South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1881-06-03
NABBY's HUSBAND.
A knock at the 'squire's door.

TO whom any outside diversion Is an
inestimable boon, he having Just reach
ed that uncomfortable stage of mas.
culine convalescencc when life be-
comes burden not only to the So
called patient himself but also to
those unlucky feminine relatives
whose duty it is to officiate as his
'ministering angels
Mary, the servant, came in.
please, Mr.. Hosley, there's q wo-
man down stairs who says she must
see you. She's been here to see YOU
before since you were sick, and now
she won't take no for an answer.
Show her right up, Mary said the
squire, alertly, Frightening up visibly
like the war horse who scents the bat
tie afar Oft. Not all the cozy com.
forts of his surroundings, the Sleepy
IIollowncss' of his chair, the pleasant
pictures on the wall, the wood fire
which now that the wintry twilight
was settling down over the bit of gray
sky, left visible by the curtains heavy
folds. danced and flashed over the
room in rosy shadows, could not re-
concile the squire to his enforced Sc
clusion. Secretly he pinned for his
dingy old den of an Office, and chafed
at the doctors restrictions, which as
yet forbade all thoughts of business.
But now the moral police force, rep-
resented by his wife and daughter,
being luckily Oft duty, there was
nothing to prevent this probable eli
ent.
Show her up, Mary and the
squire cheerfully Strengthened himself
and assumed as much of legal dignity
as dressing-gown and slippers per-
mitted.
Mary disappeared. Presently the
door opened again. why, Nabby,'
said the squire, is it you? How do
you do p
Yes, squire it's me- said Nubby,
dropping down with a heavy sigh into
the chair, 'and / don't do very well. ,
Nabby was short, squarely- built
woman of fifty, with considerable gray
IN, the coarse, black hair drawn stiffly
and uncompromisingly back under a
bonnet about fifty years out of date
She had sharp, black eyes, and res
olute, go-ahcad manner. Evidently
a hard working woman; yet in look
ing at her you could not help the con-
viction that something more than
hard work had plowed the deep
wrinkles which ran across her fore
head, and threatened to lift her eye
brows up to her hair. Nabby had
lived with the 'squire's mother fifteen
| years-from the time when Mrs. Hos
| ley took her III ten-year old orphan,
who was, as the good old lady some,
times expressed it, more plague than
profit until she grew into the steady
and reliable hand maiden who finally
with every ones good wishes, married
young Josiah Gould, and set up in the
world Tor herself. Old Mrs. Hosley
had long since gone to her reward,
but her family still kept up a friendly
interest in Nabby and her fortunes,
the squire in particular being her
guide, philosopher and friend in all
the emergencies of life.
why, what's the matter now, Nab
byT' said the squire, good-naturedly.
Are You sick ?
Yes, l am said Nabby, emphati.
cally, with n snap of her black eyes.
Pm sick TO death of Josiah. | can t
stand it any longer, and I've come to
talk with you about gettin' divorce.
Iou sec he's been n CROWN worse
and worse now for n good while
I've kept it to myself pretty much be-
cause | was ashamed ont, and then
KEEP 'hopin' he'd do better. I've
talked an talked and said and done
everything woman could, but it
seemed as if the more / talked the
worse he grew
The squire looked at Nabby's rath-
er sharp, hard face, and perhaps was
hardly so surprised rs Nabby expected
that Josiah had not been reformed by
the talking to- he had received.
1Ie grew more and more shiftless
and good fornothing,' continued Nab
by, till finally he didn't do much but
SIT around the kitchen fire, half boo
~. II there's anybody ] hate burst
| out NaDDy, ~ 3 man forever settln'
round the house under foot. And
there l was -takin' in washin' and a
shaving early and late to be kinder
decent and fore-handed, and him no
better than dead man on my hands,
so far rs helping any was concerned.
And so told him, time and again
He worked just about enough to keep
| himself in drink. lie knew nc
couldn't get any Of my money for that.
But ! stood it all till about fort
night ago. I'd been working hard all
day helping Miss Barber clean house.
and it seemed as if every bone in my
body achcd, / was so tired. / came
along home, thinking how good my
cup Of tea would taste. Then, first
thing sec when 1 opened the kitchen
door VIVA old TToply CIofor go4t:.5