The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1888-12-08
MARRIAGE ISN'T A FAILURE,

INeW Vi udy DOdl, Hedueu uOWIl
the river. He was rather small and
weak looking; she was large and de-
cided; and there was a cold glance
in her eye, and the corners Of her
mouth turned downward slightly.
'What are you readin', Abner?"
she demanded when they were just
this side of Yonkers.
Jess an old noospaper that teller
with the cape on his coat dropped
here"
"Be you reading them lottery ad-
vertisements ag'in, Abner'' she
asked in metallic accents.
Nav, | ain't-do you think Pm
fool, Hanner?"
81 think you was once, and there
amt no guarantee you be MT ag'in.
What are you readin p
"A little piece here about debate
they're havin' someswheres, bout
is Marriage Failure?' Blamed if
this feller don't kinder think it is"
"He ought to be ashamed of his
self, that's all I've got to say bout
him. Abner, what do you think
about it!''
ut might be failure in some
cases." he answered meekly.
cit might, might it?''
eyes, it might" "
''Has it been in your case?"
81 dunno"
"You do know, Abner! Has it,"
'Yes, it has,
"Abner, l never thought to hear
you talk that way to me. 1t has
been a failure, has it? I'll learn you
to be ungrateful, you wretch!
Haven't | aPays been a good wife to
you? Have l ever scolded you or
acted cross? Haint l aTays borne
with all your failin's, and never said
word?-and you know yourself
you've got more'n n millyun. Hahn t
| had more patience with you a
thousand times than l orter? Who
nussed you up when the sor'l hoss
kicked you, and rever said word
hardly bout your bein' a durn =, fool
tor goin' behind the critter? Who
took care of you when the red calf
bunted you through the fence, and
only mentioned to you a few times
that she had told you to keep away
from the calf2 Who had more pa
tience than a saint, when you went
and lost s. in that lottery, and never
throwed it up to you hardly at all?
l knowed you was the biggest fool
in four counties to go into that lot
terry, but l aint never KEEP tellin'
you of it every five minutes, and you
know it. You know yourself that
you was a fool to go and lose that
s. in the lottery, and you've admit
ted it to me I'll bet a hundred times,
but | don't keep talkin' bout it all
the while. 'Taint my way to keep
dingin' bout a thing all the time.
You know too, or you would know
it, if you knowed anything but you
don't and you know you don't. |
knowned | was jess throwin' myself
away when l married you and ev'ry-
body said so then, and have ever
since, but hain't alays KEEP put
tin you in mind of it every day.
You've admitted to me more'n twenty
thousan' times that | might of done
better and was awful glad to get me
and now here you go to sayin' your
marriage has been a failure. Good
ness gracious, Peter, if | ever seen
the beat of it-and jess after losin'
them s. in the lottery too, and my
not twittin' you bout it! Let 'Zeke
Williams go and squander S. in a
miserable wicked lottery and Mis-
Williams wouldn't never let him hear
the end of it, and you know it, but
here l keep still and grin and bear
it. Here I've been standing your
meanness and deceit and foolishness
for thirty years and seein' you lose
money that you admit yourself was
over two-thirds, mine in a lottery
and never sayin' word, and then to
have you talkin' bout thinkin' mar
rage is failure! This is my reward
for my patience, Isl it? Abner Walker,
don't you dare to tell me that again!
Look up here-don't be actin sneak
in'-is marriage a tailure?"
"No, Hammer, don't think it is. ~
''Hah, you don't? You think SO,
but you dasn't say it. that's the trou-
ble."
mo, Hammer, no;-I-I-I
wouldn't, be 'frald to say so if |
thought it, but after thinkin' more
bout it, l have altered my mind"
"Have, have you? Well, you bet
ter keep it altered, that's all I've got
to say. 1t might do for some men
that had got some kind of wives to
whine bout marriage bein' a failure
but for a man that is li'ble to lose
money in a lottery ev'ry day he
lives less his wife looks after him, ii
don't sound very we'll. Now git them
bundles and the two satchels together
cause we'll be to York in bout five
minutes, and don't lose any of them,
and don't be gawkin' round when
you land, lookin' for signs of more
lottery Offices"
INDUSTRIAL CAREERS.
The professions to day are, in
JaaJ o,,ar grounded ,pJ ,,,,pu n