River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1881-05-26
NABBY'S HUSBAND.
knock at the sources door.

that uncomfortable stage Of masculine
cOnvalescence when life becomes bur
den not only to the so-called patient
himself but also to those unlucky femi-
nine relatives whose duty it is to Off
ciate as his ''ministering angels.
Mary, the servant, came in.
"Please, Mr.. Hosley, there's woman
downstairs 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 mp vIslbly
like the war horse who scents the battle
afar off. Not all the coy comforts OF
his surroundings, the "SleepyHollow-
ness" 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 grey sky, left Wis
ible by the curtains heavy folds, danced
and flashed all over the room in rosy
shadows, could not reconcile the squire
to his endorsed seclusion. 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, represented by his wife and
daughter. being luckily off duty, there
was nothing to prevent this probable
client.
"Show her up, Mary" and the
squire cheerfullv Strengthened himself
and assumed rs much of legal dignity
as dressing-gown and slippers permit
ted.
Mary disappeared. Presently the
door opened again. 'Why, Nab9y,
said the squire, SIS it you? How do
you do2"
Eyes, squire its me" said Nabby,
dropping down with heavy sigh into
a chair, 'and | don't do very vel"
Nabby was a short, squarely-bullt
woman Of fifty, with considerable gray
in the coarse, black hair drawn stltiiy
and uncOmpromisingly back under a
bonnet about fifty years out of date.
She had sharp, black eyes, and resO-
lutte, gO-ahead manner; yet IN looking
at her you could not help the convic-
ton that something more than hard
work had plowed the deep wrinkles
which ran across her forehead, and
threatend 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, a
ten-year-Old orphan, who was, as the
good old lady sometimes expressed 1T,
"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 for her
self. Old Mrs. Hosley had long since
gone to her reward, but her family still
kept up a friendly interest in Nabbv
and her fortunes, the squire in partic-
ular being for her guide, philosopher
and friend" in all the emergencies OF
life.
"Why, what's the matter now, Nab
by?' said the squire, goo1-naturedly,
care yoJ sick %
yes, am" said Nabby, emphati-
cally, with a snap of her black eyes.
Pm sick to death of Josiah. | can't
stan it any longer, and I've COME to
talk with you about getting a divorce.
You see he's been a grown worse and
worse now for a good while. I've kept
it to myself pretty much because | was
ashamed ont, and then kept hopin'
he'd do better. I've talked an talked
to him and said and done everything a
woman could, but it seemed as II the
more | talked the worse he grew.
The squire looked ut Nabby's rather
sharp, hard face, and perhaps was
hardly so surprised as Nabby expected
that Josiah had not been reformed by
the talking to" he had undoubtedly
received,
'He grew more and more shiftless
and good for nothing" continued Nab
by, "tilI finally he didn't do much but
sit around the kitchen fire, half booty.
If there's anybody | hate" burst out
Nabby, sits man fOreyersettin' round
the house under foot. And there was
a-takin' in washin' and shaving early
and late to be kinder decent and fore
handed, and him no better than a dead
man on my hands, so far as helping any
was concerned. And so | told him time
and again He orked just about a
enough to keep himself in drink. He
knew he couldn't get any of my money
for that. But | stood it all till about a
fortnight ago Id been working hard
all day helping Miss Barber clean house.
and it seems that every bone IN my
body ached. | was so tired. | came
along home, thinking how good my cup
Of. tea would taste. Then first thing
see when | opened the kitchen door
was old Hank Slater settin, there IN my
rockin' chair. He and Josiah were
both trunk as-hogs,' said Nabby,
slandering an innocent animal in her
haste for Il smile,
They'd tracked the mud all over
my clean floors. The cOokln' stove
was crammed full Of wood, roaring like
alI possessed. | wonder they hadn't
burned the house up before | got there.
And they'd got my best teapot out 70
heat some water. and the waterd all
billed away and the bOttOmt came out
But the worst was to see my husband
a consortin' with such scum of the
earth as that miserable, low-ived Hank
Slater. | tell you. squire, | was mad,
lust hung that kitchen door wide open,
and SCI /
Get out of this house, Josiah Gould,
and don't ever let me see your face IN
side ont again
SEX he meek as Moses: Where
shall GO to. Nabby?
''Sez I, L don't care where you 60 TO,
So longs you don't come near me. I've
always been n respectable woman, and
| don't want none of Hank Skaters
friends round my hous ..
"Well?' queried the squire, rs Nab
by's narrative came to pause.
Well said Nabby, in rather sub
dued tone. The went off. And he hash
come back And | want n divorce.
Now Nabby.' demonstrated the old
squire, ''yOu don't want divorce. /
know YOU better than that. You are
not the woman u give Josiah up and
let him go To the bad without a strug-
Gle. You feel little vexed ut him
now, and | don't blame you. It's hard
very hard But you know you took
him for better. for worse. Do you
think. yourself. it's quite right to break
vour contract because 1t proves the
worst for you-because you are the
strong one and he the weak one of the
two2 That doesn't strike me rs goot
Bible doctrine, Nabby. We that are
strong ought to bear the infirmitieS O
the weak, and not to please ourselves
You know"
.'WeIl. | dunno" said Nabby, twist
ing the corner of her shawl, obviously
Il hadn't thought ont in that light,
must say. It's so aggravatin' to have
such man for a husband. Besides,