Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1892-12-21
LOTTIEs HUSBAND.

| lllc.
"But I've seen him drunk, Lottie.
Just little high, ma'am and III
cure him."
"Don't trust to that, child. Nc
woman ever cured a husband of that
vile habit"
"Oh, it's not habit yet, ma'am
Only his brother was going to the
war, and he had to wish him wei
in a glass"
"And the other time, Lottie?"
Then, ma'am, he didn't mean to
1t was an accident"
The mistress of the house shrugg-
ed her shoulders and left the kitch
en-. That evening the servant alsc
left it, with her years wages in hel
pocket, to buy white bonnet, an(
a silk dress, and marry Jem Brown
the carpenter.
He was handsome young fellow
and good enough, as general thing
but whisky was one strong tempta
ton to him, and beer another, an(
everybody but Lottie knew wha
his Saturday evenings were, ant
why he never had a penny in thu
bank for a rainy day, and was al
ways borrowing tenpences an(
quarters towards the end of TIN
week.
He did love Lottie, though, ant
he made an effort for week or two
and furnished bright room ant
bedroom, and III his bridegroom
dress, was quite as spruce as TIN
bride. He vowed, too, to settl
down and reform, and was extreme
ly happy and entirely sober for
month.
Then, the honeymoon being over
Lottie sat up until dawn one fearful
Saturday night, to welcome home
gibbering creature, who informed
her, sagely, that he was "Hic! tire'
t. death, working so late, and that
hic! the bread and cheese disagreed
with him."
Lottie put him to bed, and spent
the night in tears, with her heaC
upon the table.
That was the first, but not thu
last scene of the kind. But, PROUD
as though she had been born lady
poor Lottie kept it to herself, ant
answered her old mistress inquiries
in the most satisfactory manner.
Jem was very kind, and she was
very happy, and that was true still
when Jem was not tipsy.
At first, all the days of the week
but Saturday; then, perhaps, an
occasional Wednesday; then, q
Tuesday, or SO; then, every evening
but Sunday; then, Monday, Tues
day, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
and Saturday evenings, and all day
Sunday.
1t seems strange Lottie should
not have hated Jem, when it came
to that; but instead of that, Jem
hated Lottie.
1t is nearly always so. He took to
heating her, for pastime; and when
they had been married five years
and had boy and a girl to care for
there was no hope of hiding the
truth. Out of work half the time
and spending all he earned in liquor
On Lottie alone devolved the task
of winning bread. No easy one
with her babies. She went out to
work, and took in washing. But,
little by little, the humble house
hold goods were sold or pawned by
the besotted man. Once he even
pawned some clothes she had just
ironed for customer, and so made
people fearful of trusting her.
But in her great woman's love
she buttoned her sleeves over hel
bruised arms. She refused to ad.
NIT to strangers that her spouse was
ever intoxicated, and when it came
to putting him to bed, in his boots
told the children that "poor father
was SICK" The too early enlight-
ened children knew the reason Of
that senseless prostration as well as
she did.
At last, one bright day, the
wretched man wandered away, and
stayed beyond wifely or neighbor.
ly ken.
Strangers said it would be well
for Lottie If he were drowned in the
pound, or crushed beneath some
cart wheel; and Lottie wept and
tried to find him.
At last she gave up the effort, and
began to work for her children; an
easier task, now that Jem was not
there to spend half what she earned
in rum.
People patronized her. She
neither went naked, nor shoeless,
nor hungry. And SO a wear passed.