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lowa County Democrat. J VOL. XII. .1 MAWKX'S SOM;. Scribner's Magazine. I muv him through the window— The new moon was in sisjhl Come stenltm: down the aiirden. One balmy summer nii;ht. tie tapped upon the w indow : "Oho me a kiss," lie said ; And straightway I was hidden, I.ike a little mouse, in bed. One eye above the bed clothes Was—oh, so fast asleep! Bat the other beneath— twas Im kv lie was not there to peep! lie called again, as eager As the slag for cooling brooks. Or the hre that in the lilies Kor golden honey looks' The silence of my chamber— it almost made'me start Kor nothing there betrayed me But the heating of my heart! He knocked and railed, and called me. And his voice so clear and sweet. It pulled away the bed-clothes And stood me on my feet! It drew mo to the window ; "He must be gone,” I thought; I raised the window softly. And peeping out was caught! Was caught and showered with Us-es. How many did he gel • As many as'my blushes. Kor I am blushing yet' ISOHOHY HI T JOHN. “ Somebody is coming," said I. as the clack of the shutting gate fell on my cars, and I looked at Maggy’s soiled, un tidy dross, and tumbled hair. Maggy started and glanced hastily from tin' window : then sat down again in ti careless way. remarking as she did so : “ It’s nobody hut John.” Nobody but John 1 Aral who do you think that nobody was? Only her hus band. Nobody but Joint. A few moments afterward John Fair burn came into the room where we wore sitting and gave me one of his frank, cordial greetings. I had known him for many years, and long before his marriage. 1 bad noticed that he gave an annoyed glance at bis wife, but did not speak to her. The meaning of his annoyance and indifference was plain to me ; for John had conic of a neat and tidy family. His mother's house-keeping bad always been nolal.de. She was poor ; but as “ time and water arc to be had for nothing,'’- this was one of her sayings—she always man aged to have things about clean and orderly. Maggie Lee had a pretty face, bright eyes, and charming little ways that wore very taking 'with the young men, and so was quite a belle before she got out of her teens. She had a knack of fixing her ribbons, or tying her scarf, or arranging her hair, shawl, or dress in a way to give grace and charm to her person. None but her most inti mate friends know of her untidyness that pervaded room and person when at homo and away from common ob servation. Poor John Fairhurn was taken in when he married Maggy Lee. lie thought that he was getting the tidiest, neatest, sweetest and most orderly girl in town, but discovered too soon that be wits united to a careless slattern. She would dress for other people’s eyes, be cause she bad a natural love of admira tion ; but at home and for her husband she put on her old duds, .and went look ing often “ like the old scratch,'’ as the saying is. On the particular occasion of which lam speaking—it was after she and John had been married over a year— her appearance was almost disgusting. Bite ditl not have on even a morning dress ; only a faded and tumbled chintz stick above a skirt —no collar—slippers down on the heels, and dirty stock ings. Her hair looked like a hurrah’s nest, if anybody knows what that is—l don’t; but I suppose it is the perfection of disorder. No one could love such a looking creature. That was simply im possible. “ Nobody but John !" I looked tit the bright, handsome young man and wondered. He ate his dinner almost in silence, anti then went hack to ids work. I had never seen him look so moody. “What's come over John 1" I asked, as he went out. “Oh, 1 don't know," his wife an swered. “ Something wrong tit the shop, I suppose. He's* had trouble with one of the men. He is foreman, you know." “Arc you sure it's only that?" i asked, looking seriously. “ That, or something about his work. There’s nothing else to worry him.” 1 was silent for a while debating with myself whethar good or harm would conic of a little j Haiti talk with John’s wife. She was rather quick tempered. 1 knew, and easy to take offense. At last [ ventured to remark “ May he thing- arc not ju-t to bi lking til home.” “At home 1" Maggy turned on me with it flash of surprise in her face. ■ What do yon mean?" “ Men like beauty, taste and ncatm-s,- ia their wives as well as in their sweet hearts,” I ■-aid. The crimson mounted to her hair. At the same moment 1 saw her glam e at the looking-glass, that hung op posit < to heron the wall. She -at very still. MINERAL POINT. WIS., FRIDAY, DECEMBER •>!, 1877. yot with :i startled look in her eyes, until the Ikish faded, and her faee became al most pale. “Maggy," said 1, rising and drawing my arm around her. " conic upstairs, 1 have something very serious to say to yon." \Vc walked up from the little dining room and up to her chamber in silence. 1 then said : " Maggy, I want to tell about a dear friend of mine who made shipwreck of happiness and life. It is a sad story, but 1 am sure it will interest yon deep ly. She was my cousin ; and her name was—" Maggy bent forward, and listened at tentively. “What?” she asked, as 1 hesitated on the name. “Helen.” " Not Helen White, who married John Harding, and was afterward deserted by her husband?'’ “ Yes ; my poor, dear cousin Helen. It is of her 1 am going to tell you." “ I never knew why her husband went off as he did." saiil Maggy. “Some said he was to blame and some put all the fault on her. How was it?" “ Roth were to blame, but she most," 1 replied. “John Harding, like your husband, was one of the neatest and most orderly of men. Anything un tidy in his home or in the person of his wife, annoyed and often put him out of humor; but he did not, as he should have done, speak plainly to his wife and let her set' exactly how he felt, and in what he should like a change. If he had done so, Helen would have tried as every good wife should to conform herself more to his taste and wishes. Hut he was a silent, moody sort of a man when things did not go just to suit him; and, instead of speaking out plain ly, brooded over Helen's faults, and worrit'd himself into ill-humor. And w hat was worse than all, grew at length indifferent to his home and wife, and sought pleasanter surroundings and more attractive company abroad. “ Kvery man thus estranged fit an his home is in danger, and Harding was no exception to the rule. Temptation lay about his feet, and that commonest temptation of all, the elegantly tilted up billiard and drinking saloon. “ They had been married just about as long as you and John have been when the sad catastrophe of their lives took place. 1 had called to spend the day with Helen, and found her in her usual condition of untidyness and dis order. When her husband came home at dinner time, I noticed with painful concern that he had been drinking not very freely, but just enough to show itself in captious ill-humor. Helen had not dressed for dinner, but presented herself at the table without even a clean collar, and with an old faded shawl drawn about her shoulders. She looked anything but attractive. “ I saw her husband’s eyes glapee J toward her across the table with an ex- j pression that chilled me. It was a hard, i angry, determined expression. He was \ scarcely civil to me, and snapped his I wife sharply two or three times during ! the meal. At the close, he left the table . without a word, and went upstairs. “‘What’s the matter with John?' 1 asked. “ ‘ Hear alone knows ! ’ replied Helen. ‘He’s been acting queer for a good while. 1 can't imagine what’s come over him.' “ ‘ Does he eome home in this way often?’ 1 asked. “ ‘ Yes, he’s moody and disagreeable most of the time. I'm getting dread fully worried about it.’ “ As we talked we heard John moving about with heavy footfalls in the rooms above. Presently he came down, and stood for a little while in the ball at the foot of the stairs as if in hesitation. Then he went to the street door, passed out. and shut it hard after him. “ Helen caught her breath with a start and turned a little pale. ■What’s the matter?’’ 1 asked, see ing the strangeness of her look. “‘I don’t know,' she replied in a choking voice, laying her hand at the same time on her breast, ‘ but I feel as if something dreadful were going to happen.’ “She got up from the table, and I drew my arm around her. I too felt a a sudden depression of spirits. We went slowly up to her chamber, w here we spent the afternoon; and 1 took up on myself the office of a friend, and talk ed seriously to my cousin about her) neglect of personal neatness, hinting' that her husband s estrangement from l his home, and altered manner toward- j herself, might all spring from this cause, •She was a little angry at me at first, but j I pressed the subject home with a ten der seriotisn* -• that did the work of conviction; and as evening drew on.she j dn ed with caVe and neatness, with a fn sh ribbon tied in he hair, and color i a litth raised hy mental excitement.' she looki i charming and lovable. I waited with interest to see the impres sion she would make on her husband. He could not help being charmed hack ! into the lover. 1 was sure. Hut he did not come home to tea. We waited for him a whole hour afb-r the usual time, i and then we -at down at the table alone: but neither of us could do more than si;, a little tea. ■ I went home soon after, withapn sure of concern at my heart for which , 1 could not account. All night 1 dream ed uncomfortable dreams. In tho ! morning. soon after breakfast. 1 ran 1 over to see Union. I fomul tior in hoi 1 room, sitting in her night dross tho picture of despair. ‘“What is it?” t asked eagerly. •What has happened?’ She lookod jat mo hoavily, hko ono not yot re- I oovorod from tho shook of a stunning Mow. “‘Hoar oottsin. what is the matter?’ I askod. “ 1 now saw by a motion other hand, : that is hold, tightly olntohod, a j iooo of paper. She roai’hod it to mo. It was a lottor, and road : “‘ Wo oannot live happily togothor, II ohm. You aro not what 1 believed my solf getting whon wo wore marriod not tho sweet, lovoly, lovahlo girl that oharmod my fanoy, and won mo from all others. Alas for n< both that it is sol There has boon a shipwreck of two lives. Farewell 1 I shall never re turn.’ “ And this was all, hut it broke the heart of my poor cousin. To this day, though nearly throe years have passed, she has never heard from her husband, i “ 1 saw her list week in tho country home to which she had been taken h\ her friends, a wreck both in mind and body. She whs sitting in an upper J room. ,om the window of which could he seen a beautiful landscape. She was l neatly attired, and a locket, containing her husband's picture, hung at the i throat. Her head was dropped, and her eyes on tin* lloor when I entered but she raised her eyes quickly, and with a kind of start. I saw a momentary i eager llush in her face, dying out quickly and leaving it inexpressibly sad. ‘“1 thought it was John.’she said mournfully. ‘ Why don’t he come?” 1 had to stop here, for Maggy broke | out suddenly into a w ild lit of sobbing j and eiying which lasted for nearly a ' minute, “ What ails yon dear?" 1 asked as she began to boa little composed. "Oh! you have frightened me so. If .lohnshould She out short the sentence; but her frightened face left me in nodoubt as to what was in her thoughts. She arose and walked about the room m an uncertain way for some moments and then set down again, drawing in her breath hoav ily. "If young wives," 1 remarked—be lieving that in her present stale the truth was (he best thing to say, "would take half the pains in making them selves personally attractive to their husbands, that they did to charm their lovers, more of them would lind the lover continued in the husband. Is a man less admirer of womanly grace and beauty after he becomes a husband than he was before?" "llnslil hush!" she said in a chok ing voice. “ 1 see it all ! 1 comprehend it all.” And she glanced down at her self. "1 look hateful and disgusting." Aftor a plain earnest talk with Maggie 1 went home. 1 give her own words as to what happened afterwards; “ 1 was watching all the afternoon, .lohn has acted worse at dinner time; and w hat you had told me about poor Helen set my fears in motion and worrie Ime half to death. Long be fore tin' time he usually came home, I dressed myself with care, selecting the things I heard him admire. As I looked at myself in the glass, 1 saw that I was attractive; 1 felt as I had never fell be fore, that there was a power in dress that no wtnnan can disregard without loss of influence, no matter what her position or sphere of life. Supper time came. I had made, something (hat I knew John liked, and was waiting for him with a nervous eagerness it was impossible to repress. Hut the hour passed and hi- well known tread along the little garden walk did not reach my anxious ears. Five, ten, twenty minutes beyond his hour for re turning. and still I was alone. Oh! I shiver as I recall the wild fears that be gan to crowd upon me. 1 was standing at tin 1 window, behind the curtain, waiting and watching. All at once J saw him a little distance from the house, Out not in the direction from which he usually came. He was walk- 1 ing slowly, and with eyes upon the j ground. His whole manner was that of one depressed or suffering. I dropped the curtain, and went back into our little hrenk'a-t room to see that supper was qiekly on the table. John came in, j and went up stairs, as he usually did, to change his coat before tea. In a few minutes I rang the lea hell, and then seated myself at the table to wait for him. He was longer than usual in , making himself ready, and’then I heard him coming down slowly and heavily, as if there was no spirit in him. "My heart heat strongly. Hut I tried to look bright and smiling. There was, oh 1 so dreary a look on John’s ; face as I first saw it in tie door, He‘ stood still just a moment with his eyes i fixed on me; then the dreary look faded out; a flash of light passed over it, and i he stepped forward quickly,and coming over to where ! sal, stooped down and , kissed me. Nevei Indore was bis kiss so sweet to my lips. " I have found my little wife once more,” he said, softly and tenderly, and with a quiver in las voice. 1 laid my head upon his bosom. and looking up into hi* faee, answered Vml you shall never loose her again." And 1 think he will not. The sweet ness of that hour, and the lessons it taught, can never he forgotten hy friend Maggy. For The Ladles, Brigham Young’s widows are to bring out a hoook. It will he called “That Husband of Ours," About tln> least satisfactory wedding ring a woman can receive is ti have her husband wring her ears. It costs the w omen of America $8,000,- 000 per year to keep their faces paint ed. and tht'u (hey want good clothes be sides. * Oirlswho are not handsome hate those who are, while those who are handsome hate one another. Which class has the best of it ? " Why do you choose to live a single life?" asked a fashionable idler of an estimable young lady. “ Because," she replied , “ 1 am not able to support a husband.” Queen Victoria's crow n is composed of brilliant diamonds, 1,”7 8 rose diamonds and I 17 table diamonds, one large ruby, 17 sapphires, II emeralds, 1 small rubies and ““7 pearls, all set in silver and gold. Take a young man of average indus ti'. os habits and you w ill find that he understands w hen the hour of twelve or six o'clock comes to the half second, hut put the same individual of an even ing alone, in a pleasantly heated front parlor with a pretty girl, and he won't have the least idea it's nearly two A. M , until ho hears the dairy man next door milking the pump. The wedding dnas of Maria de la* Mercedes, future Queen of Spain, has already been ordered, and the feminine portion of the world will doubtless call it beautiful. It is to he of while satin, entirely covered with Aleueon point, lace on which will hn worked the arms of all tin l realms into which Spain was formerly divided. This recalls the dress < f Queen \dolaide, of Kngland. which was a pretty piece of imagiua lion it was embroidered with dowers the initials of which formed her name. All women play cards alike. Watch a woman at a game of whist, and you’ll gel a pretty correct idea of how all yvo men play whist: “ l.a me, Henry, is it my play ? Hot me sec second hand low- that’s the lirsl linn round for that suit, ain't it? well. I'll play no, 1 hard ly think I will now you stop looking at my hand did you see anything? of course I'm going to play hut 1 must have lime to thiiiK- what's trumps spades I thought 'twas clubs -well, 1 ll—no yes well there 1" Then she will clap an ace on her partner’s king, and insist upon keeping the trick for fear she will he cheated out of it in the I'nml count. Incident of Their Honeymoon. An amusing incident occurred on hoard the “ Holden State” recently, on its way to Albany, when a slight lire caused considerable commotion among the passengers. The story is a good one, and we give it publicity, as it de monstrates the true nature of many in dividuals who, claiming to ho men, dis prove (heir right to the title at critical moments hy losing their wits and for getting all else save their own personal safety. It seems that there was a newly mar ried eoupio on hoard of the steamer, who, hy a public exhibition of their fondness and affection for each other, even before the boat left the landing, gave the people to understand that they had just launched in the matrimonial hark, and wore seeking together the pleasant haven of connubial Miss. They both gloried in the fact. Soon after the accident occurred the lovers disap peared from tint deck. In tin; cabin, where the lady passengers had been sent for the purpose of fastening life pre servers about their bodies, the couple who had hut a few minutes before at tracted so much attention were discov ered. The bridegroom had secured a life-saving apparatus and strapped it about his own shoulders, and his wife was clinging to him in the agony of despair. “ Hon't desert me now Charlie, the first day we are married,” she piteously exclaimed; “ let me go with you !” Did Charles gallantly remain by the side of Ids affectionate spouse and face the supposed danger like a man? Oh, no, not he! With eyes protruding from their sockets in extreme fright, and with a face which could not have portrayed greati r four laid its possessor been condemned to he burned nt the stake, Charles stepped, or rather wrested himself away from the con tidiw embrace of his bride, and leaving her To her fate, rushed on deck and be took hirn.-clf to a canal Mail which had drawn alongside the steamer. Several gentlemen, observing the heroic action of the bridegroom, volunteered to idiot the deserted lady to her liege lord. This was done, and as no affecting signs of recognition wa re note ed between the couple, it h believed the wife had her faith in the noble oualitie of heri husband somewhat shaken hy (he oc-! cum in c. Humor. An Illinois fanner boy, who h;is tried it, says. " It is hurt! work to ride a pin, its mane is so short." Now >s the time for the inventors of snow-plows to seek out railroad men and talk thorn to death. In one souse Koutuoky i> celebrated tor its short horns, hut in auothor she isn't. " Ihity before pleasure," as the cus tomhouse ollioer said when he lighted upon some smuggled tobacco, V philosopher who w ent to a ehureh where the oeople eatue in late said it was the fashion there for nobody to no till everybody not there. " Mamma," said little four-year old, after waiting patiently for her* mother to be at leisure, "will you be uubusv soon?” One thousand dollar counterfeit bills are onee more in circulation. He sure you do not put any in the contribution boves, \ Kentucky innkeeper oilers to en tertain eloping couples at half price lie can afford to, provided the two have been made one. Some soured bachelor says "Heaven in its mereiful providence gave no beard to woman because he well knew they could not hold their tongues loiigenougfi to be sha\ ed " \\ hen is the best time to pick apples; " This is a very simple ipiestion. The best time for such work is when the tanner is not looking and there is no big dog in the orch ml. The worst thing that any haler of mankind can wish to an enemy, is to hope that he'll go to ehureh some very cold and windy Sunday, without a, pocket handkerchief. A seh oolboy. asked todeliuethe word matrimony, said he did'nt exactly know its meaning, but he knew his father was tired of it. Hie Chicago .lorunal know s a thing or two. It says: " When a man imag ines that he is a prophet and a philoso pher, he lakes to long hair and a dirty overcoat." Young ladies in Home, N. Y., will 1 M>titiou (Vmgreas (w paaa an enabling act, to enable tin l old folk* to go to bed at nim* o’clock Sunday evening. At a Sunday-school, a teacher asked la little hoy if lie knew what tin' expres sion "sowing hues" meant, “ (fourth I do," said lie, |ailling a part of liin (rowaori around in front; "there in a tare my mil Mewed up; I lured it sliding down hill.’’ " What did you get !" naked a wife of her Imahand, on Ida return home from a. hunting exenraion of aeverul (laya’ duration. " I got hack !" he sen tentioualv replied. A maiden lady anid to her little* nephew,: “ Now, Johnny, you go to bed early, and iilwaya do so. and you will lie may-cheeked and handaome when you grow up." Johnny thought over Una a few minutes, anil then observed: “Well, aunty, you niual have ant up a good deal when you were young.” An English mimical Journal aay a that fifteen per cent, of the inmalea of Inna tie asylums urn muaieiaim and singers, hut it neglects to state how many of the remaining eighty-fivo per cent, were driven mad by the practicing of the former. (’onveraalion between an inquiring at ranger and a steamboat pilot: "That ia Illiielc Mountain?" “ Yea, air; high est mountain above Lake (leorge," “ Any story or legend eonneeted with that mountain !’’ " Lola of ’em. Two lovers went up that mountain once and never came back again." “Indeed? Why, what became of them?” " Went down on (he other aide !" Within (he next few days if any aeei dent befalls a man, and lie is found to have a auspicious smelling matin in hia pocket, give him the benefit of a doubt, lie may have been commissioned from home to " buy a little cooking brandy ’’ for < ’hriatmas. • i WnoKviat has habitually attended circuses in this country remembers the Conrad brothers, acrobatic clowns, and their comical performance, in which one pretended to be dead, wlfile the other tumbled him about. They re cently went to (iermany. 77m L/rndim Era conlaiiiH the following;" < inn evening the elder Conrad fell to the ground al ter a pretended blow, and was turned and returned ns usual. His arms and legs were jerked, be was struck ‘and kicked and dragged, but preserved a steady impassibility. Suddenly an ex pression of distress could be noticed through tiie grotesquely painted linea ment- of bis brother, who hastily dropped on hi t knees and placed his hand upon the heart of the inanimate (down, exclaiming, ‘ My poor brother is dead!’ At this the audience laughed. ‘ (lentlcinen,’said the distressed man, with tears in his voice, ‘ J assure yon he is really dead.’ Then, taking hi: ten derly in his arms, he bore him bom the arena The crowd appeared struck with the natural manner in which the bereft clown expressed grief, and ap plauded him vigorously as he departed. There were loud encores for both, hut neither presented himself, Death had been more thoroughly simulated than ever before. NO. 10.