The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1890-10-14
looking than the average 6sh-b4rl sire

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Mrs. Erstwhiie Timbe, lake, of Popgee,
| Neb., asks: " What shalII dc to regain
my influence over my husband? He
gave me his hand in marriage two years
age come next frost, and if ever a man
seemed to just doat on any one he doated
on me. That's about all he did all that
winter, in fact, and our victuals got
pretty low by spring. Then l spoke
harshly to him, and be started to he'll via
the Little Pansy Blossom saloon on
Prunella street. I have tried every way
to win him back, such as he-iS, and have
went out of my way to make friends
write him more than once. Will you not
come to my succOr p
If you cannot bring him here of course,
Mrs. Timberlake, | will have TO come to
your sucker and speak Of him plainly as
between man and man. l hope tat you
have treated INN well on the start and
given him a fair show. | viii take 1t for
granted that you have. Ii so, now we
must resort 10 more turgid means. | will
not tell you, however, what to do. | wlll
only tell you what [ knew to be done
once In a similar case, and you can think
it over, Mrs. IImSerlake, and feel perfectly
free to help yourself TO 1t if II should
strike you tavOraOly:
Mrs. Delay Oleson, Of Norridgwock,
Me, had a husband whom she dearly
loved, for he was a fine, manipulating
fellow, standing eighteen hands high, n
young, too. He tell a victim to Prohibi-
tion IN Maine and became a hard drinker.
He had never cared to drink till he found
that it was against the law, aud SO then
hn oo111In'r CnUonhnW Vpf II N11t of his
mind. Prohibition seemed to constantly
remind him that he could not take a drink.
So he fell. 1t occurred at NorridgewOck,
and could have been distinctly heard for
a mile or more. His wife wept a great
deal at first, but was not unkind to him.
She spoke to him gently ana loving, y,
and he promised to do better, but he was
weak, and the Prohibition law kind of
gravelled him, as one writer has it. So
he fell some more. Mrs. Oleson was a
good, sensible little woman, who would
not sit calmly on the front stoop and let
defeat follow upon the heels Of disaster
without making a struggle.
She told Delay that she would try him
o1ce more, and If he failed her she would
surely not overlook it as she had before.
For a long time he turned his back on
the devils elixir and worked steadily at
his trade whick was painting, granting
and kalSomining, also breaking colts,
gents fine neckwear aod Justice of the
Peace.
Later on, however, he fell once more
and came home in a spiral manner, smell
ing of prohibition wh!skey, which is also
used for etching on glass. She said
nothing to him, but undressed him and
put him to bed as usual. This a pleasing
task. She laid him on the couch, and
then gathering UP the edges of the two
homemade linen sheets she sewed W
Delay Oleson therein by means of a stout
bali Of Irvine and IN uphOlsterer's needle.
He a-ked for more air, but she said what
he needed was no so much air as it was
a little course of massage treatment. So
she got a new whip from the barn, such
as it used by Mr.. Legree in beating out
the brains of Uncle Tom in that truly
good play, and she knocked the dust out
of Delay Oleson till you could hear her all
over that block.
He spoke to her about not doing it any
more, but she said she said she could not
WELD to outside influence. She must be
her own Judge regarding the best time to
stop. So she ate a little bread and butter,
put a new snapper on the whip and yer
at it again. People passing the house
during the night heard Delay sobbing
anon, and between his sobs they could
hear the whip crack around his various
%corniceS ana fretwork. Finally the weary
wife let him out, and fixing a bed for him
on the floor she turned out the cat and
went to bed. She never had to do so
again. Delay after that was another
man. He removed to Kentucky, where
he would not have the same temptations
that were afforded him in Mai e, and be-
came the father Of nine children, all of
whom were born with what resembled a
large welt across the person.
l do not say to you, Mrs. Timberlake,
to do this way with Erstwhile, for it is a
severe method, and he might be drunk
enough so tnat you could not sew him up,
and he might possibly reverse the pro-
gramme, but l tell you of this case so
you CAM say I ignore your wall.
BILL NYE.