The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1879-04-23

in came first mate William Bendoln
and his wife, she in all the splendor
of new rig. He had returned the
week before me from Calcutta, and
we were the only sea-faring men OF
the place, and our wives were neigh
bors, and had always been protested
ly great friends
[ was delighted to see them, and
thought at the time that my wife was
very cool, though so exceedingly
polite. 1 soon forgot all about her
manner, though, in the pleasure OF
talking over old times, and they
made long and to me very pleasant
call.
LAS soon as they lett, my wife
went up to her room, and | saw her
no more that evening, for when tea
was ready she sent down word she
had a headache, and wanted none.
The next day things were no brighter
than before, and when the first church
bell rang my wife burst into flood
of tears and set off for her chamber.
followed her, and there she lay on
the bed, in regular Mysteries. When
she came to herself a little asked:
"'Why, what on earth is the mat
ter?'
"She looked me full in the face,
and said:
"tIf you don't know, Thomas Will
oov vou ouOht tn
~ wilted under her looks like
boy caught stealing marbles. The
truth is, | thought some villain had
been telling tales out of school; but,
for the life of me, l could not con-
ceive who it could be.
8" By this time my wife was in an
other fit, worse than the first. con-
jured up all the recollections of the
voyage-and they were not half so
pleasant as could have wished them
but, finding that I could not re-
store her, ran down stairs to make
some mulled wine. When ! reached
the kitchen, there was my wifes SIS
ter, with her demure lace, which
helped TO irritate me still more. /
called tor wine and spices, and, while
I was heating it, she began. She
wished to gracious her sister knew
how to treat a husband as he de-
served to be treated that if she was
a wife she would know how to prize
a man who did everything man
could do to please her.
Il was in no humor to hear my
wife abused-my conscience, at the
time, making kind of coward of me
,islanIE. hurst CT upon her in rage,
{old l1eF Size wasi2 snaEe n th5 sfisss;
and would rather have her sister
than thousand such as she was; and
if there was any trouble between
Mollie and me, why, knew who 10
thank for it.
"She lifted up her eyes and hands,
and said that all men were fools, but
I was the greatest of them all.
"This brought on spirited alter
cation, in which I spoke my mind
pretty freely. AS soon as the wine
was heated / decanted it into tum-
bier. My sister-in. law recommended
hot vinegar, but I told her I would
leave that for her.
ION my way up stairs | thought l
heard my wite's footsteps in her
chamber, but when entered she was
lying on the bed, crying in very
sensible manner! / had no difficulty
in persuading her to drink the wine.
She caught hold OF my hand and
kept sobbing. She did not deserve
such husband, she said. was too
good for her, and she was not worth
all the kindness gave her. a
81 felt encouraged, and, kissing
her again, begged her to tell me
what was the matter. AT this she
began crying and sobblng again, and
said she could not tell me, for l
would hate her, and she deserved to
be hated. etc.
1.-THE more she decried herself the
more penitent / became, and, in fact,
was on the point of making clean
breast of it, and asking her forgive
ness; but luckily did not, for, in a
little while, she told me the terrible
bugbear. FIRST mate, Bendoin, had
brought home, to his wife, CASH
mere shawl, while I had only brought
her silk dress.
"sIs that all?' 1 cried, clasping
her in my arms, and feeling intense
relief; and then l told her how un-
kind it was to keep me in such sus
pense and she laid her brown head
on my breast and begged to be for
given.
"Now every woman has her Ma