HOME.
"What a dear, considerate, good-natured husband I have, to be sure! The
proudest lady in the land can't be happier than I am in my humble
house," said Polly, as she bustled about to prepare for Tom's coming
home, having been informed by Bryan that she was to expect him. "Poor
fellow! he may well be tired and weary. I must get his bit of supper
ready. Hush! that's his footstep," she continued. But something smote
her as she noticed the fact, that he was silent. There was no cheering
song bursting from his throat--no glad word of greeting; but he entered
the door, moody and noiseless. Another glance. Did not her eye deceive
her? No! The fatal demon of Liquor had imprinted his awful mark upon
his brow. She went up to him, and, in a voice of affection, asked what
was the matter.
"Matter? What should be the matter?" he answered, peevishly.
"Don't speak so crossly, Thomas," said she, in a subdued voice; "you
know I did not mean any harm."
"Bless your little soul! I know you didn't," he exclaimed, giving her a
hearty embrace. "It's me that's the brute."
"Indeed, Thomas, you are nothing of the kind," she went on, the
cheerful smile once more on her lip.
"I am, Polly; I insist upon being a brute. Ah! you don't know all."
"All what? you alarm me!"
"I wish I dared tell her," thought Bobolink; "I will! I've found a
jolly lot of money to-day, Polly."
"How much, Thomas?"
"Shall I tell her? I've a great mind to astonish her weak nerves. How
much do you think?" cried he, with a singular expression, which Polly
attributed but to one terrible cause, and she turned sadly away. That
angered him--for men in such moods are captious about trifles. "I won't
tell her," said he; "she doesn't deserve it. Well, then, I've earned a
_dollar_."
"Only a dollar?" replied Polly. "Well, never mind, dear Thomas, we must
make it do; and better a dollar earnt, as you have earnt yours, by your
own honest industry, than thousands got in any other way."
Somehow Tom fancied that everything she said was meant as so many digs
at him, forgetting, in his insane drunkenness, that she must have been
ignorant of what had passed. The consequence was, that he became
crosser than ever.
"Why do you keep saying savage things, that you know must aggravate
me?" he cried. "I can't eat. Have you any brandy in the house? I have a
pain here!" and he clasped his hands upon his breast, where the
pocket-book lay concealed. "I think the brandy would relieve me."
"My poor Thomas," replied his wife, affectionately; "something must
have happened to annoy you! I never saw you thus before; but you are so
seldom the worse for drink, that I will not upbraid you. The best of
men are subject to temptation."
At that word Bobolink started from his seat, and gazing intently in her
face, exclaimed--
"What do you mean by that?"
"Why, even you, Thomas, have been tempted to forget yourself," she
replied.
"How do you know?" he thundered, his face now sickly pale.
"I can see it in every feature, my poor husband!" said she,
sorrowfully, as she quitted the room to get the brandy he required.
"I suppose you can," muttered Bobolink to himself, as he fell into the
chair, utterly distracted and unhappy; "everybody can. I'm a marked,
miserable man! and for what? I'll take it back; no, no! I can't now,
for I've denied it!"
"Something has happened to vex you terribly, my dear husband!" cried
Polly, as she returned with a small bottle of brandy.
"Well, suppose there has," replied he, in a loud and angry tone, "is a
man accountable to his wife for every moment of his life? Go to bed!
Where's the use in whimpering about it? You've had such a smooth road
all your life, that the first rut breaks your axle. Come, don't mind
me, Polly!" he went on, suddenly changing to a joyous laugh, and yet
somewhat subdued by the tears that now flowed down his wife's pale
cheeks; "I don't mean to worry you, but--but you see that I'm a little
sprung. Leave me to myself, there's a good girl! Come, kiss me before
you go. Ha! ha! I'll make a lady of you yet, Pol! see if I don't.
Didn't you hear me tell you to go to bed?"
"Yes, Thomas, but"----
"But what?"
"Pray, drink no more."
"I'll drink just as much as I please; and, moreover, I won't be
dictated to by you, when I can buy your whole stock out, root and
branch. I've stood your nonsense long enough, so take my advice and
start."
"Oh! Thomas--Thomas!" cried his weeping wife, as she hurried to her
little bedroom; "never did I expect this, and you'll be sorry for it in
the morning."
"Damn it! I am an unfeeling savage. Don't cry, Pol!" he shouted after
her, as she quitted the room; "I didn't intend to hurt your feelings,
and I won't drink any more, there. Say God bless you before you go in,
won't you?"
"God bless you, dear husband!" said the loving wife.
"That's right, Pol!"
As soon as Tom found himself quite alone, he looked carefully at the
fastenings of the doors and windows, and having cleared the little
table of its contents, proceeded to examine the interior of the
pocket-book. With a tremulous hand and a quick-beating heart, he drew
it forth, starting at the slightest sound; tearing it open, he spread
the thick bundle of notes before him; the sight seemed to dazzle his
eye-sight; his breath became heavy and suffocating; there was more,
vastly more, than he had ever dreamed of.
"What do I see?" he cried, while his eyes sparkled with the fire of
suddenly-awakened avarice, "tens--fifties-hundreds--I do
believe--thousands! I never saw such a sight before. What sound was
that? I could have sworn I heard a small voice call out my name. For
the first time in my life, I feel like a coward. I never yet feared to
stand before a giant! now, a boy might cow me down. Pshaw! it's because
I'm not used to handling money."
Again and again, he tried to count up how much the amount was, but grew
confused, and had to give it up.
"Never mind how much there is," he cried, at last; "it's mine--all
mine! nobody saw me; nobody knows it: nobody--but one--but one!" he
continued, looking upward for an instant, and then, clasping his hands
together, and leaning his head over the money, he wept bitter tears
over his great _Piece of Luck_.