Year: 1869

It was beautiful to see her In the inser


vals Of the levees trying to become good


wife to Minnikin, not only performing fhe


household work with the greatest care
and making the puddings so small that they
looked like dumplinSs II, her hand, bui
even trying to bring her capacious mind
into harmony wieh the narrow under.
standing of her lord. Her views wefe
naturally broader than his, for his head
was certainly not larger than Spanish
onion, but she tried to narrow them by all
the means in her power, and sometimes she
succeeded by great effort Ii forming a
false Judgment Un One of the subjects of
the day, She would bring this out along
Win the materials for his supper, and if he
deigned to say that he was inclined to be
Of her opinion, the headache 1t had cost
her to blunt her fine perceptions and to
do violence to her conscience would I'M
rnediately pass away.


But all to nc, purpose. One day called
Upon her and found her so agitated she
could scarcely speak. That morning the
ruff1an had added personal violence to his
other crimes. He loved to d1bble in house
hold affairs, and she was holding him on
kef arm, according to custom, to enable
him to clean the windows Of their dwell
ing, when an opinion she CHANGED to ex-
press in favor of the abolition of the slave.
trade in Brazil excited his ire, and he
struck Der blow on the head with so
much force that it hurt his thumb.


could endure it no longer. Great as
was my reluctance to interfere actively in
the quarrels of married pair, felt con-
1 ai &o rvsx hos uaxfn{x Cd La
said it was as novel as it was terrible to
her thoughts; and she at first felt extreme
ly reluctant to take it. Imade her promise
me, however, before we parted that, she
would give it trial.


Exulting in the license given to his evil
nature by the removal of the last barrier
to the free course of his temper which
duty and manly feeling had imposed, the
dwarf renewed his threats of ill-treatment
on his return home that night from q
carouse, and the next morning he COM
manded the trembling woman, in voice
Of thunder, to take him up in her arms
again that he might finish the top panes.
In vain she suggested pair of steps; he
was inexorable, and told her to hold her
tongue. Unfortunately, it was impossible
for her to control her eyes. He was using
the dry duster with great energy to i'm
part the final polish, when he discovered
on 1t traces of tear which it had caught
as it lay in its resting place on her shoulder.
He turned savagely and was about to strike
her again, when she very deliberately let
him fall and in less than o minute he
came to the ground with horrible noise.
Half stunned as he was however, he
was about to rise for retaliation, not doubt
ing that his punishment was owing to her
inadvertence, when she saved him the ef-
fort by lifting him in mid-air with one
hand, in the same way as one lifts favor
lite cat, and, with the other, belaboring
him till the dust flew out of his little coat.
She then, although it was early in the day,
put him to bed, and ordered him
not to utter syllable for his life
He was so much astonished and so
frightened that hitherto he had not been
able to speak; but no sooner did he find
himself in temporary quiet, than he made an
effort to regain his moral supremacy by
opening his mouth. But his wife at once
assumed determined expression of coun-
tenance, and he gave way. He hid his
head beneath the bedclothes and lay quite
still in that position the rest of the day. 1t
was quite q revelation to him that she
could hit so hard, and he reflected on it
with considerable profit.


As for the gentle creature who had ad-
ministered the lesson to him, as soon as
her first excitement was over, she felt
quite broken down, and she was obliged to
close the show for the day, ain conse-
quence of the indisposition of the prOprie-
tor" as the notice stated After she had
done that, and placed little refreshment
on a chair by Minnikin's bedside, she
withdrew to her own room, where she
spent some time in weeping over love-
letter written on the back of railway
ticket, and a little wisp of hair, which
were the sole memorials of affection she
had ever received from her cruel lord.


She was sorry, and, if the truth must be
told, afraid, for such was the influence of
habit that it was difficult for her to divest
herself of the belief that Minnikin was
physically, as well as morally, the very
embodiment of irresistible force. She
thought her present victory over him was
entirely due to chance and her own wild
temerity, and she fully expected to feel the
weight of his vengeance on the morrow.
At the very moment these reflections were
passing through her mind, Minnikln was
asking himself in kind of sickening ter
ror whether it was likely she would beat
him again that day. So that each, as we
see, knowing nothing of the fright of the
other, was ready to give in; and victory
was only awaiting to declare for the first
claimant.


Matters were in this state, when Immen-
sikoff, with scarcely concealed terror, en-
tered the room where Minnikin lay, in
the morning, and began making the prepa-
rations for a simple meal. She carried
the cups and saucers most tenderly lest
their rattle should wake the terrible crea
ture, who, she hoped, was as yet uncon-
scious of her presence, for she had not
dared to look. The terrible creature, on
his part, was awake enough, and was
noiselessly shifting about beneath his
coverlet in order to obtain the best pos
sible position for receiving what he did
not doubt would be the speedy visitation
of that dreaded hand. He had gradually
advanced one eye beyond the coverlet, and
then the other, end finally had brought his
little nose to light. 1t was much changed
since yesterday. Anxiety writes its record
on this feature more than any other. 1t
was round at the end, and flushed with in
science and wine the morning before; but
now you could have picked up seed with
it, it was brought to such point, and all
its color had fled. 1t was at the moment
that the nose appeared that 1mmensikif,
stealing timid glance towards the bed,
beheld it standing sharply defined between
two eager eyes.


Women are not always good physiog-
nOmists. She thought the nose BODIED
fury and dire revenge, and all her little
remnant of firmness gave way. She ran
hastily across the apartment and was
about to tender weak woman's submis-
sion to authority upon her knees, when,
to her inexpressible surprise, the dwarf
bounded from his bed with yell of ter
Tor, and throwing himself at her feet, inn
plored mercy in the most abject terms, and
promised repentance and amendment. He
had simply mistaken her intention, and
he was conquered. She was sensible
enough to conceal her real feelings, and
she obtained from him the most solemn
guarantees of good behavior before she
allowed him to get up and take his break
fast.


When called three days after, I found
the dwarf for the first time at home, and
attending to his work. He was industri-
ously exhibiting himself as Napoleon and
as Cupid, while his wife was taking the
repose so necessary after her protracted
exertions. He took me in to see her
"Poppit," and she seemed to be complete
ly happy.


They are both now at work in my shop
again, and a more affectionate couple does