Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1881-05-27
SABBY,S HUSBAND.

y
that uncomfortable stage Of masculine
conyalcscencc when life becomes bur
den not only 70 the so-callcd patient,
himself but also to those unlucky fcm1-
nine relatives whose duty it is tc off
crate as his 'ministcring angels.
Mary, tie servant, came III.
Please, Mr. Hoslcy, there's woman
downstairs who says she must see you.
Shes been here to see you before since
you were sick, and now She won't take
no for IN answer"
"Show her right up, Mary" said the
squire, aleftly, Frightening up vl5lbly
Ike tile war horse who scents the battle
afar or Mt all the coy comforts Of
lii surroundings, the "Sleepy-Hollow-
ness" Of his chair, the pleasant pictures
on tire wall, the wood fire which now,
that the wintry twilight was settling
down over the bit Of grey sky, left Wis
lille by the curtains heavy folds, danced
and flashed all over the room in rosy
shadows, could not reconcile the squire
to his enforscd seclusiOn. Secretly he
pinned for his dingy Old den Of an Office,
and chafcd i'll the doctors restrictions,
which rs vet forbade all thoughts OF
business. But now the moral police
force, represented by his wife and
daughter, being luckily of duty, there
was nothing to prevent this probable
client
.i1hon her up, Mary" and the
squire chcrrfully Strengthened himself
nnd assumed Us much Of legal dignity
~ drcssinggown and slippers permit
tod
Mary disappeared Presently the
door opened again "Why, Nabby, .
said the squire, is it you2 How do
You dor
YES, squire It's me-" said Nabby,
dropping down with heavy sigh into
\ chair, "and | don't do very well.
Nabby was i short, squarely-bullt
woman Of fifty, with considerable gray
iii tie coarse, black hair drawn stlilly
and uncompromisingly back under Il
bonnet about fifty years out Of date.
She had sharp, black eyes, and a reso-
lutte, go-ahcad manner; yet IN looking
1T her you could not help the conyic-
lion that something more than hard
work had ploWed the deep wrinkles
which ran across her forehead, and
70 lift her eyebrows up to her
hair Nabhy had lived with the
sqnire's mother fifteen years from the
time when Mrs. Hosley took her in, Il
tcn-ycar-old orphan, who was, as the
good old lady sometimes expressed 1t,
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 III the world for her
self. Old Mrs Hosley had long since
gone u hcr reward, but her family still
kept ZIP i friendly interest ~ Nabby
and her fortunes, the squire i'll partic-
MAR being for her guide, philosopher
and friend" III all the emergencies OF
life.
Why, what's the matter now, Nab
by ~ said the squire, good-naturedly.
'.Are you sick p
Yes, | am" said Nabby, cmphati-
cnlly, With i snap Of her black eyes.
I'm sick 10 death Of Josiah. i can't
stan II any longer, and I've come to
talk with you about getting a divorce.
You see he's been grown worse and
worse now for good while. I've kept
it TO myself pretty much because | was
ashamed ont, and then kept hopin'
he'd do better I've talked an talked
to him and said and done everything a
woman could, but it seemed rs if the
more ! talked the worse lie grew.
TIE squire looked ut Nabby's rather
sharp, hard face, and perhaps was
hardly 81 surprised is Nabhy expected
that Josiah had not been reformed by
tho talking to- he had undoubtedly
received
lie grew more and more shiftlesS
and good for nothing" continued Nab
hv. ''till finally he didn't do much but
Sit around the kitchen fire, half boozv.
III there's anybody ! hate" burst out
Nahhy, its man forever settin round
the house under foot And there was
a-tnkin' III Washin' and a shaving early
and late 10 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 told him time
and again. He worked just about Il
enough to keep himself in drink. He
knew lie couldn't get any of my money
for that. But | stood it all till about il
fortnight ago Id been working hard
all day helping Miss Barber clean house,
and il seems that every bone in my
body achcd. | was so tired. | came
along home. thinking how good my cup
of tea would taste. Then first thing |
see when | opened the kitchen door
was old Hank Slater settin, there IN my
rockin chair He and Josiah were
both trunk as-hogs," said Nabby.
slandering m innocent animal in her
haste for 4 smile,
They'd tracked the mud III over
nv clean floors. The cookin' stove
was crammed full of wood, roaring like
I'LL possessed | wonder they had mt
burned the house up before got there.
And they'd get my best teapot out to
heat some water, and the water'd all
billed away and the bottomt came out
But the worst was TO see my husband
4 consortin' with such scum of the
earth as that miserable, low-lived Hank
Slater. tell you, squire, | was mad.
Just hung that kitchen door wide open,
and SCI L
Sect out of this house, Josiah Gould,
and don't ever let me see your face IN
side ont again
'Sez he meek rs Moses: Where
shall go to. Nabhy?'
,'Sez /, 1 don't care where you go to,
80 longs you don't come near me- I've
always been 4 respectable woman, and
| don't want none Of Hank Skaters
friends round my house,"
"Well2a 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
come back. And want divorce"
Now Nabby." demonstrated the old
squire, "you don't want a divorce.
know you better than that. You are
not the woman to give Josiah up and
let him 60 to the bad without strug.
gle. You feel little vexed at him