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

till finally he didn't do much but sit
around the kitchen fire, half boozy. If
there's anybody I hate" burst out
! Nabby, " it's a man forever settin' round
the house under foot, And there I was
a-talSin' 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 drinE 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, L was so tired. 1 came
along home, thinking how good my cup
of tea would taste. Then first thing I
see when 1 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
q smile.
"They'd tracked the mud all over
my clean floors. The cookin' stove was
crammed full of wood, roaring like all
possessed. L wonder they hadn't burned
ed the house up before got there. And
they'd got my best teapot out to heat
some water, and the waterd 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. L just
hung that kitchen door wide open, and
sez /:
"Get out ont of this houee, Josiah
Gould, and don't ever let me see your
face inside ont again."
"Sez he, meek as Moses: where
shall 1 go to, Nabby?
"Sez 1, Il don't care where you go
to, so longs You don't come near me.
I've always been respectable woman,
and l don't want none Of Hank Skaters
friends round my house."
"Well?" queried the squire, as Nab
by's narrative came to pause.
"Well," said Nabby, in rather sub
dued tone, she went off. And he hasn't t
come back. And want divorce"
"Now, Nabby," demonstrated the old
squire, ''you don't want divorce. ]
know you better than that. You are not
the woman to give Josiah up and let him
go to the bad without 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.
I'VE that are strong ought to bear the
inf mites of the weak and not to
ple1 e ourselves, you know"
"Well, 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 a husband. Besides,
dunnos he'd come back if wanted him
to-"
"Hasn't he been back at all p
"Why, yes, he came back once for 6
pair of pantaloons. But l didn't take nc
notice of him."
"Now, Nabby, you may depend upor
it, it wasn't the pantaloons he was
after. He wanted to see if you wouldn'
relent. If he comes again be little
pleasant to him, and I'll warrant ht
will stay. Give him another chance
Nabby. Josiah isn't the worst fellow il
the world, by any means. He has hi
redeeming traits, after all. 1 believ,
he will do better if you will Try to hell
him. You know Josiah is one tina
bears encouragement, Nabby."
swell, squire, I'll think it over
Anyhow, I'm obleeged to you. Yol
talk so-sorter comfortin' to a body
Your mothers own son; just the sam
good heart. Would you be able to ca
some of my cheese, Squire? ?"
"Try me and see, Nabby," said tn
! so uire, smilingly, not impervious t
Nabby's compliments. Nabby made he
exit just as Mrs. Hosley rushed in ful
! of wifely indignation that the 'squir
| ha l been allowed to see a "clent."
. Nabby's home was over at the Coz
$ ne s." three miles from the village. Sh
3 wa liked rapidly along in the fast thicl
: en- ng darkness, with the steady, stron
l gait becoming the self-reliant woma
Q that she was. Yet even her unimagini
0 tive nature was, not proof against til
o depressing influence of the chilly, ra
) November evening. The wind whistle
p through the bare tree branches, whic
) creaked and groaned mournfully, an
T waved wildly in the dim light overhead
a The wind seemed to cherish a specii
: spite against Nabby. 1t blew her boz
II net off and her hair into herseyes, strui
n gled madly with her for her shawl, toe
her breath away and firmly resiste
r every step. Finally it began to sen
7. spiteful dashes of cold rain drops in h,
face-rain that seemed to freeze as
/ fell.
s. "Josiah used to come after me vii
t an umbrella when was caught out
20 the rain," thought Nabby. "He W
Q. always real kind and good to me aft
i'd all. 1 duno's he ever gave me Gro