But when he swore—He'd have her gore, He'd cut her dog gon'd neck, She fled in fright, out in the night, Her night gown was a wreck. Hub closed the door. A log or more He placed to keep it shut; Then he turned in, with a happy grin And slept within the hut. Next morning Wifie's corpse was found, Frozen stiff upon the ground. 'Twas held—The Commonwealth must show, The wife, by fear, was caused to go; And that her fear was founded quite On reason's grounds, not foolish fright; And that her death, from these events, Was quite the natural consequence. This proved, then Hub would guilty be Of Womanslaughter. Q. E. D.
THE LAW AT WADE'S FERRY. BY GEORGE O. BLUME. FLK across the river in the town of Woolwich spoke lightly of their neigh bors at Wade's Ferry when discussing top ics which held a point of law, the reason being that the town of Wade's Ferry had been compelled by virtue of an old lawsuit to maintain a suitable ferry for transporta tion of all cattle, merchandise and human beings from said town of Wade's Ferry to Woolwich and vice versa. This obligation had been so irksome to the Ferry folk on account of the attitude of the citizens of Woolwich that the service had been sadly crippled, and each day added some fresh reason why the affairs should be straight
ened out satisfactorily to citizens of both towns. Although the town of Woolwich had the law with it, Wade's Ferry had the means of getting back and forth across a half-mile of sometimes roughish Kennebec River water. Needless to say that folk in Wade's Ferry had several times endeavored to have this decision set aside on account of the privilege not being appreciated, but without result. Thus things were when one hot day in August Uncle Asa Simpson drove down to the landing on the Woolwich side of the river and signalled for the ferry to take him across. This was done by hauling a white flag with a red centre aloft on a long pole.
