Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1881-05-27

your contract because it proves the
worst for you-because you are the
strong one and he the weak one of the
two? That doesn't strike me as good
Bible doctrine, Nabby. we that are
strong ought to bear the infirmities OF
the weak, and not to please ourselves,
you know
'sWell, dunno" said Nabby, twist
ing the corner of her shawl, obviously,
81 hadn't thought ont in that light, L
must say. It's SO aggravatin' to have
such a man for husband. Besides, l
dunno's he'd come back if wanted
him to.
Hasn't he been back at alp
why, yes, he came back once for
pair Of pantaloons But didn't take
no notice of him." t +t
"Now, Nabby, you may depend upon
it, it wasn't the pantaloons was after.
He wanted to see if you wouldn't re-
lent. If he comes again be Il little
pleasant TO him, and I'll warrant he
will stay Give him another chance,
Nabby. Josiah isn't the worst fellow in
the world, by any means. He has his
redeeming traits, after all. | believe
he will do better if you will try to help
him You know Josiah is one that
bears encouragement, Nabby."
/ "Well, squire, I'll think it over.
Anyhow, I'm obleeged to you. You
talk so-sorter ccmfortin' to a body.
Your mothers own son; just the same
good heart Would you be able to eat
some OF NY cheese, squire
Cry me and see, Nabby," said the
/ 1u1,,,,ro 10
Nabby's compliments Nabby made
her exit Just as Mrs Hosley rushed in
full Of wifely indignation that the squire
had been allowed to see a "client."
Nabby's home was over at the Cor
ners." three miles from the village She
walked rapidly along in the fast thick
ening darkness, with the steady, strong
gait becoming the self-reliant woman
that she was. Yet even her unimaglua-
tive nature was not proof against the
depressing influence of the chilly, raw
November evening The wind whistled
through the bare tree branches, which
creakcd and groaned mournfully, and
waved widely iii the dim light overhead.
The wind seemed to cherish II special
spite against Nabby. 1t blew her bon
net oil and her hair into her eyes, strug-
gled madly with her for her shawl, took
her breath away and firmly resisted
every step. Finally it began TO send
spiteful dashes of cold rain drops in her
face rain that seemed 10 freeze as it
/ fell.
/ Josiah used to come after me with
an umbrella when | vas caught out in
the rain, thought Nabby. "He was
always real kind and good to me after
all. | dunno's he ever gave me a cross
word in his life, even when he's been
drinking.
Here the driving slecty rain, and
piercing wind bounced down upon Nab
by with renewed fierccness, hustling
her madly in fiendish glec.
can awful night to be homeless, Nab
by" something seemed to say.
q don't care, said Nabby to herself,
beginning to feel cross again; and gen
orally iil-used as she grew wetter and
colder. at serves him right. He's
made his bed and he can lie in it."
AT the Corners" light streaming out
cheerfully into the night from other
homes made Nabby's little house par
ticularly gloomy and uninviting. Nab
| by fumbled under the mat for the door
key, fumbled with stiff fingers for the
key hole, and finally succeeded in I'M
locking the door, and felt her way
through the little entry.
There is always something 'uncanny'
about going alone at night into dark
and shut-up house. Every person Of
the best regulated minds experience q
vague suspicion of something behind
them, 4 sense Of possible ghostly hands
about to clutch them III the darkness
Nabby was q woman like Mrs. Edmund
| Sparkler. with mo nonsense about her."
but nevertheless cheerful tale she had
read only yesterday about burglar
and lone woman, kept coming into
her head, and she carefully avoided
the blackness of the corners and the
pantry door Us she CROPPED around the
kitchen for a candle Ofcourse the fire
had gone out.
1.-TWO heads are better than one, if
one is 4 Sleeps head" Nabby might
have been heard muttering out III the
woodh2use, as she stopped painfully
down, picking up chips; by which orac
ular utterance suspect she was think
ing what Il good supply of kindlings
Josiah always kept on nand for her. and
how much more comfortable il was in
the old times, coming home to house
bright with light and warmth, and Jo-
siah' welcome
! Fol Josiah cherished the most pro
found admiration for Nabby-an admi-
ration not unmingled with awe. He
thought her II most wonderful woman
She was just us beautiful to him now as
III the old courting-days, before the
brightness and quickness of the black
eyes had degenerated into sharpness;
before the smiling mouth had acquired
its hard, firmly-set expression; before
| there were any wrinkles in the smooth
forehead. People thought Nabby had
done well i'll marrying Josiah Could
Il pleasant, good-natured young fellow
that every one liked, Il young mechanic,
not very ric1 yet, 1t is true; but with Il
good trade and such wife as Nabby,
there seemed to be nothing to prevent
his figuring rs lone of our first cIti-
zens.
] Anybody can be somebody III this
country if he is only determined But
that was the difficulty with Josiah. He
never was determined about anything
He fell into the habit of drinking be-
cause he lacked sufficient strength of
will to avoid it. Then Nabby's sharp
words and his own miserable sense of
meanness and self-contempt, of utter
encouragement and despair, drove him
lower and lower into the slough of
despond without effort or hope
BY beautiful dispensation Of Prov
idence, whenever a poor. shiftless, good
| for-nothins man is sent out into our
world, some active, go-ahead little
woman ~ invariably fastened 10 him to
tow him along through and keep bis
head above water. 1t is for the best,
of course. What would become of the
poor fellow without her? At the same
time, She sometimes finds it little
hard
Nabuy was ambitious and proud