Year: 1859

would do as she said.


Mr.. Heath was a kind husband, as tha
infinite description is generally under
stood; that is he did not beat his wife. and
always gave her enough TO eat. More
than that, he had certain regard for he1
happiness which always made him fee
ashamed of his decision, but like many
other men who have more obstinacy than
wisdom, he couldn't bear to retract any
thing, and above all to be convinced be
was wrong by woman.


However with commendable wish to
remove the unhapiness he caused, be sug.
gested that as the papers we're carefully
filed, and she bad found them interesting
she could read them over again, begin
ming at January, and taking one week
clear through the year-they would just
come out even, he concluded. as if it we're
a singular fact that they should do go.


Notwithstanding the admirable propo-
sition, be still felt some uneasiness. 1t
followed him as he walked up the pleasant
lawn to the pasture. and it made him
speak N ore sharply than was his want. if
the cows stopped while be was driving
them home, to crop the grass where it
looked grcenest and sweetest on the sun
ny slope. 1t troubled him sill be heard
bis wife call him to supper, in such a
cheerful tone that be concluded she didu t
care much about the newspaper after all.


About a week after this. as Mr.. Heath
was moving one morning. be was surpris-
ed to see his wife coming, dressed as if
for visit.


I'm going, said she to spend the day
with Mrs. Brown; ] leave plenty for
you to eat;' and SO saying she walked
rapidly on.


Mr.. Heath thought about it just long
enough to say to himself, she don't 60
vistin' to stay all day, once year hard
ly and it's strange she should 60 in hay
time


Very long the day seemed to him; to
go in for luncheon. dinner and supper,
and to have nobody to speak to; and
to find everything so still. The old clock
tickcd stiller than usual be thought, the
brood of pretty white chickens, that we're
almost always peeping round the door,
had wandered of somewhere, aud left it
stiller yet; be even missed the busy click
Of the knitting needle that was apt to put
him out so, when he was doing any 6g-
uriDg.


i am glad be said to himself, as be
began to look down the road at sunset,
that Millincent don't 90 visitiD' all the
time as some wimen do; there she is just
coming


How tired you look said be as she
came up; why didn't you speak about it,
and Id have harvest up and come after
you.


Il am not very tired, she answered;
but her looks belied her; indeed, her bus
band declared she looked tired for a day
or two after.


What was bis amazement to see her 20
away the next Tuesday in the same man.
ner as before.


To his great dissatisfaction. everything
seemed that day to partake of his wife s
propensity for going from home. A man
cont want cold food in bay time, said he,
as be sat down to dinner. In the grum-
bling mood, he recounted the mishaps of
the morning, which seemed to have been
much after the manner set forth in GER
tain legend of olden time; for he embel-
lished his recital by allusion to.


The sleeps ia the medow,


The cows are in the corn


Adding that they wouldn't have been
there, if Mrs Heath had been at home, be-
cause she'd have seen them before they 60,
in and halloed. She would have seen the
oxen too, before they got across the river
and saved him the trouble Of getting them
back. But after tracing all these unto.
ward events to her absence be said to him
self consolingly. 1 guess she won't &c
any more, she always was a home body.
Mrs. Heath did 90 again though, and
again, and the day she went for the fourth
time, her husband took counsel with him
self as to what be should do to stop hel
gading.' Seated on the door step in The
shade of the old trees, he spent an hour
or two 10 devising ways and measures
talking aloud all the time, and having the
satisfaction of hearing NOBODY dispute him


1T is hard to think of her getting to be
a visitin' woman said be, 'and it's cleal
it amt right Keep her at home, I've
read in the Bible, (old Richards Bible
knowledge was somewhat confused, quo
tation varied slightly from the scri iptura
phrase, keepers at home, but it says too
he added, with the true sincere man, 'tha
husbands must set great store by their
wives and treat them we'll. | won't scold
Milliccnt, III harness up and 60 for hel
to. night, and comm home III talk it al
over with her, and tell her how bad i
makes me feel, and if that won't do, II
-something else.'


In accordance with his praiscworthy
resolution. be might have been seen, abou
sunset, hitcbing bis horse at Mr.. Brown
door; for strangely enough. Mrs. Heath
visits had all been made at the same place
Going up to the door, be stopped in a
maxement at seeing bis wife in the kitch