South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1881-06-03

cheerIui tale she had read only yes
terday about u burglar and n lone
woman, kept coming into her head,
and she carefully avoided the black
ness OF the corners and the pantry
door as she CROPPED around the kitchen
for a candle. OF course the fire had
gone out.
Two heads are better than one, if
one Is sleeps head Nabby might
have been heard muttering out in the
wood-house, as she stopped painfully
down, picking up chips by which
oracular utterance l suspect she was
thinking what u good supply of
kindllngs Josiah always kept on hand
Tor her, and how much more comfort
able it was in the old times, coming
home to house bright with light and
warmth, and Josiah's welcome.
For Josiah cherished the most pro-
found admiration for Nabby-an adj
miratlon not unmingled with awe
lie thought her a most wonderful
woman. She was just rs beautiful to
hlm now as in the old counting DAYS.
before the brightness and quiclSness
OF the black eyes had degenerated into
sharpness; before the smiling mouth
had acquired Its hard, firmly set ex.
preston; before there were any wrin-
kles III the smoth forehead. People
thought Nabby had done we'll in mar
rying Josiah Gould-a pleasant, good.
natured young fellow that every one
liked, q young mechanic, not very
rich yet, it is true; but with good
trade and such wife Us Nabby, there
seemed to be 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 the difficulty with Josiah. lie
never was determined about any
thing. He fell into the habit OF drink.
ing because he lacked sufficient strength
OF Will to avoid it. Then Nabhy's sharp
words and his own miserable sense of
meanness and self contempt, of utter
encouragement and despair, drove him
lower AM lower into the slough Of des-
pond without effort OF hope
by beautiful dispensatiOn OF Provi.
dence, whenever poor, shirlloss. good
tor-nothiu9 man is sent out into our
world some active, go-ahehd little wo
man is invariably fastened to him to
tow BIN along through and keep his
| head above water. u is for the best Of
| course. What would become of tue
poor fellow without her ? Al the same
| time, she finds il q little bard
Nabhy was ambitious and proud-spir
ted, willing &c work hard, to save, To
do her parC-anxious TO get on in the
world aud stand we'll among her neigh.
bors. The fact, gradually realized, that
In her husband she had no support,
only drag and burden, and finally
disgrace, had been a disappointment
embitterihg her whole nature. To have
! husband that 10 Que respected. that
| even the boys around town called Isl
Could was dreadful TO Nabby. Per-
maps 1t was hardly strange that she
grew hard and bitter.
Meantime Nabhy had succeeded in
starting the fire, and, havi 70 CHANGED
her dress, sat down to dry her feet un-
til the teG-kcttlc boiled. But even lilo
ruddy light and warmth with which The
kitchen now glowed could not send Off
tic dreariness Of the night, The rain
tapped with ghost finger upon the
window pane, and Lhe wird howled and
walled around lie house like the shirts
OF tie lost Pleading TO be once more
taken back into human life and warmth.
Such wind stirs in even The MANIFEST
heart vague sense OF loss, OF chalre Of
All that goes TO make up the unsatiscac
toriucss Of life. Dead soi rows creep forth
from their graves on such cold nights.
and stalk up and down the cchoinp
chambers Of the beart.
Nabby could not help wondering
where josiah vas Tonight. 1t was so
lonely sitting tuere with no one to speak
to, listening to the moaning wind, the
crea<ing Of the blinds, the loud ticking
Of the clock.
The wind walled and walled. aid
Nabby thought and thought. The f.ct
Of having freed her mind 10 tho Squire
had relieved her long pent-up indigna.
ton, and now sic felt more sad Than
angry. Up before Der seemed 20 rise
a picture Of hcr lifo-the Youthful
dreams aud hopes, the changes and dis.
appointments, tle love turned into
wraugling. Sue even thought Of 10
siah WIKI pity. For tie f,st time 'she
Put herself in his place, and realized
how impossible il was for one Of his
weak nature 10 resist, unaided, the temp.
tation which would cos, stronger viii
and effort.
'Im afraid I've been little too sharp
with JOSIAH thought she, I've sor,er
too, 30 for granted I was saint and he
was n sinner anl scoidcd him RICH. along
up and down hill a nice saint am
As proud sud high strung as Lucifer
himself 'Oh, dear 2 sighed Nabby.
a pretty mess I've made Of living nj
VIC could co back and begin over again.
seems TO mo things would 60 better
just then there vas % faint noise ike
The clicking Of the door-latch Na5by
started and looked around. All was still
again-no one visible. Yet Nabbv could
not rid horsclf Of the impression that
some ono was near her. that odd sense