The Van Buren press., 1895-08-17
helooked his wife full in the face, l,k.

he looked his wife full in the face, like
one who meant to be master.
"They had 1t back and forth for a
week, Jane told me, before Mrs.
Lurvey would give him mite Of
peace, butiHod was as firm as q rock.
She mightg go or stay as she chose, but
he was going to be master in his own
house. But such life as she led himl
I'VE was afraid Hod couldn't stand
the pressure, and if he yielded an inch
he was lost. If only he could be got
out from that everlasting nagging un-
Til he got more self-assertion.
"'Why not send him to the legisla-
ture" asked my wife.
why, he don'tk the first thing
about politics. sez l. we want some-
body to do credit to the town. Hod
hain't been out to town meetin' since
he took the freeman's oath, twenty odd
year ago.
But wife said things couldn't 60 so
badly to rack and ruin at the state
house as they was going at Tick Ridge,
even II he did vote the wrong way, and
the only thing that would really help
Hod was to show Mrs. Lurvey that
some folks respected his opinions, If she
didn't.
1T would be. more credit to Brod-
ick to save Hod Lurvey than to send
the smartest man In town. sez she,
and We couldn't disagree with her.
well. we talked it MP one side and
down the other at the caucus. Rafe
Wiley, who had been representative
for five years, and of course expected
to be again, said he 'nuff sight rnther
Hod should have it, and would work
for him. There was no danger but we
could carry the town easy enough.
There warn't a man, far nor near, but
would give. all his old hats to get even
with Mrs. Lurvey. = ~ - Va =
"Hod did not know what was up, but
made him promise to go down and
vote. He said he would come over,
cross lots, and go down with me. When
l went ont to the barn that morning
who should see but Hod coming up
the hill with his old clothes on, and
looking as meaching as whipped dog.
"'She suspected was going to the
village to-day and got tearing mad
sez he. She locked my store clothes
up and put the key in her pocket and
told me to be lively about the chores,
for wo was going to pick geese to-day.
l fed around, then made tracks for
here. guess might as well give up
fust as last twill have to come. 1
don't believe that man lives who could
stand up against her when she gets In
a rage - at
"'You're tired and hungry seq 1,
come in to breakfast, then we'll talk
things over
II don't suppose I was as sympathet-
ic as might have been, for If there's
anything under the sun that rifles me
it is to have man under womsn's
thumb.
"It took some argufying to screw his
courage up to the pint Of buying a sec
ond suit Of clothes, but he done it; and
there warn't a sprucer looking man at
town meeting that day than Hosea
Lurvey. We had agre ed to stop calling
him Hod and to call him Hosea or Mr..
Lurvey, to zee II that wouldn't prop
up his self-respect little.
He voted the straight ti,ket
through till they come to town repre-
sentative; then his name was proposed
and was greeted with such cheer that
the moderator said 1t was a waste Of
time to ballot and we'd elect him
by reclamation. Then we escorted
him home In fine style. tis.
"Mrs. Lurvey come to the door all
primed and loaded to give him q
Scotch blessing, and was some took
back to see SO many Of us Col. Hook
er stepped forward and see, seq he:
"'Allow me, madam, to INTRODUCE to
ye our new representative, Hosea Lur.
vey, OF Brodick, Esq III b. ra6
".You've hit it right for once she
answered. IT there's an Esq. any
where itain't Hod Lurvey that deserves
the title, and amt overly sure that
Brodick does, either, If it's made such
fool OF itself. Waal. Mr. Lurvey, OF
Brodick, Esq., making him q mock
ing bow, we better bid your friends
good night and come in. I've got .
little account to settle with ye.' w
"'Thank ye kindly, but promised to
go down to the colonel's to supper ser
he. I'VE only come up to tell ye the
news Then how we cheered for our
new representative. .is Ni4 ts
THAT night the hull town turned
out to serenade him, and on one pre-
text or another he warn't alone much
for the next few days. 81 1854 +
| ..ne hired Nathan Simpson to rnn
the farm whilst he was gone, and
told him what to do and how to do It.
Mrs. Lurvey might as we'll have tried
to drive mule as to make Nate 60
aQin Hosea's orders. There was differ
cnt works at Tick Ridge from that
time. T" A'tasNsAs'f' Sat '4'f ~
lyon never see how Hosea improved
when once he had a chance. He took
righA holt OF politics as though he had
been brought up to 'em all his life and
It warn't long before he had the rep
ertation OF being about as shrewd as
they make 'em. ~
"We knowed. W hen we met him at
the post office, on his way home the
fust time, that our experiment had
succeeded, and he was going home tc
rule the roost. Mrs. Lurvey seed 1t,
too, and give up trying to hold her
/ own ngin him. He has been to the
legislature every other term since. We
send Rafe Wiley other times This
year he is first selectman and overseer
of the poor.
"He has got ono Of the finest stock
farms in the state, and has things in
different style from any Brodick has