Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1880-10-21
NEIGHB0R GOODWING,s STORY.

recall, lie early found the peace OF
heaven, and has been all his days
thanking god that the blessings vouch-
safed to him are SO manifold It is as
| now call to mind some eighteen
months ago as my spouse stood under
the maple tree that is near our porch,
busy as is her wont, with some dairy
matters, that she heard the clatter of a
horses hoofs, and looking up whom
did she see but her nephew, Nathan.
lie rode up to her, and without dis
mounting, saluted her bending low to
do SO, and after presenting her with a
fat and neatly dressed fowl, made dis
course which [ will repeat, as nearly as
my memory bears out what my wife
did tell me.
"'The Lord hath been very coed to
me, my Aunt Charity
" SO he hath, Nathan
My blessings are more than | can
reckon, my Aunt Charity
d" Truly, you do we'll always to bear
that in mind, Nathan
"'1 ct | fear that, through so many
mercles, | shall be unmindful Of my
spiritual duties, and become attached
to the things Of time and sense my Aunt
Charity
" You must pray to be delivered
from temptation, Nathan
"I have cast my eyes about, seeking
some means by which I may be tried
as by fire, my Aunt Charity
"'You do wrong, Nathan. The Lord
works in his own way
Therefore, / believe that he hath
directed my thoughts
What mean you, Nathan?'
=" Toward Mrs. Polly Prentiss, my
Aunt Charity
"NOW, if | know my spouse, neigh
bors, said Mr.. Goodwing, interrupted
the course of his narrative; land, to
judge by the flash of indignation that
was in her eyes as she told me this, the
answer that she gave Nathan was not
gentle. Her words were:
Toward that shrew! Why, she
hath in her to afflict man worse than
him from whom our Lord did drive
seven devils
"'Yet, knowing that desire Mistress
Polly III marriage; surely in that way
If in no other, may make selfsacri-
flee, and be tried as by fire.
"'You are pleased to jest, Nathan
q lever jest, my Aunt Charity
for every light word we are held to &C
count
But heaven doth not command
you to eat bread that hath nodded, nol
to take a wild beast to your home
Nathan
:" Nay, but it has come upon me with
the force of conviction; my Aunt Cha
rity, that must have such trials as viii
wean me from the world. and if mar.
ry this woman [ shall have such tria
ever present
''Thereupon my Spouse" again Mr.
Goodwing said by way of interruption
did call him stupid fool, and die
pray heaven afterward to forgive her
She said to him, also, that to wed that
woman would be to seek a grave OF
the madhOuse. But he shook his head
and without further remark rode away
and my spouse did not comfort herself
by the thought that, determine as he
might, two minutes of conversation
with Mistress Polly would drive the no
ton from his head.
"a week later Nathan came again.
''She hath promised to wed me, my
Aunt Charity"
''She hath promised to we'd you,
Nathan? Have you in truth asked her
hand? | could cry with vexation and
sorrow
3" How else, my Aunt Charity, could
she promise to wed me unless | asked
her hand?"
" How else? why the shrew, had she
taken the notion, would not hesitate to
go to you or any other man and de-
mand marriage. OF course she prom
ised you. Little chance had she of q
husband. Why, Nathan, why did you
not wed the Widow Abigail Spence?
Tell me that. A good woman, a thrifty
housewife, and a gentle soul
"'Ah, my Aunt Charity, much did l
desire to do so, but that would have
been to great q blessing. Sorely was
tempted to ask the widows hand on
the day that her sister Lydia welded
young Spicer. / sat that evening in the
kitchen by the window as she knitted,
and marked her grace of manner and
comeliness; and [ made mention of
Lydia's happiness, and when I did this,
Abigail turned to me with tender eyes,
and coyly said:
viii you not take pity on Lydia s
lonely sister, and for an instant, even
many minutes, l did have sore tempta-
ton to WOO her; for l judged by that
remark she might ifurged, have given
me her hand. Then came the words OF
the Scripture to me, to flee temptation,
and | made great effort and quilted
her l have not seen her since, except
in church, where she does gaze on me
with tender eyes.
You are a wicked man, Nathan
Appleby, thus to break the heart of a
good woman and take up with a shrew.
Still, having done so, Nathan, tell me
of your wooing of Polly
. 1t was on the evening of the last
Lords day, my Aunt Charity, as the
sun went down that / made my way to
Mistress Polly's dwelling. [ heard the
sharp tone other voice as [ approached
If mistook not, she was speaking to
one of her fathers farm hands and she
said. You great seed-sow1ng numb
skull! out of n Y sight, you ill-favored
hideous-mannered clod
And yet you preserved in your in
tentions Nathan?"
Truly, did, and I had heard hel
say, Il hate man, great, ill-begotten
things" Then her father replied, "a