casting about for another wife, he had betrayed it by no
outward and visible sign. The fact is Ezra's case was somewhat
exceptional, as we shall presently see.

Although he was quite diminutive in size, there was in his bearing, as
with hands clasped behind him he paced up and down before his lonely
fireside, a distinct dignity that was not only essentially manly--it was
_gentlemanly_.

The refinement of feeling underlying this no doubt aggravated the
dilemma in which he found himself, and which we cannot sooner comprehend
than by attending to his soliloquy as he reviewed his trials in the
following somewhat rambling fashion:

"No, 'twouldn't never do in the world--never, never. 'Twouldn't never do
to marry any o' these girls round here thet knows all my ups an' downs
with--with pore Jinny. 'Twouldn't never do. Any girl thet knew thet her
husband had been chastised by his first wife the way I've been would
think thet ef she got fretted she was lettin' 'im off easy on a
tongue-lashin'. An' I s'pose they is times when any woman gits sort o'
wrought up, livin' day in an' day out with a man. No, 'twouldn't never
do," he repeated, as, thrusting both hands in his pockets, he stopped
before the fire, and steadying the top of his head against the mantel,
studied the logs for a moment.

"An' so the day pore Jinny took it upon herself to lay me acrost her lap
an' punish me in the presence of sech ill-mannered persons ez has seen
fit to make a joke of it--though I don't see where the fun comes
in--well, that day she settled the hash for number two so fur ez this
town goes.

"No, 'twouldn't never do in the world! Even ef she never throwed it up
to me, I'd be suspicious. She couldn't even to say clap her hands
together to kill a mosquito less'n I'd think she was insinuatin'. An'
jest ez quick ez any man suspicions thet his wife is a-naggin' him
intentional, it's good-by happiness.

"Ef 'twasn't for that, of co'se they's more'n one young woman roun' this
county thet any man might go further an' do worse than git.

"Not thet I hold it agin Jinny, now she's gone, but--"

He had resumed his promenade, extending it through a second room as he
proceeded:

"--but it does seem strange how a woman gifted in prayer ez she was,
an' with all her instinc's religious the way hers was, should o' been
allowed to take sech satisfaction in naggin' the very one she agonized
most over in prayer, which I _know_ she done over me, _for I've he