Litchfield enquirer., 1881-02-17
'an to send spiteful dashes of cold rain drops
 n her face-rain that seemed almost to freeze


 gan to send spiteful dashes of cold rain drops Tn her face-rain that seemed almost to freeze as it fell.
 Joshua used to come after me with an um- brella when was caught out in the rain," !" thought Nabby. ''He was always real kind snd good to me after all I dunno's he ever gave me cross word in his life, even when ned been drinking"
 Here the driving, sleety rain and piercing wind bounced down upon Nabby with renewed fierceness, hustling her madly in fendish glee .s ....s.l
 An awful night to be homeless, Nabby, " something seemed to say.
 s'I don't care," said Nabby to herself. be- ginning to feel cross again, and generally i'll used as she grew wetter and colder. ''It serves him right. He's made his bed and can lie in it."
 At the Corners light streaming out cheerfully into the night frem other homes made Nabby's house particularly gloomy and aninviting. Nabby fumbled under the mat fos the door-key. fusnbled with stiffening fingers for the key-ho and finally succeeded in unlocking the doer, and felt her, way through the little entry.
 There. is always something "uneanny" about going alone at night into dark and shut up house. Even people of the best regu- lated minds experience vague suspicion of something behind them. a sense of possible ghostly hands about to clutch them in the dalkness. Nabby was woman, like Mrs. Edmund Spaikler, with mo nonsense about hef;" but, nevertheless, cheerful tale she had read only yesterday in the Chronicle, about burglar and a lone woman, kept coming into her head, and she carefully avoided the blaekpess of the corners and tie pantry door, as she gFoped around the kitchen for candle. Of course the fire had gone out.
 1.-Two heads are better than one, if one is sheep's head" Nabby might have been heard muttering out in the wood house, as she stopped painfully down. picking up chips ; by which oracular utterance. Isuspeet she was Josiah always kept on hand for her. and how much more comfortable it was in the old times coming home to house bright with light and warmth, and Josiah's welcome.
 For Josiah cherished the most profund ad- miration for Nabby-an admiration not un-
 mingled with awe. He thought her most wonderful woman. She was just as beautiful to him now, as in the old courting days. be- fore the brightness and quickness of the black eyes had degenerated into sharpness; before the smiling mouth had acquired it's hard, firmly set expression, before there were any wrinkles in the smooth forehead. People thought Nabby had done well in marrying Josiah Gould-a pleasant, good-natured young fellow that every one liked; young mechanic, not very rich yet, it is true; but with good trade, and such wife as Nabby, there seemed nothing to prevent his figuring as ''one of our first citizens"
 Anybody can be somebody in this country if he is only determined. But that was ex- actly tie dif1oulty with Josiah. He never was determined about anything. He fell into the habit of drinking because he lacked sufficient strength of will to avoid it. Then Nabby's sharp words. and his own miserable sense of meanness and elf.contempt, of utter Encouragement and despair, drove him lower and lower, and he sank down supinely into the slough of despond. without effort or hope.
 By beautiful dispensation of Providence, whenever poor, shiftless, good.ior nothing man is sent into our world, some active, go- ahead little woman is invariably fastened to him to tow him along through, and keep his bead above water. It's for the best, of course V ~ .s1ouid become ; of the poor fellow with out NsEfS At the same time she sometimes finds it 8 little hard .. -
 Nabby was ambitious and proud spirited, willing to work hard to save, to do her part to get on in the world and stand well among the neighbors. The fact. gradu- ally realized, that in her husband she had no help, no support, only drag and a burden, and finally disgrace, had been disappoint- ment embittering her whole nature. To have a husband that no one respected, that even the boys around town called "S Gould" was dreadful to Nabby. Perhaps it was hardly strange that she grew hard and bitter.
 Meantime Nabby had succeeded in starting the lire, and. having changed her dress, sat down to dry her feet until the tea-kettle boiled. But even the ruddy light and warmth with which the kitchen now glewed could not send off the dreariness of the night The rain tapped with ghostly finger tip upon the window pane" and the wind h0wled and walled around the house like the spirits of the lost, pleading to be once 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 gees to make up the ansatisfactoriness of life. Dead sorrows creep forth from their graves on such nights, and stalk up and down the echoing chambers of the heart.
 Nabby could not help wondering where Jo- siah was tonight. It 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 ticking of the clock.
 And Thanksgiving a-coming," thought Nabby. "A pretty Thanksgiving shall
 The wind walled and walled, and Nabby thought and thought. The very fact of hav- ing "freed her mind" to the squire had re- lieved her long pent-up indignation, and now she felt more sad than angry. Up before her seemed to rise picture of her life; the youth ful dreams and hopes, the changes and disap- pointments, the love turned into wrangling Sue 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. R ..5 s.s
 'fn afraid I've been little too sharp with Josiah, y thought sne. live sorter took it for granted l was a saint and he sinner, and scolded him right along down hill. A nice saint l am. As proud and highstrung as Lucifer himself. Oh, dear," sighed Nabby.
 A pretty mess Pve made of living. If we could only go back and begin over again, seems to me things would go better"
 Just then there was faint noise, like the clicking of the door latch Nabby started and looked around. All was still again-no one visible Yet Nabby could not rid her self of the impression that some one was near her that odd seuse we have of another's in- dlviduality near us, though not present..
 There's some one hangin' around here. I know" said she to herself. @
 Nabby was one who always met things halfway. Accordingly she walked to the outside door, and opening it quickly, peered put into the darkness. There stood Josiah wet, sheepish, sorry. Once he had started to gr in. but his courage failing. he fingered in dubious hesitation on the door step
 Why don't you come in, Josiah !" asked Nabbys .d ~ f&
 T didn't know as you want me, Nabby," replied Josiah, with all the meekness becom- ing returning prodigal
 .'Want you Of course do," said Nabby. heartily. Come right along in. I'm goin, to have griddle cakes for supper, and you must tend them while set the table" Grid de cakes were one of Josiah's weaknesses, and Nabby knew it. K
 Josiah came in. If heever gets into heaven probably his sensations will not he one whit more delightful than they were now, as from the bleakness and gloom of the night, the ForlornnesS of his wretched wanderinra he