Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1879-05-29
MY WIFE'S NEW SHAWL.

"But why did you pay so much
for a shawl ? 1t was sheer non
sense" said my old friend, Captain
Morton, as he mixed his third glass
of grog, and stirred in a multiplied
ty Of spices before drinking it-after
| the manner of sailors when they can
get it. "Why on earth did You pay
so much money for shawl, when
you could buy one SO much cheap
er? Nine hundred dollars-by
the blood of shark-it would buy
a house,
| That was his oath-"by the blood
Of shark ;" he never swore any
other and the most abusive epithet
he could apply TO a man-one that
to him embodied the quintessence Of
meaness--was to cali him 'Sa shark" "
81 tell you, captain" said | !;
"but then, you must acknowledge
that the shawl is beauty-if it did
cost a small fortune to a poor man.
Last year, when / came home, with
"a cargo of tea from China, [ left
my ship in good hands and hurried
to my home in the little village Of
Twiceaweek 1--WE called it that be-
cause our mail came twice week.
where all my hopes and affections
were invested in a wife and two
children. l was in Jealous spirits,
aud as happy man as ever stepped
on terra firlna. Ny handsome wife
was we'll and young as ever, my
boy as much like me as when | left
him many months before, and my
gentle six year old Nellie loveIier
than [ had dreamed she could be
NV welcome was all | could have
wished and oh what bright days
those were that followed my i'm
mediate arrival
''The third day my boxes were
brought out. Now the opening Of
a sailors boxes is always momeno
tons affair to his family, and 1 had
brought mine all the presents l
could possibly procure for thcm.-
Two pieces of rich silk for dresses
for my wife, beautiful Chinese table
linen, carved ckessmen, and SO on.
| saw look Of disappointm ent OF
my wife's face, but l said nothing,
and the matter passed off.
"My old friends came to see me,
my wife gave me my favorite dishes,
and the week SO happily spent was
gone before l knew it. Sunday
morning came bright and beautiful.
To my surprise, my wife came to
breakfast with rumpled hair, and
looking decidedly cross after a
while she decided she would not go
to church, though she was as regular
as the sexton, for she had nothing
fit to wear. thought it very odd,
but said nothing, having long since
found out that arguing with a wo-
man is about as efectual as dipping
the ocean dry with teaspoon.
"When Nellie and | got back,
there stood my wife, her hair still
uncolnbed, and ready to scold the
child for muddying her shoes, her
blnc Chinese boots with the little
bronze bird on the side of them. |
interferred with great deal Of firm
ness, and we went in to dinner !;
nothing on the table was cooked
decently. And SO it was all the
next week my coffee was thick
and muddy, my meat done to a
crust, and / well knew the demon
of mischief was about to be let
loose, but why l could not guess.
''In the meanwhile, my wife's sis-
ter, who had been kind of ships
cousin, quartered upon me ever
since my marriage, looked as de-
mure as Connecticut deacon, and
gave me no hint what it was all
about. On tie next Saturday after
noon [ was sitting with my wife
and Children, when there came a
knock at the door, and in came
First Mate William Bendoin and
his wife, she in all the splendor of