The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1886-04-28

And though shad was, In truth, given to
some secret pride that his patience and per-
sistence had prevailed against the widow,
yet he made no outward show OF IL, but was
gentle aud meek, and continued to find all
things fine, some finer than others, but all
fine.
Soon after he took Jerusha unto himself
a second time the Widow Pellet was taken
and laid beside her departed husband,
Zerubabel, In the old burying-ground by
the Shepaug.
peaceably, there were moments when
restraint was upon them, and that becomes
irksome at times. For Jerusha, perceiving
that Shad was patient man, but not COM
pretending that he was a persistent one,
was at times greatly shocked LIN IN her pride
and was In fact what her mother had once
called him, great calf. This because Shad
resented not when one Of his neighbors sold
him horse that seemed fine enough to
look upon, but which one Sunday, IN the
church, became seized with a frenzy like
inebriation, and staggered this way and
that, ut last falling down. It did not escape
Jerusha's eye that the youth about were
laughing, nor that the women smiled with
the sarcastic smile Of contempt; and was
1t strange that modification wounded her
so that her chin quivered and tears came
to her eyes?
And when she urged shad to go to the law
with the man who had cheated him with a
Shad should say very mildly that he should
not go to law. How could Jerusha, not
yet understanding her husband, realize
that Shad relied upon patience and per-
sistence for reparation? Which we may
obtained, for Shad bided his time until oc-
casion offered to buy one OF his horse-deal-
ing neighbors mortgages, when, having
done so, Shad persisted in foreclosing.
Thus patiently Shad Platt accomplished
his purposes. And there were other occur
standing her husband, set down as proof OF
his milksop character.
But it was over the horse that blind
staggered ttat serious trouble arose, and
day following she declared that she would
not ride to meeting to be mortified to death
again. But Shad drove the staggerer
around to the stump of an oak that was
used for q step and persisted in his purpose,
and Jerusha was compelled to ride behind
the beast again, and there was another
scene in front Of the church. in which Je-
rusha having been pitched from the wagon,
ruined her garments and was deeply
wounded in spirit. So that in her pew, in
stead Of regaining composure, she lost the
little she possessed and quilted the church
in anger.
shad saw her making her way to the
house of her mothers brother, but he did
not follow her. He went calmly to bis
home and spent the rest OF the Lords
pride, seemingly, in staggering on Sunday.
But next day. Jerusha came not, nor the
next, and vet the patient Shad went about
his avocations without dismay. And BY
and by Shad received notice duly
weighted with legal verbiage to the effect
hat 10 ha
leased from the bonds, yincuto, OF matri-
mony. Shad tucked the paper away
between the leaves Of the great FAM
lily Bible, whore important papers were
kept, SO many that the binding was sadly
Some three months later Shad was sur
prised to learn that the court declined to
grant the decree. Jerusha had been unable
to prove intolerable cruelty or drunken
ness or such other causes for divorce as are
set down in the statutes. But the Litch-
field County lawyers were able men in
those times, and they bade Jerusha to de-
spair not. So, and this much common re-
pute sets down to be truth, one Of them,
whose genius had overcome more ditficul-
ties than one, induced the general court, or
divorces may be granted this clause: 'Or
such conduct as tends to defeat the pur-
pose Of the marriage relations"
And with the >blue-bound copy of the new
laws UulS lawyer WonC luUO COuTb anu uSkcu
whether such conduct as the compulsion OF
a wife to ride behind a horse afflicted with
the blind staggers to church, to the great
dread, modification and suffering OF the
wife, were not conduct sufficient to defeat
all harmonious marriage relations. And the
as shad appeared not in court to deny 1t.
Shad pursued his calm and patient man
ner of life in peace, but in the course Of q
year or two It dawped upon his neighbors
! that Shad Platt, despite his peaceful ways
and his humble manner. was determined
man. No man could be found who, In the
long run, had worsted him. The quiet
manner in which he had evened up with
the wicked horse dealer became known,
and there were hints that Shad was we'll
the Scriptures, SO that he had increased his
talent till it had become ten talents And
his neighbors sent him to represent them
in the Legislature, and one day they
elected him high sheriff of the county, an
once sssd n sUss She
in the Amen pew in the brick meeting
house, and he was seated where he must
behold her, and he always spoke pleasant
ly to her at the incoming, saying: I'm
glad to see you looking so we'll Jerushe. !"
nation party at the parsons and Jerusha
was there and Shad, and when itcame time
to depart, was it not Shad that observed
that, whereas all the Others were going
away in sleighs, Jerusha must needs walk !
her to his sleigh, which was fine one,
richly painted and stuffed with heavy
robes, and before the woman realized It,
there she was in the sleigh, we'll tucked in,
with Shad by her side, flying over the
snow like the wind, and she perceived how
spirited horse, and how gently, though
firmly he spoke to the animal.
This horse hasn't got the blind staggers,
Jerusha," said he at length, smiling quietly.
''Shall give him the bits"
Eyes, il you wish"
to hold her breath, and she perceived that
Shad, to hold her firmly, had passed his
arms about her with respectful but power
ful embrace. Nor did she shrink away.
''Shall we ride further!" he asked
"Yes," she said in low voice. "Yes it
Seems WHAT" .g
"It seems SO much like courting, Shad." 4"
"We never did much courting, Jerusha
That was the trouble, guess. Let's begin
now. KNEW all along we should, sooner
or later. Didn't your"
81 kinder hoped so, Shad." Et .s
And after that he paid his court to her
like a young lover, for he had learned
her merit, and perceived that at last she
loved him, as he had always loved her.
And she, with what joy she now saw her
lover as he was and with what reprOaches
and modification she recalled her blind
ness .......rf yl .
He lived with her forty years. and five
sons and daughters had they, and when he
died she could not stay without him, and
lay down and followed him within month.
Thus it happened, though twice divorced
only one wife, and with her found peace
and iOv-E J. H. In the ~ " Iyun