The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1878-08-15
YIVIA'S RUSE


d oN1~-@'
When it WIS known all over the lit
tie village Of Alton that Viva Arm
slr0ug was engaged to handsome, care
less Arthur Stage, all the gOssips-male
and female-prOnounced it suitable
match, nor was there a dissenting voice
in the number.
Had they not loved each other ever
since they were in pjnafOres, and had
not their mothers been sehoOI-mates,
and firm friends since their marriages,
and set their hearts on this very thing
for years, and had it not turned out
Just as they wished, and considering
the uncertainty Of things in general,
and human hopes in particular, was il
not stranger
And now It is just one year since the
wedding, and the dining room looks
cool and inviting, while a tempting
/ little supper, with a vase Of flowers Oh
the table, and plates for two, stands
awaiting its lord and master. Every
thing is in perfect order, from the neat
ly dressed woman with a rose IN her
hair, and a knot of rose buds at her
throat-fOr Viva, unlike some married
ladies know, still thinks it worth
while to make a good appearance, and
dresses as tastily to receive her hus-
band, as when expecting her lOYer-tO
the glittering china and well rubbed
silver that adOTns the table.
The little cottage stands a quarter Of
mile from the village, and in the
loveliest situation you can imagine,
and has a flower garden attached, with
a great variety Of choice flowers, while
roses-Arthur's faYorite fOwer-pre-
dominate. It seems a miniature para
disc on tins beautiTul June day, while
the birds. are having a grand matinee
in the old apple trees back of the house
and mother Ewes disObedieDce seems
to have left no impression here and the
'trail Of the serpent" is not discerna-
bic. Vfvia is standing at the gateWhen
her husband makes his appearance, and
his face Ightens up at the radiant VI
siOns, and tbe warm kiss he places on
her lips, assures her she is the ole wo-
man in the world, but a shadow falls
over the happy face of Viva, when
careless Arthur replaces his boots with
the handsomely embroidered slippers,
6inging the former ina corner where
hat and gloves are already repOsingl
Arthur is so happy himself, he never
notices the shadow, and Viva is soon
laughing merily over his lively sallies
and witty remarks on his customers.
for Arthur is druggist and P. NJ. Of the
little village.
Tea over, Arihur saunters off into
the sitting room and is deeply i'm
mersed in the Daily Enquirer, by the
time Viva has washed the dishes, pick
ed up bis boots, hat, and gloves, ana
placed them where he can find them in
the morning. She can hardly find it in
her heart TO feel angry at Arthur. he IS
so good natured and thOUghtless, she I
|. is sure that he does not mean to annoy
her, but he is so dreadfully careless,
seldom remembering TO put anything
n It's proper place, while Viva has
perfect horror Of having things lying
around prOmiscuously.
She has spoken to him, time and
again Of his careless habits, and he pro-
missed to reform, but old habits are
hard to break, and Viva feels sure
that talking will never effecta cure;
so, being a resOlute woman, determines
20 try other means.
The following evening he looks in
vain for hisslippers in the accustomed
place, and on inquiry receives the
startling reply, that sue sUPpOses they
are where he left them last evening.
He hasn't the least idea where that
is; after some little searching finds them
under the sociable in the sitting room,
where he kicked them off. lie dons
them, looks on the table for yesterdays
daily, thinking to finish that interesting
article that he had only half read, but
said daily is no where to be found.
He stalks to the kitchen and wants
to know where Viva has put it, and
wonders if every thing is lost this
evening.
! Viva lOOksu up sweety and responds,
ST have not had it dear, and have no
idea where it ts."
He slams the door, I am sorry 10 say
it being such an ugly way Of showing
ones temper-and after thorough (N
search gives It up, and all this time it
/ is lying composedly under the sociable
where he threw it with his slippers the
previous evening, and Viva smiles Oh
picking it Up when sweeping.
And such a time as that man had
for one week hunting things, was
amusing. Being a man it was several
DAYS before he comprehended the stu
alton, and when he did, was too proud
to confess his shortcomings, and ask
/ his wife to help him remember.
at the end Of the week he could ell
dure it no longer, and meekly confessed
] 10 Ills ulbOIucIlg lldOlgos ttllA hOANClC CA
how his little wife ever endured them
so long, and kept things in such per-
feet order, with such a careless fellow
to misplace them, and promised a COM
3. pIete reformation, if she would help
him. Viva could keep nothing from
/ her husband, SO she made a confession
too, telling him that she had been just
as miserable I'll week as she could be,
and had punished herself more than
she had him, and she would rather pick
up things forever than spend such
another week.
Arthur kissed her. and said that he
deserved his punishment, but that he
had no idea that leaving things lying
around, made go much work and trOu-
ble.
VIVA often smiled in after years at
his methodical ways, and prided her
self-WOmgn like-On bringing about