The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1881-04-21

For Josiah cherished the most pro-
found admiration for Nabby--an admi
ration not unmingled with awe. He
thought her most wonderful woman.
She was Just rs beautiful to him now as
in the old courting-dayr, 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 in marrying Josiah Gould-a
pleasant, goodnatured young fellow
that every one liked, young mechanic,
not very rich yet, it is true; but with
good trade and such q wife as Nab'ly,
there seemed to be nothing to prevent
his figuring as tone OF our first citi-
zens."
Anybody can be somebody in 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 poor, shiftless, good
for-nothing man is sent out into our
world, some active, go-ahead little
woman is invariably fastened to him to
tow him along through and keep his
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.
Nabby was ambitious and proud
spirited, willing to work hard to save,
to do her part-anxious to get on in the
world and stand well among her neigh
bors. The fact gradually realized, that
in her husband she had no support, only
a drag and burden, and finally dis
grace, had been a disappointment en-
bittering her whole nature. To have
husband that no one respected, that
even the boys around town called Isl
Could" was dreadful to Nabby. Per-
haps it was hardly strange that she grew
hard and bitter.
Meantime Nabby had succeeded in
starting the fire, and, having changed
her dress, sat down to dry her feet until
the tea-kettle boiled. But even the
ruddy light and warmth with which the
kitcl en- now glowed could not send off
the dreariness of the night. The rain
tapped with ghostly finger tip upon
the window-pane and the wind howled
and walled around the house like the
spirits of the lost pleading to be once
more taken back into human life and
warmth. Such wind stirs in even the
happiest heart vague sense of loss, of
change of all that goes to make up the
of life. Dead sor
rows creep forth from their graves on
such cold nights, and stalk up and down
the echoing chambers of the heart.
Nabby could not help wondering
where Josiah was tonight. 1t was 50
lonely sitting there with no one to speak
to- listening to the moaning wind, the
creaking of the blinds, the loud ticking
of the clock.
The wind walled and walled, and
Nabby thought and thought. The fact
of having "freed her mind" to the
squire had relieved her long pent-up
Indignation, and now she felt more sad
than angry. Up before her seemed to
rise picture of her life-the youthful
dreams and hopes, the changes and dis
appointments, the love turned into
wrangling. She even thought of Josiah
with pity. For the first time " she put
herself in his place." and realized how
impossible it was for one of his weak
nature to resist, unaided, the temptation
which would cost q stronger will an
effort.
"I'm afraid I've been a little too sharp
with Josiah" thought she, Give sorter
took it for granted was saint and he
was sinner and scolded him right
along down-hill. A nice saint I am
AS proud and high-strung as Lucifer
himself! Oh, dear!" sighed Nabby.
"a pretty mess I've made of living! Ii
we could go back and begin over again,
seems to me things would go better"
just then there was faint noise, like
the clicking of the door-latch. Nabby
started and looked around. All was
still again-no one visible. Yet Nabby
could not rid herself of the impression
that some one was near her, that odd
sense we have of another's individuality
near us, though not present,
"There's some one hangin' round
here, L know" said she to herself.
Nabby was one who always met
things half way. Accordingly she walked
to the outside door, and opening il
quickly, peered out into the darkness
There stood Josiah, wet, sheepish, sorry
Once he Ntarted to go in, but his mora
courage failing, he fingered in dubious
hesitation on the doorstep.
"Why don't you come in, Josiah p
asked Nabby.
81 didn't know as you'd want me
Nabby," replied Josiah, with all the
meekness becoming returning prodi
gal.
"Want you? OF course I do" sale
Nabby, heartily. "Come right along in
I'm going to have good griddle cake
for supper, and you must tend then
while 1 set the table" Griddle cake
were one of Josiah's weaknesses, ant
Nabby knew it.
Josiah came in. If he ever gets int
heaven probably his sensations will no
be one whit more delightful than the,
are now, as from forlornness of hi
wretched wanderings he came into tn,
coZy brightness of the kitchen, and fel
/ that hJ was home once more. Hoy
good the tea smelled. The fire roareC
and snapped, the tea kettle boiled anC
bobbed its lid up and down, and from
the griddle the savory odor of the cake
/ ascanded like homelv incansa JoSiob,