Year: 1879

MY WIFES NEW SHAWL.


''But why did you pay SO much for
shawl? 1t was sheer nonsense" said my old
friend, Captain Morton, as he mixed his
third glass of grog, and stirred in multi
plicity of spices before drinking it-after the
manner of sailors when they can get it.
''Why on earth did you pay so much money
for shawl, when you couid buy one SO
much cheaper? Nine hundred dollars-by
the blood of shark-it would buy q
house,


That was his oath-"by the blood of a
shark" he never swore any other; and the
most abusive epithet he could apply to
man-one that to him embodied the quint-
essence of meanness-was to call him "a
shark"


81 tell you, captain" said I; "but then,
you must acknowledge that the shawl is a
beauty-if it did cost small fortune to
poor man. Last year, when l came home
with cargo of tea from China, left my
ship IN good hands and hurried to my home
in the little village of Twlcsaweek 1--WE
called it that because our mail came twice
weekly, where all my hopes and affections
were invested in wife and two children. 1
was in Jealous spirits, and as happy man as
ever stepped on terra firma. My handsome
wife was well and young as ever, my boy as
much like me as when I left him many
y
Nellie lovlier than had dreamed she could
be. My welcome was all could have wish
ed; and oh! what bright days those were
that followed my immediate arrival


'The third day my boxes were brought
out. Now the opening of a sailors boxes
is always momentous affair to his family,
and had brought mine all the presents 1
could possibly procure for them. Two pieces
of rich silk for dresses for my wife, beauti-
full Chinese table linen, carved chessmen,
and so on. l saw look of disappointment
on my wife's face, but l said nothing, and
the matter passed off.


My old friends came to see me, my wife
gave me my favorite dishes, and the week SO
happily spent was gone before l knew it.
Sunday morning came bright and beautiful.
To my surprise, my wife came to breakfast
with rumpled hair, and looking decidedly
cross; after while she decided she would
not go to church, though she was regular as
the sexton, for she had nothing fit to wear.
thought it very odd, but said nothing,
having long since found out that arguing
with a woman is about as effectual as Dip
ping the ocean dry with a teaspoon.


when Nellie and got back, there stood
my wife, her hair still uncombed, and ready
to scold the child for muddying her shoes,
her blue Chinese boots with the little bronze
blrd on the side of them. / interfered with
q good deal of frmness, and we went into
dinner nothing on the table was cooked de-
-C6QLlY. Anu SD II WdS I'LL TIE ucAb Wcck,
my coffee was thick and muddy, my meat
done to a crust, and well knew the demon
of mischief was about to be let loose, but
why could not guess.


I'm the meanwhile my wife's sister, who
had been q kind of ships cousin quartered
upon me ever since my marriage, looked as
demure as Connecticut deacon, and gave
me no hint what it was all about On the
next Saturday afternoon was sitting with
my wife and children, when there came q
knock ct the door, and in came First Mate
William Bendoin and his wife, she in all the
splendor of q new rig. He had returned
the week before me from Calcutta, and we
were the only seafaring men of the place;
and our wives were neigbbors and had
always been professedly great friends.


81 was delighted to see them, and thought
at the time that my wife was very cool,
though SO exceedingly polite. I soon forgot
all about her manner, though, in the pleas
ure of talking over old times, and they
made long and to me very pleasant call.


''As soon as they left my wife went up to
her roOm and saw her NO more that even
ing for when tea was ready she sent down
word she had headache, and wanted none.
The next day things were no brighter than
before, and when the first church bell rang,
my wife burst into food of tears and set
OF for her chamber. / followed her, and
there she lay on the bed in regular Mysteries
When she came to herself a little, I asked:


Why, what on earth is the matter2


:'She looked me full in the face, and said


If you don't knw, Thomas Wilcox, you
ought to-"


Il wilted under her looks like q boy
caught stealing marbles. The truth is,
thought some villain had been telling tale.
out OF school, but, for the life of me,
could not conceive who it could be.


by this time my wife was in anothe, fit
worse than the first. conjured up all the
recollections of my voyage-and they were
not half so pleasant as could have wished
them-but finding could not restore her,
ran down stairs to make some mulled wine
When 1 reached the kitchen, there was my
wife's sister with her demure face, which
helped to irrltate me still more. l called To-
wine and spices, and while was heating it
she began. She wished to gracious her sis
ter knew how to treat husband as hs
deserved to be treated; that If she was
wife she would know how to prize a mai
who did everything man could do tt
please her.


Il was in no humor to hear my wife abused
my conscience at that time making kin,
of coward of me-so burst out upon he
in a rage. told her she was a snake in tn
grass, and would rather have her siste
than a thousand such as she was; and
there was any trouble between Mollie an,
me, why, knew who to thank for it.


''She lifted up her eyes and hands abov
her head, and said all men were fools. but
was the greatest OF them all.


''This brought on a spirited alteration
in which spoke my mind pretty freely. A
soon as the wine was heated / decanted
into tumbler. My sister-in-law recon
mended hot vinegar, but told her woul
leave that for her.


''On my way up stairs / thought hear
my wife's footsteps in her chamber, bu
when / entered she was lying on the bed
crying in very sensible manner. had n
difficulty in persuading her to drink tn
wine. She caught hold of my hand an
kept sobbing. She did not deserve such


husband, she said. was too good for he
and she was not worth all the kindness


gave her.


Il felt encouraged. and kissing her agair
begged her to tell me what was the mattel
At this she began crying and sobbing agaiI
and said she could not tell me as woul
hate her, and she deserved to be hated, ct,


1.-THE more she decrled herself the MOI