The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1881-05-11

| could not rid herself of the impression
that some one was near her, that odd
sense we have of anothers individuality
near us, though not present.
"There's some one hangin' round
here, know" said she to herself.
Nabby was one who always met
things half way. Accordingly she walked
to the outside door, and opening it
quickly, peered out into the darkness.
There stood Josiah, wet, 'sheepish, sorry.
Once he started to go in, but his moral
courage failing, he fingered in dubious
hesitation ON the doorstep.
"Why don't you come in, Josiah ?"
asked Nabby.
CT 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" said
Nabby, heartily. "Come right along in.
Tn going to have good griddle cakes
for supper, and you must tend them
while / set the table," Griddle cakes
were one of Josiah's weaknesses, and
Nabby knew it.
Josiah came in. If he ever gets into
heaven probably his sensations will not
be one whit more delightful than they
are now, as from forlornness of his
wretched wanderings he came into the
cozy brightness of the kitchen, and felt
that he was home once more. How
good the tea smelled. The fire roared
and snapped, the tea-kettle boiled and
bobbed its lid up and down, and from
the griddle the savory odor of the cakes
assembled like homely incense Josiah's
face, shining with mingled heat and
happiness as he turned the griddle
cakes, was something worth seeing.
Nabby stepped briskly around getting
supper ready. 1t seemed so pleasant to
see the table for two again, to have some
one to praise and appreciate her cook
ing. The November wind might howl
it's worst now. It's hold on Nabby was
gone. In place of all the bitter sadness
that had hung heavily round her heart
was warm feeling of happiness, of
comfort and hope.
All the explanation they had was
this: Josiah drew from under his shabby
coat an exceedingly awkward and knob
by bundle.
"Tve bought somethin' for you,
Nabby, he said
be a very Handsome brittania teapot.
The teapot must have known that it
was peace offering, with such prefer
natural brightness did it shine and
glisten. Something in Nabby's eyes
shone and glistened, too, although she
had winked hard, and scorned the weak
ness of a pocket-handkerchief.
"Thanll you, Josiah" she said; "it's
regular beauty, and L shall set lots by
it."
Which, so long as they understood
each other, was perhaps as well as if
Josiah had made long-worded speech
of repentance and reformation, and
Nabby another of forgiveness.
wish could say that Nabby never
, scolded Josiah again. But L can't
However, she drewit mild" and there
was a general understanding between
= them that this was only sort of exer-
else made necessary by habit-a barking
> by no means involving biting. And
Josiah was so accustomed to it that he
{ would have missed it, and not felt
: natural without being wound and SET
going for the day by Nabby.
One day, later in the winter, Nabby
4
t $50 you've taken Josiah back again
j after ali" said Mrs. Hosley.
: "Well, yes, [ have" said Nabby
V giving the last twist to sheet she was
wringing out. "Josiah mayn't be very
n much to brag of; but then, you see
/ he's my own and all I've got. We're
! getting to be old folks, Josiah and me
e and we may as well put up with eacl
Q other the little while we've got to sta.
il here"
n "How has he been doing since h
n came back ?"
d "First rate. He's walked as straigh
q as a string ever since. He's a goo(
q provider, now he's quit drinking, and
d master hand for fixing up things arounC
e the house and making it comfortable
If I tell you what tits, Mrs. Hosley, we'v
e got to make 'lowance for folks in thi
r world. We can't have 'em always jus
n to our mind, We got to take then
n just as they are and make the bes
ont"
g "I'm glad to see you so much hap
% pier and better contented, Nabby."
k Well, 1 used to fret and complai
Ie good deal because things hadn
g turned out as / expected 'em to; bu
lately I've thought good deal about
d all, and I've made up my mind tina
It there's considerable comfort for ever
le one in this world, after all. We mayn
p git just what we want, but we git some
d thin"
% In which piece of philosophy l be
IL lieve Nabby was about right.
n Satisfactory.
Il A gentleman writing to the Danvill