The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1881-10-20
A Faithful Wife

some years ago bnere lived IN Hhu-
adelphia thrifty pair. The husbands
business was one that his wife could
assist in, so she was in every way his
helpmeet, besides being his house
keeper and his savings bank. They
were happy and prospecting in their
own little house-the Philadelphian's
patent idea of comfort. After o time
the man grew ambitious to get more
snowy footing. He took to politics-as
is the duty of all citizens when this
means politics and water. Unfortunately
it was politics and whisky in his case
the sort of ward politics that is carried
on in liquor saloons. He grew to be
such an important man in his "com-
bination that he could not attend to
hissbusiness any more. If this were the
story of "Mulhooly" the rest of it
would be that, in spite of his empty
shop and unfinished orders, he went on
getting rich. But X was not q high
politician of that kind. He was of the
sort that is used-not O master in the
political trade. His wife, left alone in
the shop, did her best; but for the very
fact that she was alone, that he was
never seen, customers began to suspect
something. Orders that he had taken
went wrong; complaints were made of
lost goods that had been trusted to him.
She had to make them good. Here
again the story ought to turn, that she
built up the business herself again, and
put up her own name as sole
| trader. But she was poor heart
broken woman. She wanted to reclaim
him, and not even the business was as
important to her as what had become of
her husband all the days and nights he
had stayed away from her. They were
half starved, but she kept up decent
appearance still, kept her children clean
and herself tidy. One day strange
thing happened. This respectable,
neat woman, with her two pretty chill
dren, made her appearance in the
tavern where this man spent his days.
She did not make scene; she did not
come for that. She quietly took her
seat there and waited for him. People
came up to her and urged her to go
home, saying that this low drinking
resort was no place for her and her
children. wherever the father stays, :"
she replied, ais the place for his
children and for me-" OF course he
was ready soon to go home. Some men
would have been brutal-have struck of
cursed at her for interference, but this
man was only weak, not cowardly. The
next day he went to another place. She
followed presently with the bright
little children. This was kept up for
some weeks. The tavern-keepers grew
uneasy. They could not stand the
mute witness of the mans weakness.
They could not complain of her, for
she did nothing-said nothing-only
sat and watched. She did not cry or
entreat while her husband lounged up
to the bar to drink. She simply sat
by, panied and intent, with the two
children kept very close to her, as if
she would shut out from their eyes and
ears such talk and such sights. No
tavern-keeper could stand if. One
after another refused to sell liquor to
a man so guarded. Finally it began
to tell on him-this gentle, faithful
watch. He stopped drinking, dropped
bis "political associates that had led
him to it, and began to turn over a new
leaf. He picked up his old business
again, but finally concluded to move
to another place and make clean start.
He is now prosperous, and his ex-
perience is not the least part of his
gains. This was the way one woman
reformed her husband; with never q
spoken word she fairly shamed him out
of his ruin by letting him see that
whatever he sank to there she and her
children were bound to be, and that
even in danger or foulness she still
looked to him to protect them. For
better, for worse, she had married
him, and even when he took the worse
there would she and her children be.
It was an appeal to his manhood, ard
a very uncomfortable appeal to the
manhood of all who stood around or
who dropped in to drink. Not crying
woman-not even praying one, as
any one could see-but by the mute
appeal Of her presence there, finally con-
quering for decency and happiness
again.