The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1881-04-21
NABBY'S HUSBAND.
A knock at the 'squire's door.

An eager "come in" from the Squire,
to HON any outside diversion is an in
eetimable boon, he having just reached
that uncomfortable stage of masculine
convalescen e when life becomes a 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 take
no for an answer"
'tShow her rigLl up. Mary" said til,
squire, alertly, frightening up visibly
like the war horse who scents he battle
afar of. Not all the cozy comforts OF
his Surroundings. the " Sleepy Hollow
ness" of his chair, the pleasant pictur, ;
on the vail, the wood fire which now,
that the wintrv twilight was settling
down over the bit If gray sky, left Wis
ible Nv the curtains heavy folds, danced
and flashed I'll over the room in ROSY
shadows, conld rot reconcile the Squire
TO his enforced seclusion. Secretly he
pihGd 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
daughter, being luckily off duty, there
was nothing to prevent this probable
client.
"Show her up, Mary" and the
Squire cheerfully straightened himself
and assumed as much of legal dignity
as dressing-gown and slippers permit
ted.
Mary disappeared. Presently the
door opened again. "Why, Nabby," said
the squire, sis it you? How do you
do?"
eyes, Squire it's me-" said Nabby,
dropping down with heavy sigh into
the chair, "and don't do very well"
Nabby was a short, squarely- built
woman of fifty, with considerable gray
in the coarse, black hair drawn stiffiy
and uncompromisingly back under a
bonnet about fifty years out of date.
She had sharp, black eyes, and reso-
lutte, go-ahead manner. Evidently q
Woodworking woman; yet in looking
at her you could not help the conviction
that something more than hard work
had plowed the deep wrinkles which
ran across her forehead, and threatened
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 it, "morc
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 ur
in tho world for herself. OH Mrs
Hosley had long since gone TO hel
reward, but her family still kept up q
friendly interest in Nabby and her for,
tunes, the squire in particular being fol
her "guide, philosopher and friend" il
all the emergencies of life.
"Why, what's the matter now, Nab
by?' said the squire, good-naturedly.
care you sick ?"
"Yes, L am" said Nabby, emphati.
cally, with a snap of her black eyes
"pm sick to death of Josiah. I can't
STAN it anv longer, and I've come tc
talk with on about gettin' q divorce
You see he's been a CROWN worse and
worse now for good while. I've kept
it to myself pretty mucl because was
ashamed ont, and then KEEP ,,hopin' he'G
do better. I've talked an talked to hin
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 rathe1
sharp, hard face, and perhaps was hardl,
so surprised as Nabby expected tina
Josiah lad not been reformed by tn,
"talkina to he had undoubtedly re
ceived.
"He grew more and more shiftles
and good for noth4l O." continued Nabby
"till finally he didn't do much but 81
around the kitchen fire, half boozy.
there's anybody 1 hate" burst ou
Nabby, "it's man forever settin' roun,
the house under foot. And there wa
a-takin' in washin' and a-slaving earl
and late to be kinder decent and fore
handed, and him no better than a dea
man on my hands, so far as helping an
was concerned. And SO 1 told hin
time and again. He worked Just abou
enough to keep himself in drinl. FL
knew he couldn't get any of my none
for that But 1 stood it all till about
fortnight ago. I'd been working har
all day helping Miss Barber clean hous,
~.