Litchfield enquirer., 1881-02-17
M i.:NllABBY's HUSBAND.
A knock at the squIre's door.

l boon, he tlavlAgs Just reached tnaL 0ncOmIOft- l able stage ofo masculine convaiescence when | life becomes burden not only to the so-caiied ..patient' himself, but also to those unlucky feminine relatives whose duty it is to ofaciate as his ''ministering angeis." ssi
 Mary, the servant. came in.
 s'Please, MT. Hosley, there's woman down stairs, who says she must see you. Shes been here before since you were sick, and now she won't take no for an answer"
 ''Show her right up, Mary, said the squire, alertly, brighteniug up vIsibly, like the war horse who scents the battle afar off- Not all the cozy> comforts of his surroundings, the 'Sleepy- -Hollowness' of his easy chair. the pleasant pictures on the wall, the wood fire, which, now, that the wintry twilight was set ting down over the bit of gray sky left visible by the curtains heavy folds, danced and flashed all over the room in rosy shadows, could not reconcile the squire to hts enforced seclusion. Secretly he pined for his dingy old den of an office. and chafed at the doctors re- strictions, which as yet forbade all thought ot 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 Ter up. Mary" said the squire, cheerfully strengthening himself, and assuin- ing as much legal dignity az dressing gown
 sud slippers permitted.
 Mary disappeared. Presently the door opened again. "Why, Nabby." :" said the squire, lis it you? How do you do? 7"
 "Yes, squire, it's me" said Nabby, drop ping down with heavy sigh into chair,
 "and don't do very well.
 Nabby was short, squarsly built woman of 50, with considerable gray in the coarse black hair drawn stiffiy and unconpromis- ingly back under a bonnet about fifty years out of date. Sile had sharp, black eyes, and rssolute. go-ahead manner. Evidently d hard-working woman; yet in looking at her you could not help the conviction that some thing more than hard work had ploughed the deep wrinkles which ran across her forehead, and threatened to lift her eye brows up to her hair. Nabby had lived with the squire's mother fifty years from the time when Mrs. Hosley took her ill, 10-year old orphan, who was as-the good old lady sometimes expres sed it, "more plague than profit" until she grew into the steady and reliable hand d-maid- en. who finally, with every one's good wishes, married young Josiah Gould, and set up in the world for herself Old Mrs. Hosley had long since gone to her reward. but the family still kept up friendly interest in Nabby and her fortunes, the squire in particular being for her ''guide, philosopher and friend'' in all the emergencies of life.
 'Why, what's the matter now, Nabby ?" said the squire good-naturedly. Are you sick p +-a
 "Yes, I am." said Nabby, emphatically, with snap of her black eyes. 'pm sick to death of Josiah. I can't stan it any longer, and I've come to talk with you about gittin' | divorce. You see he's ben u growth worse and worse and worse. now for good while. l I've kep it to myself pretty much, because was ashamed ont, and then 1 kep hoping he'd do better. I've talked and talked to him, 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 rather sharp, hard face, and perhaps was hardly so sur. prised as Nabby expected, that Josiah had not been reformed by the vigorous '''talking to" he had undoubtedly received.
 l ''He grew more shif''ess and good-for- nothing" continued Nabby, p'tlrl finally he didn't do much but set around the kitchen
 fire, half boozy. !, If there's anybody I hate" | burst out Nabby, tits man forever sittin' round the house under foot. And there was 8 takin' in washin' and slaving early and l late to be kinder decent and fore handed, and him no better than dead man on my hands, so far as helping any was concerned And so l told him time and again. He worked just about enough to keep himself in drink. He knew he couldn't get any of my money for that. But 1 stood it all till about 8 fortnight ago. I'd ben workin' hard all day helpin' l Miss Barber clean, house, and it seemed as if l every bone in my body ached, was SO tired. 1 came along home thinking how good my cup of tea would taste. The first thing 1 see when 1 opened the kitchen door, was old Hank Slater settn' there in my rockin chair. He and Josiah were both drunk as hogs" said Nabby, slandering and innocent animal in her | haste for simle.
 l 'Theyd d tracked the mud all over my clean l hp in' Wa al fin of wood, roaring like all possessed. wonder they hadn't burned the house up before got l there. And they'd got my best teapot out to heat some water, and the water'd all billed away. and the bottom come out. But the | worst was to see my husband a consortin' l with such a scum of the earth as that miser. l able, low-lived Hank Slater. I tell you, squire. was mad. just flung that kitchen | door wide open, and sez 1: ''Glt out of thls house, Josiah Gould, and don't ever let me see your face lnsided ont .'Sez he, meek as Moses, Where shall go | to, Nabby p @e4s1} ''Sez l, don't care where you go to, 90 longs you don't come near me. I've always been respectable woman, and don't want | none of Hank Slater's friends around my house,"
 l "Well," queried the squire, as Nabby's narrative came to pause
 1 tWell," said Nabby, in rather subdued | tone, ''he went of. And he hasn't come back. And want divorce"
 l "Now, Nabby," remonstrated the old squire ''you don't want divorce know you better than that You are not the wo man to give Josiah np and let him go that way without struggle. You feel little vexed with him now, and don't blame you It is hard, very hard But you know you took him for better, for worse Do you think, yourself, it is quite right to break your contract because it proves the worse for | you-because you are the strong one and he ] the weak one of the two? That doesn't strike me as good Bible dnctrne, Nabby. | We that are strong ought tp bear the infirm ities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. ! you know.'
 ''Wel dnnno,' Nabby twisting the | corner of her shawl, dubiously. 1T hadn't thought ont in that light. I must say. It's so | aggravating' to have such a man for hus- band. Besides I dunno's he'd come back if I ] wanted him to-"
 "Hasn't he been back at all ?" se Why, yes, he came back once for pair of pantaloons. But didn't take no notice of him."
 "Now, Nabby. you may depend upon it, it | wasn't the pantaloons he was after He wanted to see if you wouldn't relent If he comes again, be little pleasant to him, and | I'll warrant he will stay Give hlm another l chance Nabby. Josiah isn't the worst fellow I in the world, by any means He has his re- deeming traits after all. I believe he will do | better if you will try to help him. You know Josiah is one that bears encouragement, Nab- by" 7e >s, Well, squire, I'll think it over Anyhow, | I'm obleeged 10 you. You talk so-so sorter comfortin' to body. Your mothers own son just the same good heart Would you be able to eat some of my cheese squire ?" Try me and see,r Nabby, "' said the squire. smiling, not impervious to Nabby's compli. ments. Nabby made her exit just as Mrs. Hosley rdshed in, full of wifely indignation | that the squire had been allowed to see s'client. .' ssass f,s s l Nabby's home was oyer at the Corners. i three miles from the village She walked