The Sentinel. [volume] (Trenton, N.J.) 1880-1882, 1881-04-23
NABBY'S HUSBAND,
A knock at the sources door

"A nhoOh db Vic Quif0 door.
An eager "come in" from the Squire
to whom any outside diversion is an in
estimable boon, he having just reached
that uncomfortable stage of masculine
convalescen re when life becomes bur-
| den not only to the so-called patient
himself but also to those unlucky femi-
nine relatives whose duty it is to Off
ciate as his ministering angels"
Mary, the servant, came in.
a." Please, Mr.. Hosley, there's woman
downstairs who says she must see you.
She's been here to see you before since
you were sick, and now she won take
no for an answer"
"Show her rigrt up. Mary" said tn,
squire, alertly, Frightening up visibly
like the war horse who scents The battle
afar off. Not all the cozy comforts of
his surroundings. the "Sleepy- Hollow
ness" of his chair, the pleasant pictures
on the wall, the wood fire which now,
that the wintry twilight was settling
Town over the bit of gray sky, left Wis
ble by the curtains heavy folds, danced
and flashed all over the room in rosy
shadows, could not reconcile the squire
to his enforced seclusion. Secretly he
pinned for his dingy old den of an office,
and chafed at the doctors restrictions,
which as yet forbade all thoughts of
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 her up, Mary" and the
Squire cheerfully Strengthened himself
and assumed as much of legal dignity
as dressing gown and slippers permit
ted.
Mary disappeared. Presently the
door opened again. "Why, Nabby," said
the squire, sis it you? How do you
do?" $500
eyes, squire it's me-" said Nabby,
dropping down with heavy sigh into
the chair, "and I don't do very WELL"
Nabby was short, squarely- built
woman of fifty, with considerable gray
in the coarse, black hair drawn stiffiy
and uncompromisingly back under q
bonnet about fifty years out of date.
She had sharp, black eyes, and reso-
lutte, go-ahead manner. Evidently q
Woodworking woman yet in looking
at her you could not help the conviction
that something more than hard work
had plowed the deep wrinkles which
ran across her forehead, and threatened
to lift her eyebrows up to her hair.
Nabby had lived with the 'squire's
mother fifteen years-from the time
when Mrs. Hosley took her in, ten-year-
old orphan, who was, as the good old
lady sometimes expressed it, "more
plague than profit, until she grew into
the steady and reliable hand-maiden who
finally, with every ones good wishes,
married young Josiah Gould, and set up
in the world for herself. Oh Mrs
Hosley had long since gone TO her
reward, but her family still kept up a
friendly interest in Nabby and her for
tunes, the squire in particular being for
her guide, philosopher and friend" in
all the emergencies of life.
"Why, what's the matter now, Nab
by % said the squire, good-naturedly.
care you sick ?"
"Yes, I am" said Nabby, emphati-
cally, with a snap of her black eyes.
"I'm sick to death of Josiah. can't
stan it any longer, and I've come to
talk with you about gettin' a divorce.
You see he's been a CROWN worse and
worse now for a good while. I've kept
it to myself pretty mucl because was
ashamed ont, and then KEEP ..hopin' he'd
do better. I've TALKED an talked to hin
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 surprised as Nabby expected tina
Josiah lad not been reformed by thu
"talkinA to he had undoubtedly re
ceived.
"He grew III pre- and more shiftles
and good for noth.I O." continued Nabby