Morris tribune., 1880-05-13
MY WIFE'S NEW SHAWL.

Nk Il w ~ IA ~ 4NAA $1,000 " go
'But why did you pay so much for
shawl9 1t was sheer nonsense" SAID my
old friend, Captain Morton, as he mixed
his third glass of grog, and stirred in a
multiplicity of spices before drinking it
after the manner of sailors when they
can get it. "Why on earth did you pay
50 much money for shawl, when you
could buy one so much cheaperG Nine
hundred dollars-by the blood OF shark
it would buy house."
That was. his oath-"By the blood of a
shark - he never swore any other; and
the most abusive eplthet he could apply
to man-One that to him embodied the
quintessence of meanness-was to call
him ga shark"
"I'lltell you, Captain" said l "but then
you m ust acknowledge that the shawl Is
beauty-if it did cost small fortune
to poor man. Last year, when l came
home with cargo of tea from China, /
left my boat in good hands and hurried
to my home in the little village of Twice
I.a-week 1--WE called it that because our
mail came twice week, where all my
hopes add affections were invested in a
wife and two children. was in joyous
spirits, and as happy man as ever step
ped on terra TRINA. My handsome wife
was well and young as ever, my boy as
much like me as when left him many
months before, and my gentle six-yea old
Nellie lovelier than l had dreamed she
could be. My welcome was all l could
have wished; and OIL what bright days
those were that followed my immediate
arrival.
THE third day my boxes were brought
out. Now the opening of a sailors box
es is always momentous affair to his
family, and l had brought mine all the
presents could possibly procure for
them. Two pieces of rich silk for dress
es for my wife, beautiful Chinese table
linen, carved chessmen, and so on.
saw look of disappointment on my
wife's face, but I said nothing and the
matter passed off.
"My old friends came to see me-my
wife gave me my fayorite dishes-and
the week so happily spent was gone be-
fore 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 that she would not
go to church, though she was as regular
as the sexton, for she had nothing fit to
wear. 1 thought it very odd. but said
nothing, having long since found out
that arguing with woman is about as
ehectual as dipping the ocean dry with
a teaspoon.
when Nellie and l got back, there
stoed my wife, her hair still uncombed
and ready to scold the child for muddy
ing her shoes, her blue Chinese boots
with the little bronze bird on the side OF
them. l interfered with good deal oil
frmness, and W: went into dinner. Moth
ing on the table was cooked decently
And so it was all the next week; MY
coffee was thick and muddy, my meat
was done to crust, and l we'll knew
that the demon of mischief was abon1
to be let loose, but why I could not
guess.
I'm the meanwhile, my wite's sister
who had been kind of ships cousin
quartered upon me ever since my mar
rage, locked as demure as Connecticut
deacon, and gave me no hint what it was
all about. On the next Saturday after.
noon I was sitting with my wife and
/ children when there came a knock al
the door, and in came first mate William
i. Bendoin and his wife, she in ell the
, splendor OF a new rig. He had returned
from Calcutta week before me, and we
were the only seafaring men of the place
and our wives were neighbors and had
always been professedly great friends.
81 was delighted to see them, and
I thought at the time that my wife was
, very cool, though SO exceedingly polite
I soon forgot about her manner, though
in the pleasure OF talking over old times
and they made a long and to me a very
pleasant call.
GAS soon as they left, my wife went
up to her room, and / saw her no more
l that evening, tor when tea was ready sh'
} sent down word she had headache, and
:: wanted none. The next day things
were no brighter than before, and wher
the first bell for church rang, my
wife burst into flood of tears and Sc
off for her chamber. I followed her, anG
: there she lay on the bed in regular by
sterics. When she came to herself lit
tie, asked:
'Why, what on earth is the matter9'
s'She looked at me full in the face ,an(
|, said.
: "sIf you don't know, Thomas Wilcox
: you ought to!
! 81 wilted under her looks like a boy
q caught stealing marbles. The truth Is,
: thought some william had been tellins
tales out of school; but, for the life of M
, I couldn't conceive who it was.
; By this time, my wife was in anothc
! fit worse than the first. I conjured III
: all the recollections of my vtyage-anC
: they were not half so pleasant as coult
: have wished them-but finding I coult
l not restore her. ran down stairs to maxi
s some mulled wine. When reached tn
kitchen, there was my wlfe's sister, witt
8 her demure face, which helped to irritat
= me still more. I called for wine an,
: spices, and while was heating it, sh
8 began. She wished to gracious her sis
0 ter knew how to treat a husband as h
t deserved to be treated that if she was
wife, she would know how to prize maj
d who did everything man could do t
please her.
u 81 was in no humor to hear my wifi
abused-my conscience at that time max
: ing a kind of coward of me-so I burs
= out upon her in rage; told her that sh
u was snake in the grass, and that woul'
rather have her sister than a thousant
J, such as her; if there was any trouble be
!. tween Mollie and me, why, I knew VIII
! to thank for it.
= "She lifted up her eyes ana hands ia
: aoove her head, and said that all me-
;. were fools, but was the greatest fool Q
= them all.
e This brought on spirited alteration
: in which spoke my mind pretty freely
AS soon as the wine was heated, dc
canted it into tumbler. My sister-ir
law recommended hot vinegar, but
told her would leave that for her.
y On my way up stairs thought ] hear
It my wlfes footsteps in the chamber, bu
70 when / entered she was lying on the be
70 crying in very sensible manner. ha