The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1880-12-17
Her Besetting Sin.
Domestic Sketch.
BY sYLvANrs COBB, JR.

Ne ch0OSr 10 Cali u Hu, Oe-
ans. Il eau hardly be called vic~,
snL set IL is vicious aud demoraliI.
,s-uot y venal sin, but one Of
,hose sins against the peace and
romfort OF homs which, when al.
bowed 10 become = habit, renders
not ouly the principal ridiculous,
Aut renders other people uncom.
portable. Mrs. 6awtelle's besetting
I'M sss mirrorrd In the speech de.
|fiyered daily, and almost hourly,
a told you so. o, / kuew II would
be so1 When her husband needed
|eoufort-when he bad been be.
suyed-when accident had befall.
ss hIm-uo matter what tue occa.
sIon-no tustter what the circum.
stsnce, FROM her he only received
the inevitable 81 told sou so i; o,
II knew II would be SOP Aud then
shs vas wont to blame him for bis
s,upidity, for his stubboruess Ia
not having listened to her.
"POlly, would you believe it,
Jack has sold the Jersey stock
the whole Of il, twenty-five head,
aud has used the money iu paying
bis debtA and | can't"
al told you So" interrupted his
~ife, Polly, without allowing him
so finish. II knew II would be ~;
NOW see what you'd ave saved II
sou'd only listened to me. Stupid n
Poor Sam Sawtelle II was Of
bis wife's own brother, Jack Cor.
aon, that he spoke, and he had
gone IN with him, and had nd.
Ssned one.halt the purchase money
towards the obtaining OF n magnifs
sest stock oi pure jersey ccxs--
tweuty cows aud two prize bulls
ssd he had done this ut his wite's
own urgent request. She had let
him have no peace until he had
done 1t. He had feared Jack trom
the drst-had distrusted him-and
now the trracherous partner hsd
gene aud sold thc whole herd to a
heavy cattle dealer, had taken
cash IN hand, and had spent, put
away, beyond reach Of any other
parry every dollar of II livery near.
~ two thousand dollars he had ob.
islned) and that WAS far less than
the stock wac worth under the
hammer.
II told YOU 80! knew just how
u would be-. Sam Sawtclle, you're
s:ehp
What could he say lie could
M: tell his wife she lied--be had
tco much heart. lie could only
bow his head and suffer. As for
argument aud rcproof! Mercy it
roald have been like attempting
10 sweep gunpowder into y heap
with u broom OF living fire.
But the time came when Sam had
~ opportunity to give his wife
lesson. He had recently purchased
. new patent hay cattrr tor the
work Of chopping feed for his
borses snd cattle. IL WAS 4 pom.
dereus machine arranged to run by
tcot.power, or by hand, with an
Iron bslailOe wheel, weighing very
yearly bali q ton, aud large rcvolv.
Ing knivea 1t was n grand thing
lit did ito work perfectly, ami
could do vast amount of it. Even
bis wife WAS willing to acknowledge
that II was u great improvement
On the cutter. The truth was, she
sas proud because none of her
neiEhb0rs had such y one.
Well--one evening Sam aud bis
wife had company. Twenty "a
thirty couples had come up frnA
The village, and there were beside,
nearly oil the neighbors--fully six.
y guests, all told.
Supper had been eaten In the
great, old.tashioned kitchen, aud
The company had adjourned to the
large, double drawing room called
ths parlor;' and Y lull had just
followed the old clcrgyman's recital
" circumstances Of bis boyish re.
9enbrance when Sam--the host
ssmeiin, wild.eyed and flustered--
s's breast hraving aud falling
seemingly laboring for breath. His
Vile was frightened.
SAM she cried, with a vigor.
vos Effort, what's the matter with
| !. 10, Polly, you wouldn't believe
What 10 iti Don't set there
sCirerin' like q toad under u harrer +!
"n.tis iti Out with itw
Folly - Ny new hay.cutter.
.us Old brindlc COW has got ut it,
s,, snu made = clean sweep Of it,
'neo .s u, gnlves, balance.whee
s"u al! D! Id rather--n
/ ~, Sam 6awtelle, didn't | tell
soo soi knew 'rwould be 30 ef
s.o 'e.t it layin' round as you al.
sSsss 90 everything | l knew 1t 1
n,|nl III you'd only listeued--
Az. A
oysthis time she had detected
', .ue broad grin which her husband
,Su Cu'' no longer keen.hack. And
gigale.
-, n '--the--the---oIfl bfindle -
sue eay'cutter - swalleredl 0,
sam eawtelle y
Aud then the roar burst forth, in
cried: 1 "'@s1''