostrated. As
she told me her past life rose up, looked
her in the face, and struck her down.
&c 1 was born after my fathers depart
ure, and very long illness carried her
to the gates of the grave. She recovered
at last, stern and saddened woman,
with only one interest in her life; but
she brought me up with strictness and
care, tenderly as she loved me; and,
when I was about to take my life up for
myself, told me this bitter story, and
gave me this ring.
''t If had killed the little foxes, said
she, sadly, 'Imight to-day have goodly
vineyard of my own. Beware of them,
Hetty. They have spoiled my lfe.'
And after all, Mabel, my father was
not lost on the wreck. He was picked
up by another vess l, and, under an as
sumed name, lived on in Brazil. In the
grasp of mortal illness, he wrote to his
wife, asking and giving pardon. 1t was
from him that all her wealth came, but
she has never forgiven herself"
Poor grandma :" sobbed Mabel,
"and have been so horribly hateful to
her !"
cit will console her for all your
freaks, my darling, if you profit by her
pitiful story"
The next time Grandma Jarvis came
over Mabel greeted her with a stringent
hug and heartfelt kiss, not at all of the
clam-shen order.
"Gracious p exclaimed the old lady,
withdrawing herself little to look at
Mabel; but she saw the brown eyes fill,
and her own grew dim
SEQ along. child; go along P' she
| growled under her breath. ''And now
you've got your lesson, don't forget
It would have been hard for Mabel to
do SO, when the exquisitely-wrought tea
set that adorned her table through all
her married life bore on every cover the
sly and eager head of a tiny fox, and the
| very cream pitcher had for its handle the
slender form of that treacherous animal,
its eager head peering over the brim, and
it's long, bushy tail curving outward at
the base. Many and many time, when
some trifing matter irritated her. and a
quick or stinging word rose to her lips,
glance at the tea-set shut her pretty
mouth closely just in time and when
Grandma Jarvis came into Boston a year
after Mabel's marriage, to eat her Christ
mas dinner at Mr.. Seldon's she nodded
quantity at the lady of the house as she
said: &c I congratulate you now Mehet-
able; I can do it with a clear conscience.
It's been a good hunting year see.''
Mabel colored and laughed, and her
husband stared, but nobody explained
the sybillic utterance, only Mrs. Lee
gave her mother loving and grateful
look, and Grandma Jarvis wiped her
spectacles.
And the moral is-let us all go fox
| hunting.