------------------------------------------------------------------------ Transcriber’s Note: This version of the text cannot represent certain typographical effects. Italics are delimited with the ‘_’ character as _italic_. Illustrations are indicated by their captions. Their positions in the tex have been adjusted to fall on a paragraph break. Minor errors, attributable to the printer, have been corrected. Please see the transcriber’s note at the end of this text for details regarding the handling of any textual issues encountered during its preparation. [Illustration: FRONTISPIECE.] MY WAYWARD PARDNER; OR, MY TRIALS WITH JOSIAH, AMERICA, THE WIDOW BUMP, AND ETCETERY. BY JOSIAH ALLEN’S WIFE, (MARIETTA HOLLEY,) AUTHOR OF “MY OPINIONS AND BETSEY BOBBET’S,” “SAMANTHA AT THE CENTENNIAL,” &C. -------------- “_Wimmen is my theme, and also Josiah._” -------------- =Illustrations by True W. Williams.= -------------- PUBLISHED BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY. -------------- HARTFORD, CONN.: AMERICAN PUBLISHING COMPANY. 1882. COPYRIGHT BY MARIETTA HOLLEY. 1880. (All rights reserved.) TO JOSIAH AND AMERICA. WITH THE HOPE THAT HE AND SHE BOTH WILL PUT THEIR BEST FOOT FORWARD AND WALK OFF NOBLY IN THE PATH OF RIGHT THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED BY THEIR AFFECTIONATE FRIEND AND WELL WISHER, _JOSIAH ALLEN’S WIFE_ PREFACE. ---------- I told Josiah that I guessed I would write a book about several things—and wimmen. Says I, “My mind has been dretful agitated lately about that certain lot of female wimmen that are sufferin’ more than tongue can tell. Why,” says I, “when I think of their agony and wrongs, it fairly makes the blood bile in my veins. I love the female sect,” says I firmly, “I am one of ’em myself.” Says he (not wantin’ me to say a word about it), “Let ’em write about it themselves.” Says I, “Josiah Allen, do you remember when you fell down through the barn and broke your limb, and most broke your other leg?” “Yes,” says he, “but what of it?”