Year: 1867

be done in minute?" Then she took my
cap I'd flung on the table, and she hangs 1t
up, and shuts the door had left open be-
hind me, and-''1tis is cold tonight she
said again, all so pleasant and quiet; and
then, though had made her no answer,
she set about getting the supper, talking of
this and of that, as If | had been the most
steady going and best fellow in the world.


when it was ready, she poured out
some warm waterin bowl and said, Dick,
will you wash your hands bit ?-you will
enjoy your supper the more"


80 | did and | washed my face, too and
brushed myself before setting down, feeling
about as small and shamefaced as 1 ever
did in my lifes The supper too, done to
turn, and hot and good, just as if 1 had de-
served it. So different, too, to what things
used to bel could not make out what it was
all about, and almost wished she had not
done it, so queer did it make me look. But
presently [ spoke, and said |, Mary is
there no beer ?'


mo, Richard, dear, ] have given it up"
said she ''bnt you will try some coffee
that like better, and it does not make me
heavy mornings like the beer does


With that she poured out two cups of
steaming coffee, and in truth was glad e.
nough, for MY head was queer, and | was
dry enough; but still did not like the way.
[ thought TO myself-tlis is what the tee
total folks have been telling her to dol
tancied it was toicatch me, as it were.


Seeing me hes tatiug, she said, Dick, if you
would rather have beer, | will get it for
you but | made this on purpose, and it is
cold night. -


That finished me- sir; could as soon
have taken poison as beer after that. Don
Polly" said |, ''dont, for felt should
Eraal- A.,ur, oil thar and r,al-a fool nf
myself | took the coffee, and thought |
never tasted anything to come up to it, for
Polly can make coffee and no mistake.
You may think, Bob, when [ went to
sleep that night | did not sleep directly. |
laid thinking of the past and made hun
dred good resolution for the future. But
the next evening broke them all for the
chaps would not hear of me not joining
them and said to myself-by the way Of
excuse for disappointing my wife. that no
doubt it was only freak of hers, and
thought she would be as cross as ever that
night. So [ stayed, and never went near
home till jerks told us it was just On the
strike of twelve, and if they did not carry
me home, Bob, il was because they We're all
worse than | was.


was not so far gone, though, but [ could
see aud mark it all-so comfortable and
quiet, and she sitting at work, just as if it
had been early in the evening-no night
cap, nor black hearth, nor cold supper, to
make one feel how miserable she had been.
And she fastened the doors, and lighted n
up stairs to bed without cross word and
oh, Bob, believe if she had raved at me, it
would have made me comfortable to what
| felt at her kindness


could not stand it, Foster. | tried
more shame to me-hardi for | thought of
the laughter of the lot had kept in with so
long; but it would not do. Every day
felt more and more ashamed TO enter my
own dorr where all was as nice and pleasant
as if had been the best Of men She was
right and was wrong, and could not help
owning It.


Thcn of evenings [ would find she had
borrowed paper, and be ready to talk over
the pieces she had read, and to ask about
them | began to think the public house
was not the only place for pleasant even
ing and | would call myself fool for GO
ing, and yet went; for you know, Bob, we
do not like to be beaten, even for our own
good.


But Mary never said word-only kept
on Just the same, until at last felt should
go crazy if fought against myself any lon
ger, and one night right in the midst of
Naylors song, and the laughing of the rest,
said to myself-all the jeers of this lot
could not make me feel as L shall sneaking
into home to night to meet that kind, pa
tient wife Of mine {: and up | got as bold as
brass, and said, Good night ALL, and
made for the door.


Are you ill?'' calls one. "Are you
coming back?'' cries another


Nay, | am well" L said, ''and l am
not coming back.


But came to you, as you know, Master
Foster, that very night, and | signed.


[ went home as sober as you are, and
without word laid the paper on her lap.


She looked at it, and then she jumped
up and put her arms around my neck-her
ewes were full of tears and she said, God
bless you dear Dick, and bless them that
turned you to it.


Then says [, Mary, He'll bless yourself,
for it is you that done it, and no other. -


Ave. Foster, it was So and from that
day to this, Mary has never spoken word
70 any living creature of it, nor boasted OF
her husband, as nlans do, and makes man
look small To them that ever asks her
aught about it she gives all the praise to
the teetotal folks and says she knew that
sooner or later her husband must be con-
vinced.


Here she is, Bob, and with some of her
coffee that she means to treat you TO. Yes,
Polly, have told your secret, my girl;
but you need not blush-it's pity but
more of the women learned it..


Ave, indeed" returned his neighbor,
ssman may be the head; but, after all, tbs
the neck that turns the head Dick, and
its sorry case that it should SO often be a
wry.


The Fast Tennessee papers state that
hunting is unusually good in that region