"A Jiner."

balled me . Did it himself , of course . Didn't want me around knowing his goings on . Of course he didn't , and I told him so . Then he joined the Sons of Matter . Didn't say nothing to me about it , . but sneaked off one night , pretendin' he'd got to sit up with a sick Odd Feller , ancl I'd never found it out , only he came back lookin' like a man that had been through a thrashingmachineand I wouldn't do a thing for him till he owned up . Ancl so its gone

, from bad to wus , ancl from wns to wusser , jining this ancl that and t ' other , till he ' s Worship Minister of the Masons , and Goddess of Hope of the Odd Fellows , and Swordswallerer of the Finnegans , and Virgin Cerus of the Grange , and Grand Mogul of the Sons of Indolence , ancl Two-edged Tomahawk of the United Order of Black Men , and Tale-bearer of the Merciful Manikins , and Skipper of the Guild Caratine Columbus , ancl Big Wizard of the Arabian

Nights , ancl Pledge-passer of the Reform Club , ancl Chief Bulger of the Irish Mechanics , ancl Purse-keeper of the Order of the Canadian Conscience , ancl Double-Barrelled Dictator of the Knights of the Brass Circles , and Standard-Bearer of the Royal Archangels , and Sublime Porte of the Onion League and Chambermaid of the Celestial Cherubs , ancl Puissant Potentate of the Petrified Pig-Stickersancl the Lord onlknows what else . I ' ve borne it ancl borne it

, y , hopin' he'd get ' em all jined after a while , but 'tain't no use , ancl when he ' cl got into a new one , and been made Grand Guide of the Nights of Horror , I told him I'd quit , and I will . " Here the major interrupted , saying , "Well , your husband is pretty well initiated , that's a fact ; but the Court will hardly call that a good cause for a divorce . The most of the societies you mention are composed of honourable

men , and have excellent reputations . Many of them , though called lodges , are relief associations ancl mutual insurance companies , which , if your husband should die , would take care of you , ancl would not see you suffer if you were sick . "

" See me suffer when I ' m sick ! Take care of me when he ' s dead ! Well , I guess not ; I can take care of myself when he ' s dead , ancl if I can't I can get another . There ' s plenty of ' em . Ancl they needn't bother themselves when I ' m sick either . If I want to be sick ancl suffer its none of their business , especially after all the sufferin' I ' ve had when I ain't sick , because of their carryin ' s on . And you needn't try and make me believe it ' s all right either . I know what it is to live with a man that jines so many lodges that he don't

never lodge at home ancl signs his name , "Tours truly , Sam Smith , M . M , LO . O . F ., K . O . B ., K . of P ., P . of H ., R . A . H ., LLP ., K . of Z . N . C ., H . E . R . R . J . P ., L . E . T ., Z . T . Z ., " etc . " Oh , that's harmless amusement , " remarked Mr . Huse . She looked him square in the eye and said , " I believe you are a jiner yourself . "

He admitted he was to a certain extent , ancl she arose and said : " I wouldn't have thought it . A man like you , chairman of a Sabbath school ancl Superintendent of the Republicans . It ' s enough to make a woman take pisen . But I don ' t want anything of you . I want a lawyer that don ' t belonoto nobody or nothin ' . " And she bolted out of the office ancl inquired where Captain Patten kept . Neiu Britain Observer .