The Sentinel. [volume] (Trenton, N.J.) 1880-1882, 1881-04-23

o111 uddl1y dC OlOu w IulCll DuU Sll
around the kitchen fire, half booty. II
there's anybody I hate" burst out
Nabby, &C. it's man forever settin' round
the house under foot. And there was
a-takin' in washin' and a-slaving early
and 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 I 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 stood it all till about a
fortnight ago. I'd been working hard
all day helping Miss Barber clean house,
and it seemed as if every bone in my
body ached, I was so tired. I came
along home, thinking how good my cup
of tea would taste. Then first thing I
see when I opened the kitchen door was
old Hank Slater settin' there in my
ockin' chair. He and Josiah were both
runk as-hogs," said Nabby, SANDER
ng an innocent animal in her haste for
smile.
"They'd tracked the mud all over
my clean floors. The cookin' stove was
crammed full of wood, roaring like all
possessed. I wonder they hadn't burned
ed the house up before I got there. And
they'd got my best teapot out to heat
some water, and the water'd all billed
away an dthe bottom came out. But the
worst was to see my husband consort-
in with such scum of the earth as
that miserable, low-lived Hank Slater
1 tell you, Squire, was mad. I just
hung that kitchen door wide open, and
sez L.
"Get out out of this houee, Josiah
Gould, and don't ever let me see your
face inside ont again
"Sez he, meek as Moses: where
shall go to, Nabby?'
"Sez /, Il don't care where you 90
to, SO longs you don't come near me.
I've always been respectable woman,
and [ don't want none of Hank Skaters
friends round my house."
"Well?" queried the squire, as Nab
bys narrative came to pause.
"Well," said Nabby, in rather sub
dued tone, she went off. And he hasn't
come back. And I want divorce"
"Now, Nabby," demonstrated the old
squire, 'syou don't want divorce. I
know you better than that. You are not
the woman to give Josiah up and let him
go to the bad without a struggle. You
feel little vexed with him now, and ]
don't blame you. It's hard-very hard.
But you know you took him for better,
for worse Do you think, yourself, it's
quite right to break 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"
"Well, I dunno" said Nabby, twist
ing the corner of her shawl, obviously,
81 hadn't thought ont in that light, /
must say. It's so aggravatin' to have
such man for husband. Besides, ]
dunno's he'd come back if [ wanted him
| to-"
| "Hasn't he been back at all ?"
| "Why, yes, he came back once for q
pair of pantaloons. But I didn't take nc
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 him another chance,
Nabby. Josiah isn't the worst fellow in
the world, by any means. He has his
redeeming traits, after all. I believe
he will do better if you will thy to help
him. You know Josiah is one that
bears encouragement, Nabby."
"Well, squire, I'll think it over
Anyhow, Tn obleeged to you. You
talk so-sorter comfortin' to a 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, Nabby," said the
so uire, smilingly, not impervious tc
Nabby's compliments. Nabby made hel
exit just as Mrs. Hosley rushed in full
of wifely Indignation that the Squire
ha l been allowed to see "client."
Nabby's home was over at the "Cor
ne s." three miles from the village. She
wa liked rapidly along in the fast thick
en- ng darkness, with the steady, strong
gait becoming the self-reliant woman
that she was. Yet even her unimagina
tive nature was not proof against the
depressing influence of the chilly, raw
November evening. The wind whistleG
through the bare tree branches, which
creaked and groaned mournfully, and
waved wildly in the dim light overhead
The wind seemed to cherish a specia
spite against Nabby. 1t blew her bon
net off and her hair into her..eyes, strug
gled madly with her for her shawl, tool
her breath away and firmly resisted
every step. Finally it began to sent
spiteful dashes of cold rain drops in he
face-rain that seemed to freeze as i
fell.
sJosiah used to come after me will
an umbrella when was caught out il
the rain," thought Nabby. 'sHe wa,
always real kind and good to me afte,
all. I duno's he ever gave me eros
word in his life, even when he's beer
drinking"
Here the driving sleety rain, and pierc
ing wind bounced down upon Nabb,
with renewed ferceness, hustling he
madly in fendish glee.
An awful night to be homeless