Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1880-11-04

Nabby's Husband.

\ knock at the squIre's door.
An eager come in" from the squire, 10
whom any outside diversion is an incstima-
Bile boom, he having just reached that un-
comfortable stage Of masculine GONZALES
eence when life becomes burden not only
10 the so-called 'paiient" himself. but also 10
those unlucky feminine relatives whose duty
it j. to ofiiciaie as his "ministering angels"
Mary. the servant. came ~.
Please. Mr.. Ho,ley. there's a woman
down stairs. who saws she must see YOU.
She's been here before since YOU was sick.
and now she won't take no for an answer"
Show her right up, Mary" said the
squire. alcrtly. Frightening up visibly. like
the war horse who scents the battle afar of.
Not all the COSY comforts of his surround
ings. the Sleepy Hollowness" Of his easy
chair, the pleasant pictures on the wall, the
wood fire which. now that the wintry twilight
vas settling down over the bit OF gray sky
left visible by the curtains heavy folds,
danced and flashed all over the room in rosy
shadows. could reconcile the squire 10 his
enforced seclusion. Secretly he pined for
his dingy old den Of an office. and ehafed a,
the doctors restrictions. which as Vet for
bade all thought of business. But now the
morel police force. represented by his wife
and daughter, being luckily off duty, there
was nothing TO prevent this probable client.
"Show her up. Mary" said the squire.
cheerfully Strengthening himself. and assum-
ing as much of legal dignity as dressing
gown and slippers permitted.
Mary disappeared. Presently the door
opened again. why, Nabby." said the
squire. us il YOU? How do YOU do ?"
"Yes, squire, its me- said Nst,by, drop
ping down with a heavy sigh into chair,
land don't do very well"
Nabby was a short, sguarely- woman
of fifty, with considerable gray in the coarse
black hair drawn stiifiy and uneomprisingly
back under bonnet about fifty wears out of
date. She had sharp, black eyes. and res
olute, go ahead manner. Evidently hard
working woman; yet in looking at her YOU
could not help the conviction that something
more than hard work had ploughed the
deep wrinkles which ran across her fore
head. and threatened to lift her eyebrows up
to her hair. Nabby had lived with the
squire's mother fifteen years-from the time
when Mrs. Hosley took her in, ten-year
old orphan, who was, as the good old lady
sometimes expressed ii, ''more plague than
profit" until she grew into the steady and
reliable handmaiden. who finally, with every
ones good wishes, married young Josiah
Gould. and set up in the world for herself
Old Mrs. Hosley had long since gone TO her
reward, but the family still kept up friendly
interest in Nabby and her fortunes, the
squire in particular being for her, guide,
philosopher and friend" in all the emergen-
cies of life.
why, what's the matter now. Nabby?'
said the squire, good-naturedly. "Are you
sick ?"
"Yes, l am.' said Nabby, emphatically,
with snap of her black eyes. I'm sick to
death of Josiah. IL can't stan il any long
er. and I've come to talk with YOU about
giitin' divorce. You see he's been grow
in worse and worse now for a good while.
I've KEEP it to myself pretty much, because
was ashamed ont, and then KEEP hopin'
he'd do better. I've talked and talked to
him, and said and done everything woman
could, but il seemed as if the more talked
the worse he grew
The squire looked at Nabby's rather sharp,
hard face. and perhaps was hardly SO sur
prised as Nabby expected. that Josiah had
not been reformed by the vigorous stalking
to- he had undoubtedly received.
''He grew more and more shifless and
good for nothin'," continued Nabby, It'll
finally he didn't do much but set round the
kitchen fire, half boozy. II there's any