The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1881-02-11

Isl Could was dreadful TO Nabbv Pc,
haps it was hardly strange that she grey
hard and bitter.
Meantime Nabbv had succeeded i,
starting the fire, and, having change,
her dress, sat down to dry her feet unit
the tea-kettle boiled. But even the rud
| dy hight and warmth with which tn,
Kitchen now glowed could not send of
the dreariness of the night. The raj,
tapped with ghostly finger tip upon tn,
wlndow pane, and the wind howled the
and walled around the house lik,
spirits OF the lost, pleading to be one,
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 ,lp the
unsatisfactorness of life Dead sorrows
creep forth from their graves on such
nights, and stalk up and down the echo
ing chambers of the heart.
Nabby could not help wandering
where Josiah was tonight. II was SO
lonely sitting there with no one to speak
TO, listening to the moaning of the wind
the creaking of the blinds. the loud tick
ing of the clock.
'And Thanksgiving a coming, thought
Nabby. "a pretty Thanksgiving I
shall have b"
The wind walled and wied, and Nab
by thought and thought. The very fact
OF having "freed her mind" to the squire
had relieved her long pent up indignat-
ion, and now she felt more sad than an
CRY. Up before her seemed to rise n pic
ture OF her life; the youthful dreams and
hopes, the changes and disappoinments.
and love turned into wrangling She
even thought of Josiah with pity. For
the first time she put herself in his place
and realized how almost impossible it
was for one of his weak nature to resist
unaided the temptation which would cost
a stronger will no effort.
I'm afraid I've been little too sharp
with Josiah, thought she. I've sorter
took it for granted was n saint and he
a sinner, and scolded him right alon"
down hill. a nice saint | am As proud
and high strung as Lucifer himself Oh.
dear, sighed Nabby. "A pretty mess I've
made of living. If we could only 90 back
and begin over again seems to me things
would 90 better
Just then there was a faint noise. like
the clicking of the door latch. Nabby
started and looked around. All was still
agaln--no one visable. Yet Nabbv
could not rid herself of the impression
tkat some one was near her-the odd
sense we have of another's individuality
near us though not present.
There's some one hangin' around
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 had started to go in, but his
courage failing, he fingered in dubious
hesitation on the door step.
why don't you come in, Josiah ask.
ed Nabby.
i didn't know as you want me Nab
by, replied JOSIAH, with all the meekness
becoming returning prodigal
want you? OF course | do, said
Nabby, heartily. Come right along in.
I'm going to have griddle cakes for sup
per, 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
were now, rs from the bleakness and
gloom OF the night, the forlornness of
his wretched wandenngs, he came into
the cosy brightness of the kitchen and
felt that he was ut home once more How
good the tea smelled. The fire roared
and snapped, the tea kettle boiled and
bubbled, and bobbed its lid up and
down, and from the griddle the savory
odor OF the cakes ascended like home
ly 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
set the table fortwo again, to have some
one to praise and appreciate her cooking
The November wind might howl its
worst now. Its hold on Nabby was
gone. In place of all the bitter sadness
that hung heavily round her heart was
a warm feeling of happiness, of comfort
and hope.
All the explanation they had was this:
Josiah drew from under his coat an ex
ceedingly awkward and knobby handle.
I've bought somethin' for you Nab
by, said he.
The 'somethin' undone proved to be
a very handsome britannia tea pot The
tea pot must have known that it was a
peace offering, with such preternatural
brightness did shine and glisten. Some
thing in Nabbys shone and glistened, too.
although she winked hard and scorned
the weakness of II pocket handkerchief.
Thank you, Josiah, she said, it's a
regular beauty, and shall set lots by it.
Which, so long as they understood
each other, was, perhaps, as well as if
josiah had made long g-worded speech
OF repentance and reformation and Nab
by another of forgiveness.
! wish could say that Nabby never
scolded Josiah again. But / cant
-.S'N'N' SHN 'iNN II llllll, ulu there
was general understanding between
them that this was only an exercise 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 felt unnatural with
out being wound up and set going for
the day by Nabby,
One day, later in the winter, Nabby
was washing for Mrs Hosley.
so you've taken Josiah back again
after all, said Mrs. Hosley.
We'll, yes, ! have, said Nabby. civ
ing last twist to the sheets she was
wringing out. Josiah mayn't be yey
much TO brag of; but then he's INV own
and all I've got We're getting TO be
old folks, Josiah and me, and we NAV
as well put up with each other the little
while we've got to stay here.
How has he been doing since he came
back,' ''
First rate He's walked as straight
as a string ever since. He's a good PRO