Rensselaer Republican, Volume 15, Number 49, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 August 1883 — TONY HARDSCRABBLE'S WIFE. [ARTICLE]

TONY HARDSCRABBLE'S WIFE.

How She Earned the Right to Have Her Own Way. Tony Hardscrabble was carpenter, blacksmith, mender of tubs and barrels, and Jack;of-all-trades for the rural neighborhood in which he lived. His little shop in which he made horseshoes, shod the farmers’ horses, sharpened plowshares, made tables, doors, desks, cupboards, bureaus, and occasionally coffins; in which he pounded away at wonderful pork and vinegar barrels, and tightened up dilapidated old tubs and casks; this little shop was situated at a point in the woods, where- an old road crossed a new one, and was in itself a queer, patohed-up new and old building. Tony owned no corner lots, but no one intruded upon him. His little house, the gray hewn logs, divided by seams of white plastering, seemed oozy and comfortable; and while the •hop opened on the road, the house stood back among the trees. North, south, east and west were neighbors within a quarter or half-mile range, and the neighborhood was thickly settled. But no one saw the advantage of corner lots near Tone’s shop, not even the speculators and wise pen of the village three miles distant, and Tony was sole resident at the teornerji,. where he had a garden patch that did nqt flourish and a family that increased rapidly. Tony had a fair skin where it snowed above his elbows, and below the collar band of his shirt (collar he disdained to wear), but his face had a dark, grimy look. He w.as strong without being stmt, and was fond of displaying His strength and prowess. His face was that of a daring, resolute man, and his neighbors never took much comfort in looking at it. Tony was a handy man, and as the country people said, was not afraid of work. He never received much ready money, but he got his pay in shape of corn or flour or pork, or money in good time. The people who patronized him diil not neighbor with him, however. They knew little about the family, but they inferred that Mrs. Hardscramble had a hard time of it. She was a goodnatured, round-faced woman, who was always busy indoors, and who seemed to take great comfort with her children, all of <*vhich was a mercy, the good old wom'en of the neighborhood thought, as she had little comfort in her husband. Tony’s wife, in those days, did not make much of an impression in the neighborhood. People caught only glimpses of her, but thev knqw she was a comely woman. While other women of her age in the neighborhood were sallow and broken down, Mrs. Hardscrabble was fresh, plump and strong. The face was attractive, but had little character; and Tony’s wife was classed among the simple-minded drudges,' and was frequently referred to as a woman who thought the wt>rld and all of her children, bpt who had not an atom of spirit. And Tony was good to her. That was all people could say about Tony’s wife. Tony had never been seen at church. He had certain loose ways and independent notions that the people did not like. He considered that there was no harm in taking a mess of roasting ears from any man’s cornfield whenever he wanted*them. He thought the carrying off of some fine watermelons from some old farmer’s carefully-guarded truok-patch was good sport. He would take a fine walnut rail from a fence whenever he needed seasoned walnut for frame-work in his shop. He shot game in and out of' season, on Sunday as well as work-days. He had been accused of shooting fat, young hogs, and Ayringing the necks of other people's ohiokens, but only aocused. He would take his boys and go on nutting expeditions on Sunday, and always had an abundant supply of wild grapes, berries, nuts, plums, etc. He wtw the freeboter as well as the Jack-of-all-trade&of the neighborhood, and was considered a suspicious character. Sowhen it was announced that Squire Prim’s house had been broken into and over SI,OOO in money taken, and that the smoke-house had been broken open the same night, and that the hams and shoulders taken had been found buried in the woods near Tony’s house, no one was surprised. Tony was arrested, had a preliminary examination, was bound over to court, could not procure bail, and vgas sent to the county jafl. His trial came off in due time, he was convicted and sent to the penitentiary for five years. People were agreed that he got what he deserved, but they were sorry for his wife. She was left with six children, and it was too bad! Many of the good women of the neighborhood could not find it im their hearts to help her, as she persisted in asserting ha huband’a innocence. She clung

to the man with what these practical women called a nonsensical, romantic affection, and they had no patience with her. Others honored her for her faith in her husband and for her affection, although they doubted not for a moment that Tony Hardscrabble was guilty as charged. The wife and her boys and girls kept dose to their home, grieving as for a father and husband dead. After a few weeks Mrs. Hardscrabble was seen abroad, then at the oounty*seat, and then, wonder of wonders —this woman, who had never been a mile from home since her marriage, went to the State capital. Pew of the men would undertake such a journey. Tony’s wife received the compliment of being a plucky woman. In dne time a notice appeared in the county paper that an application would bJ made for the pardon of Tony Scrabble. This the people deliberately and emphatically frowned upon, and comparatively few signed the petition, although it was printed to every man in the neighborhood by Mrs. H. herself. Everybody was now talking about Tony’s wife. She was constantly going. There were hints that she or her lawyer had found new points of evidence. During the year she went to the Governor twelve times with her plea for pardon, and was met with refusal every time. And she persisted. She went out washing, went out in butohpring time, worked even in the fields for money, and spent it in going to and from the State capital. People reasoned with her and tried to convince her that there was no hope; that all this effort was worse than useless. She rarely made any‘reply, except to protest that her husband was innocent, and she would never rest until she had proved that he was not guilty and until she had secured his release. The old ladies pronounced her crazy, but their grandmotherly old eyes»were tender as they said it, and they thought it was a shame that such a man as Tony Hardscrabble should have such a fine woman for'a. wife. And while they praised the wife they abused the husband. Mrs. Hardscrabble had been to the Governor’s office eighteen times, carrying each time some new atom of evidence, some new suggestion from her lawyer, some fresh concession from the Judge or Prosecuting Attorney, an additional name from the jury before whom the case was tried. She haunted the Governor’s office and the offices of the prison authorities. She always had a personal interview, pnd aroused sympathy even while her facts were considered unimportant. She went the nineteenth time with a sealed letter from the Prosecuting Attorney. She was -received with the old smile at the Governor’s office, but waited patiently for her interview with the Governor himself, who had almost declined to see her. Her letter produced astonishing results. The Prosecutor withdrew the charge. The real thief had been arrested, and had submitted statements in regard to the theft that showed that Tony Hardscrabble had not been concerned. The affidavits and other documents were inclosed with the formal recommendation for pardon by the Judge and Prosecutor. They joined heartily in praise of Mrs. Hardscrabble, and hoped the Governor, in view of the persistent efforts of the woman, and in view of the extraordinary circumstances of the case, would waive all formalities, grant an immediate pardon, and allow the woman to take her husband home with her. The proof of the man’s innocence was so plain, the statements were so dear, that the Governor hesitated not to join in the plan to surprise the woman who h.ad so worked for her husbau’s release. She was asked to wait a mdment in the audience-room, and, sad and almost disheartened, she waited while glad ne.ws flew in the other room. When the Governor came to her, he held in his hand a parchment, and unbent to say; “Mrs. Hardscrabble, the documents presented to-day establish your husband’s innocence. I thought you might like to carry the pardon to him yourself. Here it is, and I only hope he is worthy of his wife.” The good woman’s face trembled like her own baby’s when about tb cry. She dropped on her knees, caught the Governor’s hand and oovered it with kisses, as she had often, in her loneliness, kissed her baby. Then came an outpouring of thanks. “Your husband is innocent. I do my simple duty. No thankß are due me.” “But I must thank some one.” Then, clutching the pardon, she flew to the penitentiary. In less than an hour she was dragging her dazed and awe-struck husband through the Capitol corridors to the Governor’s office, to present him to that officer. Tony was overwhelmed by oonflioting and tremendous emotions. He was free. His wife had done it. He knew that. She had held the pardon under his eyes, and he had taken her in his arms, and had given her the first genuine, full-meaning kiss, of his life. He had always liked her and had always been kind to her, yas he understood kindness. But he had never known her. She pulled him along as though he were a boy. She, who had never been a mile from home, knew the Governor. This, to Tony, with his prison experience before him, was a tremendous fact. What would happen? The Governor took him by the hand. “Now, mv man, I am glad this is as it is. And I am glad that you have suoh a wife. Try the world again, and let me hear from you.” That night Tony Hardsorabble’s children clambered about him and awoke in him a hundred new sensations. He had never seen suoh a pretty baby, such sweet little girls, such well-formed healthj boya. And they were all his.

He would try the world again, and ha laughtxi as he thought how he would astonish the people. The shop was open the next morning, and Tony was at work. How his veins swelled over the motion of a free man! The story had been told an 4 retold, and Tray was the hero of the hour. Everybody had something to say about his wife. She was dearly (judging frojn the evidence offered; which Tony accepted without question) the best woman in the neighborhood, and Tony was very proud oi her. For a few weeks affairs moved in the old way at Tony’s. Then, one Sabbath, there was a departure. Tray and his wife and children went to church. This was their first appearance, and Tony was complimented. He declared they needn’t make any fuss over him. He didn’t care anything for church, but ms wife did. She had remained at home a good many 'years to please him, and now he was attending church to please her. He was a hard ease himself, but he wanted his children to be like their mother, and he guessed they would be aqyhow. But be was going help her negr. And then Tony would drop his voice: “Justthink of it! She made nineteen trips to get me out of that scrape, and spent $95, all of which money she scraped together herself By jinks, I get to thinking about it sometimes when lam at work, and I pound a horseshoe all to flinders before I know what I am doing. She’s a wonderful woman, sir, and she’s my wife. She can run the beat to suit herself now, sir.” Tony meant what he said. His wife’s individuality was the controlling one at the corners. In time there was carpet on the floors, and then, wonder of wonders to Tony! a common but pretty pattern of paper on the walls. Tony became Jack-of-all-trades to his wile. “Couldn’t he make picture frames, brackets and other ornamental and useful articles for the house ?” Of course he could, and he took great delight in it. He couldn’t sit down and tell his wife, in words, how much he was surprised at her better self, nor how grateful he felt, nor how much he loved‘her, but he could work it out-, and all his spare time was devoted to doing things that he imagined she wanted done. He was simple and awkward in springing his surjmses on her, or in discovering what she desired, but the very simplicity of his action made his acts the more pleasant and touching to his wife. Tony became proud of his house. He would shoe a horse with the old skill and carefulness as to details, and would talk as much while dorog it, but now all the talk was about his own home; and when the work was done he would maneuver to have his customer go in and look around, as he expressed it; would take him in to show him a new flour-barrel he hacPmade, or a new rattrap, when all the time he meant to show him the paper on the walls, the carpet on the floors, and the general features of his cosy little home. He was always inviting people to dinner now, too. He made a childish parade of his wife and her accomplishments. This became a habit with him, and, unconsciously, people encouraged him in it. Tray was no longer a freebooter, and made no more raids on Sunday. He “hooked*’ no more roasting-ears or watermelons. He carried off no more rails, and was never accused of shooting other people’s ohiokens or hogs. As the improvements at the house assumed decided shape, improvements were inaugurated at the (hop. The rambling old building was straightened up and brightened up,’ the fences - were made new, the garden flourished in proper season, and an air of comfort pervaded Tony’s corners. Tony went to ohurch regularly, and always took the whole family; and at ohurch he made muoh of little things. Hedevoted more attention to keeping his children quiet than to the sermon. The children always had their pennies to put into the contribution-box, and the day the baby accomplished the feat of dropping a 5-oent ooin in the box without grabbing for the other coins already in, was an hour of triumph for Tony. There was something pathetic about these little oddities that appealed to all the tenderness there was in people’s hearts. In time Tony would have been indignant had any one asserted that he was not a member of the ohuroh. He wasn’t clear in his mind as to when he “joined,” but new customs had crept into his home, new thoughts into his mind, and new sentiments into his heart. People said there was a great change of heart, and as Tony was proud of the evidences of suoh a change, the people were probably right. The movement, with Tony, was steadily progressive, He groped blindly at first, but in time the resolution of the man and his versatility of talent showed in good works. • He was now spoken of as Mr. Hardscrabble, and he neighbored with all the people. He didn’t get above his work, but he took his work up to a higher plane. Mothers never objected now to their Bons lounging about Tony’s •hop. The boys liked to be with Tony, and even the men were glad when circumstances made it necessary to go to the Bhop. The great change in Tony’s life was at first attributed to the reformatory influence of prison discipline. But, in good time, people saw with clearer eyes. He oommenced living a better life,; not so much as a matter of conviction as to please his wife. Under this influence his convictions were reached and the man was aroused. He liked the better life and (flung to it. The people now understand that the instrument used to work the great change in Tony Hardscrabble was his wife, and they speak tenderly o t her, remember-

i .. V-rJnr- *.!■ 'i F’"T? mg what she was mid what aha la. — Chicago Inter Ocean.